Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our Common Shares involves a number of significant risks. The following information is a discussion of the material risk factors associated with an investment in our Common Shares specifically, as well as those factors generally associated with an investment in a company with investment objectives, investment policies, capital structure or trading markets similar to ours. In addition to the other information contained in this report, you should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our Common Shares. The risks below are not the only risks we face but do represent the known material risks and uncertainties that we believe are most significant to our business, operating results, financial condition, prospects and forward-looking statements. 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 and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such cases, the NAV of our Common Shares could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Summary of Risk Factors
The following is a summary of the principal risk factors associated with an investment in our securities. Further details regarding each risk included in the below summary list can be found further below.
We have a limited operating history and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objective.
An investment in our Common Shares may not be appropriate for all investors and is not designed to be a complete investment program.
We have not identified specific investments that we will make with the proceeds of our private offering. As a result, you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our future investments prior to purchasing our Common Shares.
You should not expect to be able to sell your Common Shares regardless of how we perform.
You should consider that you may not have access to the money you invest for an extended period of time.
We do not intend to list our Common Shares on any securities exchange, and we do not expect a secondary market in our Common Shares to develop.
Because you may be unable to sell your Common Shares, you will be unable to reduce your exposure in any market downturn.
You should purchase these securities only if you can afford a complete loss of your investment.
We have implemented a share repurchase program, but only a limited number of Common Shares will be eligible for repurchase and repurchases will be subject to available liquidity and other significant restrictions. See “ Item 1. Business –Share Repurchase Program ”, “ Item 1A. Risk Factors – Repurchase Program Risk ” and “ Item 1A. Risk Factors – Timing of Repurchase May be Disadvantageous .”
An investment in our Common Shares is not suitable for you if you need access to the money you invest. See “ Item 1. Business – Share Repurchase Program .”
We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions, and if we do we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. We believe the likelihood that we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will be higher in the early stages of the offering.
Distributions may also be funded in significant part, directly or indirectly, from temporary waivers or expense reimbursements borne by the Adviser or its affiliates, that may be subject to reimbursement to the Adviser or its affiliates. The repayment of any amounts owed to the Adviser or its affiliates will reduce future distributions to which you would otherwise be entitled.
We expect to use leverage, which will magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested in us. See “ Item 1A. Risk Factors – Leverage Risk” .
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Shares less attractive to investors.
We intend to invest primarily in securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Below investment grade securities, which are often referred to as “junk,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value.
Our Board has the authority to modify or waive the Company’s investment objective, operating policies or strategies without prior notice (except as required by the 1940 Act) and without investor approval.
Our Board may, without shareholder vote, subject to certain exceptions, amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration of Trust by making an amendment, a Declaration of Trust supplemental thereto or an amended and restated Declaration of Trust.
Risks Relating to an Investment in the Company
We are a relatively new company and have a limited operating history . The Company is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC and has a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no significant track record or history on which to base their investment decision. We are subject to the business risks and uncertainties associated with recently formed businesses, including the risk that we will not achieve our investment objectives and the value of a shareholder’s investment could decline substantially or become worthless. While we believe that the past professional experiences of the Adviser’s Investment Team, including investment and financial experience of the Adviser’s senior management, will increase the likelihood that the Adviser will be able to manage the Company successfully, there can be no assurance that this will be the case.
Risk of Failure to Achieve Investment Objective . The Adviser cannot provide assurances that it will be able to identify, choose, make or realize investments of the type targeted for the Company. There is also no guarantee that the Adviser will be able to source attractive investments for the Company within a reasonable period of time. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to generate returns for the investors or that returns will be commensurate with the risks of the investments. The Company may not be able to achieve its investment objective and investors may lose some or all of their invested capital. The failure by the Company to obtain indebtedness on favorable terms or in the desired amount will adversely affect the returns realized by the Company and the Company’s ability to its investment objective.
Competition with Other Entities, Including Commercial Banks, Commercial Financing Companies, BDCs, Insurance Companies and Other Private Funds. Other entities compete with the Company to make the types of investments that the Company plans to make. Certain of these competitors may be substantially larger, have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than the Company will have and offer a wider array of financial services. There may be intense competition for investments of the type the Company intends to make, and such competition may result in less favorable investment terms than might otherwise exist. The competitive pressures the Company faces may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Risk of Dependence on Key Personnel of the Adviser. The Company will depend on the diligence, skill, experience and network of business contacts of the Adviser’s portfolio management team. There can be no assurances that certain members of the team will continue to provide investment services to the Adviser. The loss of key personnel would limit the Company’s ability to achieve its investment objective and operate as anticipated.
Illiquid Investments and Restrictions on Withdrawal. An investment in the Company is suitable only for certain sophisticated investors that have no need for immediate liquidity in respect of their investment and who can accept the risks associated with investing in illiquid investments.
Our Common Shares are illiquid investments for which there is not and will likely not be a secondary market. Liquidity for our Common Shares will be limited to participation in our share repurchase program, which we have no obligation to maintain. When we make quarterly repurchase offers pursuant to the share repurchase program, we will offer to repurchase Common Shares at a price that is estimated by our internal valuation processes to be equal to our NAV per share on the last day of such quarter, which may be lower than the price that you paid for our Common Shares. As a result, to the extent you paid a price that includes the related sales load or asset prices have declined and to the extent you have the ability to sell your Common Shares pursuant to our share repurchase program, the price at which you may sell Common Shares may be lower than the amount you paid in connection with the purchase of Common Shares in the offering.
Transfer Restrictions. There are restrictions on the ability of holders of our Common Shares to transfer shares, including restrictions typically associated with a private offering of securities under Regulation D and other exemptions from registration under the Securities Act, and these restrictions could limit the liquidity of an investment our Common Shares and the price at which holders may be able to
sell the shares. We are relying on an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and state securities laws in offering our Common Shares. As such, absent an effective registration statement covering our Common Shares, such shares may be resold only in transactions that are exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with the terms of the applicable Subscription Agreement. Our Common Shares have limited transferability which could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control of the Company that might involve a premium price for our securities or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.
Company Investors have No Right to Control the Company’s Operations. The Company is managed exclusively by the Adviser. Company investors will not make decisions with respect to the management, disposition or other realization of any investment, the day-to-day operations of the Company, or any other decisions regarding the Company’s business and affairs, except for limited circumstances. Specifically, Company investors will not have an opportunity to evaluate for themselves the relevant economic, financial and other information regarding investments by the Company or receive any financial information issued directly by the portfolio companies that is available to the Adviser. Company investors should expect to rely solely on the ability of the Adviser with respect to the Company’s operations.
The Company’s Assets are Subject to Recourse. The assets of the Company, including any investments made by and any capital held by the Company are available to satisfy all liabilities and other obligations of the Company, as applicable. If the Company becomes subject to a liability, parties seeking to have the liability satisfied may have recourse to the Company’s assets generally and may not be limited to any particular asset, such as the investment giving rise to the liability. Such recourse obligations of the Company will be treated as senior securities.
No Assurance the Company Will be Able to Obtain Leverage. The Company will seek to regularly employ direct or indirect leverage in a variety of forms through borrowings, derivatives and other financial instruments as part of its investment program. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain indebtedness at all or to the desired degree or that indebtedness will be accessible by the Company at any time or in connection with any particular investment. If indebtedness is available to the Company, there can be no assurance that such indebtedness will be available in the desired amount, be on terms favorable to the Company and/or terms comparable to terms obtained by competitors. The terms of any indebtedness are expected to vary based on the counterparty, timing, size, market interest rates, other fees and costs, duration, advance rates, eligible investments or collateral, ability to borrow in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and Company investor creditworthiness and composition. Moreover, market conditions or other factors may cause or permit the amount of leverage employed by the Company to fluctuate over the Company’s life. Furthermore, the Company may seek to obtain indebtedness on an investment-by-investment basis, and leverage may not be available or may be available on less terms in connection with particular investments. The instruments and borrowing utilized by the Company to leverage its investments may be collateralized by other assets of the Company.
It is expected that the Company will directly or indirectly incur indebtedness collateralized by the Company’s assets. As a BDC, with certain limited exceptions, the Company will only be permitted to borrow amounts such that the Company’s asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% (equivalent to $2 of debt outstanding for each $1 of equity) after such borrowing. If the Company is unable to obtain and maintain the desired amount of borrowings on favorable terms, the Adviser may seek to realize the Company’s investments earlier than originally expected.
No Assurance of the Availability of Asset-Based Leverage. The Company is expected to utilize asset-based leverage in acquiring investments on a deal-by-deal basis. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain indebtedness with respect to any particular investment. If indebtedness is available in connection with a particular investment, there can be no assurance that such indebtedness will be on terms favorable to the Company and/or terms comparable to terms obtained by competitors, including with respect to costs, duration, size, advance rates and interest rates. Moreover, market conditions or other factors may cause or permit the amount of leverage employed by the Company to fluctuate over its life. For example, if leverage is obtained later in the Company’s life, the Company may immediately deploy such leverage in order to achieve the desired borrowing ratio, which may involve making distributions of borrowed funds. If the Company is unable to, or not expected to be able to, obtain indebtedness in connection with a particular investment, the Company may determine not to make the investment or may invest a different proportion of its available capital in such investment. This may affect the ability of the Company to make investments, could affect the returns of the Company and may its ability to its investment objective. In addition, the lender may impose certain diversification or other requirements in connection with asset-based leverage, and these restrictions are expected to impact the ability of the Company to participate in certain investments or the amount of the Company’s participation in certain investments.
There are Special Considerations for Certain Benefit Plan Investors. We intend to conduct our affairs so that our assets should not be deemed to constitute “plan assets” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ ERISA ”) or certain U.S. Department of Labor regulations promulgated thereunder, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA (the “ Plan Asset Regulations ”). In this regard, until such time, if any, as our Common Shares are considered “publicly-offered securities” within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations, we intend to limit investment in our Common Shares by “benefit plan investors” (“ Benefit Plan Investors ”) to less than 25% of the total value of our Common Shares (within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations).
If, notwithstanding our intent, the assets of the Company were deemed to constitute “plan assets” of any shareholder that is a Benefit Plan Investor under ERISA or the Plan Asset Regulations, this would result, among other things, in (i) the application of the prudence and other fiduciary responsibility standards of ERISA to investments made by the Company, and (ii) the possibility that certain transactions in which the Company might seek to engage could constitute “prohibited transactions” under ERISA and the Code. If a prohibited transaction occurs for which no exemption is available, the Adviser and/or any other fiduciary that has engaged in the prohibited transaction could be required to (i) restore to the Benefit Plan Investor any profit realized on the transaction and (ii) reimburse the Benefit Plan Investor for any losses suffered by the Benefit Plan Investor as a result of the investment. In addition, each disqualified person (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code) involved could be subject to an excise tax equal to 15% of the amount involved in the prohibited transaction for each year the transaction continues and, unless the transaction is within statutorily required periods, to an additional tax of 100%. The fiduciary of a Plan Investor who decides to invest in the Company could, under certain circumstances, be liable for prohibited transactions or other as a result of their investment in the Company or as co-fiduciaries for actions taken by or on behalf of the Company or the Adviser. With respect to a Plan Investor that is an individual retirement account (an “ IRA ”) that invests in the Company, the occurrence of a prohibited transaction involving the individual who established the IRA, or his or her beneficiaries, would cause the IRA to its tax-exempt status. In addition, to the extent that the Company represents and/or covenants to any contractual counterparty that (1) the assets of the Company are not assets of the Plan Investors that invest in the Company and/or (2) the transactions entered into between the Company and the Plan Investor that invest in the Company do not constitute “prohibited transactions” under ERISA and the Code, and the applicable representation is untrue and/or the applicable covenant is not met, additional liabilities may be incurred, including as a result of the unwinding of the applicable contract.
Accordingly, until such time, if any, as our Common Shares constitute “publicly traded securities” within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations, we have the power, among other things, to (a) reject, in whole or in part, the subscription of any prospective investor to the Company; (b) withhold consent to the Transfer of Common Shares, including in circumstances where the Adviser determines necessary or desirable in order to facilitate compliance with ERISA or the Plan Asset Regulations; (c) restrict participation in the dividend reinvestment program such that Benefit Plan Investors are not permitted to participate, and (d) call drawdown purchases on a non-pro rata basis, and all Common Shares of the Company shall be subject to such terms and conditions.
Leverage Risk. The Company will seek to employ direct or indirect leverage in a variety of forms, including through borrowings, derivatives, and other financial instruments as part of its investment program, which leverage is expected to be secured by the Company’s assets, secured or unsecured bonds, securitization of portions of the Company’s investment portfolio via CLOs or preferred shares. The greater the total leverage of the Company relative to its assets, the greater the risk of loss and possibility of gain due to changes in the values of its investments. The extent to which the Company uses leverage may have other significant consequences to Company investors, including, the following: (i) greater fluctuations in the net assets of the Company; (ii) use of cash flow for debt service and related costs and expenses, rather than for additional investments, distributions, or other purposes; (iii) in certain circumstances the Company may be required to harvest investments prematurely or in unfavorable market conditions to service its debt obligations, and in such circumstances the recovery the Company receives from such harvests may be significantly diminished as compared to the Company’s expected return on such investments; (iv) on the Company’s flexibility to make distributions to Company investors or result in the sale of assets that are pledged to secure the indebtedness; (v) increased interest expense if interest rate levels were to increase significantly; (vi) during the term of any borrowing, the Company’s returns may be materially reduced by increased costs attributable to regulatory changes; and (vii) banks and dealers that provide financing to the Company may apply discretionary margin, haircut, financing and collateral valuation policies. Changes by banks and dealers in any of the foregoing may result in large margin calls, of financing and of positions at prices. The cost associated with the use of leverage may not be recouped through investments or may significantly reduce the of any investment. Certain types of loans require a fee payment irrespective if the credit facility is actually used and may require an annual fee to extend the facility. There can also be no assurance that the Company will have sufficient cash flow or be to sufficient assets to meet its debt service obligations. As a result, the Company’s exposure to , including a potential of principal, as a result of which Company investors could potentially all or a portion of their investments in the Company, may be increased due to the use of leverage and the of
the investments generally. Similar risks and consequences apply with respect to indebtedness related to a particular asset or portfolio of assets.
To the extent that the Company enters into multiple financing arrangements, such arrangements may contain cross-default provisions that could magnify the effect of a default. If a cross-default provision were exercised, this could result in a substantial loss for the Company.
As a BDC, we generally will be 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 shares that we may issue in the future, of at least 150%. As defined in the 1940 Act, asset coverage of 150% means that for every $100 of net assets we hold, we may raise $200 from borrowing and issuing senior securities. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we will be required to make provisions to prohibit any dividend distribution to our shareholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the dividend distribution or repurchase. If this ratio were to fall below 150%, we could not incur additional debt and could be required to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is disadvantageous to do so. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations and investment activities. Moreover, our ability to make distributions to you may be significantly restricted or we may not be able to make any such distributions whatsoever. The amount of leverage that we will employ will be subject to oversight by our Board, a majority of whom are Independent Trustees with no material interests in such transactions.
Although borrowings by the Company have the potential to enhance overall returns that exceed the Company’s cost of funds, they will further diminish returns (or increase losses on capital) to the extent overall returns are less than the Company’s cost of funds. In addition, borrowings by the Company may be secured by the shareholders’ investments as well as by the Company’s assets and the documentation relating to such borrowing may provide that during the continuance of a default under such borrowing, the interests of the investors may be subordinated to such borrowing.
Obtaining a Rating from a Credit Rating Agency. The Company may apply to a credit rating agency to rate the Company and/or its assets in order to provide the Company access to different sources of indebtedness or capital as well as to help meet the Company’s risk/return objectives, its overall target indebtedness ratio or other considerations as determined by the Adviser. In connection with such rating, the credit rating agency may review and analyze the Company’s counterparties, the Adviser, the Administrator, the investments and expected investments of the Company, the legal structure of the Company, the historical and current Company investors and Company performance data. There can be no assurance that the Company will apply for such a rating, that a credit rating agency will provide a rating or that such a rating will be beneficial to the Company. In addition, when making investment decisions for the Company (including establishing the Company’s investment portfolio), the Adviser may consider the implications of the investment portfolio on a credit rating agency’s rating of the Company and tailor the Company’s investment portfolio taking into account such considerations. There is a risk that a rating agency could incorrectly rate, or downgrade ratings which could have a material effect on the Company, including its assets and its ability to acquire indebtedness.
Provisions in Our Declaration of Trust Could Make It More Difficult for a Potential Acquirer to Acquire Us. Our Declaration of Trust contains provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquirer to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. Our Board may, without shareholder action, authorize the issuance of Common Shares in one or more classes or series, including preferred shares; our Board may, without shareholder action, amend our Declaration of Trust to increase the number of our Common Shares, of any class or series, that we will have authority to issue. These provisions may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our Common Shares and could entrench management.
Expedited Investment Decisions. Investment analyses and decisions by the Adviser may be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis to take advantage of investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available to the Adviser at the time of making an investment decision may be limited. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Adviser will have knowledge of all circumstances that may adversely affect an investment. In addition, the Adviser may rely upon independent consultants and other sources in connection with its evaluation of proposed investments, and no assurance can be given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by such independent consultants or other sources or to the Company’s right of recourse against them in the event errors or omissions do occur.
Insurance Risk. Lord Abbett expects to purchase and maintain an omnibus insurance policy or policies which includes coverage in respect of the Company, the Adviser and their affiliates, as well as Other Clients (the Adviser, its affiliates and their principals and employees serve as investment adviser, managing member or general partner to other investment funds, pooled investment vehicles and
client accounts (the “ Other Clients ”)), including certain of their respective indemnified persons (which omnibus insurance policy or policies may provide coverage to the Adviser and its affiliates, as applicable, for events unrelated to the Company). The premiums for such shared insurance policies generally would be borne by Lord Abbett and the clients covered by such policies, and such shared insurance policy or policies are expected to have an overall cap on coverage for all the insured parties thereunder. To the extent an insurable event results in claims in excess of such cap, the Company may not receive as much in insurance proceeds as it would have received if separate insurance policies had been purchased for each insured party. Similarly, insurable events may occur sequentially in time while subject to a single overall cap. To the extent insurance proceeds for one such event are applied towards a cap and the Company experiences an insurable loss after such event, the Company’s receipts from such insurance policy may also be diminished. Insurance policies covering the Company, the premiums of which are paid in whole or in part by the Company, may provide insurance coverage to indemnified persons for conduct that would not be covered by indemnification. In addition, the Company may need to initiate litigation in order to collect from an insurance provider, which may be lengthy and expensive for the Company and which ultimately may not result in a financial award. In addition, the Adviser may cause the Company to purchase and maintain insurance coverage that provides coverage to the Company, and certain indemnified persons, in which case, the premiums would be borne by the Company.
While Lord Abbett expects to allocate insurance expenses in a manner it determines to be fair and equitable, taking into account any factors it deems relevant to the allocation of such expenses, because of the uncertainty of whether claims will arise in the future and the timing and the amount that may be involved in any such claim, the determination of how to allocate such expenses may require Lord Abbett to take into consideration facts and circumstances that are subjective in nature. It is unlikely that Lord Abbett will be able to accurately allocate the expenses of any such insurance policies based on the actual claims related to a particular client, including the Company.
Indemnification Risk. The Company is required to indemnify the Adviser, the members of the Board and each other person indemnified under the Company’s Declaration of Trust and Bylaws for liabilities incurred in connection with the Declaration of Trust, the Bylaws, the Advisory Agreement and the Company’s activities, except in certain circumstances. Subject to the limits on indemnification under Section 17(h) of the 1940 Act, the Company’s Declaration of Trust provides that the Company shall not indemnify such persons to the extent liability and losses are the result of negligence or misconduct in the case of an Interested Trustee, officer, employee, sponsor, controlling person or agent of the Company, or gross negligence or willful misconduct in the case of an Independent Trustee. Subject to the limits on indemnification under Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act, the Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Company or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Adviser’s part in the performance of its duties or by reason of the of its duties and obligations. The Company will also indemnify certain service providers, including the Administrator and the Company’s auditors, as well as consultants and sourcing, operating and joint venture partners. Such liabilities may be material and may have an effect on the returns to the Company investors. The indemnification obligation of the Company would be payable from the assets of the Company. The application of the indemnification and standards may result in Company investors bearing a broader indemnification obligation in certain cases than they would in the of such standards. As a result of these considerations, even though such provisions will not act as a waiver on the part of any investor of any of its rights which are not permitted to be waived under applicable law, the Company may bear significant financial even where such were caused by the conduct, as described above, of such indemnified persons.
Portfolio Valuation Risk. The Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, will determine the valuation of the Company’s investments. It is expected that most of the Company’s investments will not have readily available market quotations, which will require the Adviser to estimate, in accordance with the Adviser’s valuation policies, the fair value of such investments on the valuation date. Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments, and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold. Absent bad faith or manifest error, valuation determinations of the Adviser will be conclusive and binding on the Company investors.
In addition, the Adviser may have an interest in determining higher valuations in order to be able to present better performance to prospective investors. In certain cases, the Company may hold an investment in an issuer experiencing distress or going through bankruptcy. In such a situation, the Adviser may continue to place a favorable valuation on such investment due to the Adviser’s determination that the investment is sufficiently secured despite the distressed state or bankruptcy of the issuer. However, no assurances can be given that this assumption is justified or that such valuations will be accurate in the long term. In addition, an investment in a portfolio company may not be permanently written-off or permanently written down despite its distressed state or covenant breach until such portfolio company experiences a material corporate event ( e.g. , bankruptcy or partial sale) which establishes an objective basis for such revised valuation. In these circumstances, the Adviser has an interest in any such write-offs or write-downs to maintain a higher management fee base and thus, management fees paid to the Adviser.
In addition, the Company may rely on third-party valuation services to verify the value of certain investments. An investment may not have a readily ascertainable market value and accordingly, could potentially make it difficult to determine a fair value of an investment and may yield an inaccurate valuation. Further, because of the Adviser’s knowledge of the investment, the valuation services may defer to the Adviser’s valuation even where such valuation may not be accurate or the determination thereof involved a conflict of interest. Additionally, the Company may also choose to discontinue the use of any third-party valuation services at any time, which could create a conflict of interest and impair the third-party valuation service’s independence. An inaccurate valuation of an investment could have a substantial impact on the Company.
Due Diligence Risk. When conducting due diligence and making an assessment regarding a potential investment, the Adviser will be required to rely on resources available to it, including internal sources of information as well as information provided by existing and potential obligors, any equity sponsor(s), lenders and other independent sources. The due diligence process may at times rely on limited or incomplete information.
The Adviser will select investments for the Company in part on the basis of publicly available information filed with various government regulators or information made directly available to the Adviser. Although the Adviser will evaluate all such information and data and seek independent corroboration when it considers it appropriate and reasonably available, the Adviser may not be in a position to confirm the completeness, genuineness or accuracy of such information and data. The Adviser is dependent upon the integrity of the management of the entities filing such information and of such companies and third parties providing such information, as well as the financial reporting process in general. The value of an investment made by the Company may be affected by fraud, misrepresentation or omission on the part of a company or any related parties to such company, or by other parties to the investment (or any related collateral and security arrangements). Such fraud, misrepresentation or omission may adversely affect the value of the investment and/or the value of the collateral underlying the investment in and may affect the Company’s ability to enforce its contractual rights relating to that investment or the relevant obligor’s ability to repay the principal or interest on the investment.
In addition, the Adviser may rely upon independent consultants or experts in connection with its evaluation of proposed investments. There can be no assurance that these consultants or experts will accurately evaluate such investments. Investment analyses and decisions by the Adviser may be undertaken on an expedited basis in order to make it possible for the Company to take advantage of short-lived investment opportunities. In such cases, the available information at the time of an investment decision may be limited, inaccurate and/or incomplete. In addition, the financial information available to the Adviser may not be accurate or provided based upon accepted accounting methods. Accordingly, the Adviser cannot guarantee that the due diligence investigation it carries out with respect to any investment opportunity will reveal or highlight all relevant facts that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating such investment opportunity which may have a material adverse effect on the performance of the Company.
Non-Specified Investments and Discretion in Determining Use of Proceeds. The Adviser has not yet identified the potential investments that the Company will acquire with the net proceeds of our offering, and the net proceeds of our offering will be used to finance or invest in companies that will not be meaningfully described to the shareholders prior to such investment. No assurance can be given as to when the Company will fund any investments. Shareholders will not have an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any prospective investment. As a result, shareholders will be dependent on the judgment of the Adviser in connection with the investment and management of the proceeds of our offering, including the selection of the investments. The number of investments that the Company makes, and diversification of its investments may be dependent on the amount of proceeds raised herein and will be reduced if less than the maximum amount of the offering is raised. There can be no guarantee that a sufficient number of investments will be available and that the Company will therefore be able to invest all funds committed by the shareholders.
Compliance with Applicable Law. Although the Adviser will seek for it and the Company to comply with all U.S. federal, state and local lending regulations and to obtain all required licenses, there is no assurance that the Adviser or the Company will be able to obtain all required licenses or always be compliant or that there will not be allegations of non-compliance even if the Adviser and the Company were or are fully compliant. Any violation of applicable law or failure to comply with regulatory requirements could result in, among other things, revocation of required licenses or registrations, loss of approval status, termination of contracts without compensation, damages, fines, penalties, litigation costs, investigation costs and even restrictions on the ability of the Company’s ability to conduct business.
Litigation Risk. The Adviser will act in good faith and use reasonable judgment in managing the Company. It is impossible for the Adviser to foresee what allegations may be brought by a regulatory agency or a third party, and the Adviser will seek to avoid litigation,
if, in the Adviser’s judgment, the circumstances warrant an alternative resolution. If an allegation is brought or litigation is commenced against the Company, the Company will incur legal fees and costs to respond to the allegations and to defend any resulting litigation, this could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial performance.
Possession of Material Non-Public Information, Limiting the Adviser’s Discretion. From time to time, the Adviser (in its capacity as investment manager of investment vehicles, funds or accounts or in connection with investment activities on its own behalf) and its affiliates receive material non-public information with respect to issuers of publicly-traded securities or other securities in connection with, among other examples, acquisitions, refinancings, restructurings of such issuers that the Adviser reviews or participates in, oftentimes unrelated to its management of the Company. In such circumstances, the Company may be prohibited, by law, contract or by virtue of the Adviser’s policies and procedures, from (i) selling all or a portion of a position in such issuer, thereby potentially incurring trading losses as a result, (ii) establishing an initial position or taking any greater position in such issuer, and (iii) pursuing other investment opportunities related to such issuer. In order to prevent the portfolio managers of the Company from receiving material, non-public information that may prevent them from being able to trade in investments in other accounts the portfolio managers manage, portfolio management personnel (including the portfolio managers, research analysts, and traders) may be subject to information barriers and prevented from accessing certain information regarding Company investments to which investors are otherwise entitled, such as information about a borrower’s business prospects, financial situation and liquidity situation.
Systems and Operational Risks. The Company depends on the Adviser to develop and implement appropriate systems for the Company’s activities. The Company also relies heavily and on a regular basis on financial, accounting and other data processing systems to evaluate investments, to monitor its portfolio and capital, and to generate risk management and other reports that are critical to oversight of the Company’s activities. In addition, the Company relies on information systems to store sensitive information about the Company, the Adviser, their affiliates and the shareholders. Certain of the Company’s and the Adviser’s activities will be dependent upon systems operated by third parties, including custodians, market counterparties and other service providers, and the Company and the Adviser may not be in a position to adequately verify the risks or reliability of such third-party systems. These programs or systems may be subject to certain defects, failures or interruptions, including, but not limited to data or securities price data errors, mathematical or statistical errors, or computer system implementation errors or other , , and , including those caused by computer “worms,” viruses and power . in the systems employed by the Adviser, Administrator, custodians, counterparties, exchanges and similar clearance and settlement facilities and other parties could result in made in the confirmation or settlement of transactions, or in transactions not being properly booked, evaluated or accounted for. in the Company’s operations or of the Company’s information systems may cause the Company to , among other things, financial , the of its business, liability to third parties, regulatory or reputational . Any of the foregoing or could have a material effect on the Company and the shareholders’ investment therein.
Reliance on Data; Data Errors. The Adviser is highly reliant on the gathering, cleaning, culling and analysis of large amounts of data from third-party and other external sources. It is not possible or practicable, however, to factor all relevant, available data into economic forecasts or trading decisions. The Adviser will use its discretion to determine what data to gather with respect to any investment and what subset of that data the research models take into account to produce forecasts that may have an impact on ultimate investment decisions. In addition, it is inevitable that not all desired or relevant data will be available to, or processed by, the Adviser at all times. In these cases, the Adviser may continue to generate forecasts and make investment decisions based on the data available to it. In addition, the Adviser may determine that certain available data, while potentially useful in generating forecasts or making investment decisions, is not cost effective to gather due to either the technology costs or third-party vendor costs and, in these cases, the Adviser will not utilize the subject data. Investors should be aware that there is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in making investment decisions will be the most accurate data available or even free of errors. Investors should assume that the foregoing and risks associated with gathering, cleaning, culling and analysis of large amounts of data from third party and other external sources are an inherent part of investing with an adviser such as the Adviser.
Public Disclosure Obligations. The Company, the Adviser or their respective affiliates, service providers, or agents may from time to time be required or may, in their discretion, determine that it is advisable to disclose certain information about the Company and the Company investors, including investments held directly or indirectly by the Company and the names and level of beneficial ownership of certain of the Company investors, to (i) regulatory or taxing authorities of certain jurisdictions, which have or assert jurisdiction over the disclosing party or in which the Company directly or indirectly invests, or (ii) any lenders, counterparty of, or service provider to, the Adviser or the Company (and its subsidiaries). Disclosure of confidential information under such circumstances will not be regarded as a breach of any duty of confidentiality and, in certain circumstances, the Company, the Adviser or any of their affiliates, service providers or agents, may be prohibited from disclosing to any Company investor that any such disclosure has been made.
Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and cloud computing to conduct business, the Company is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems ( e.g. , through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites ( i.e. , efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber affecting the Company’s or the Adviser’s service providers have the ability to cause and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial , with the Company’s ability to value its investments, to trading, the of shareholders to transact business, of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory , , reputational , reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar consequences could result from cyber affecting counterparties with which the Company engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber in the future. While the Company’s service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber , there are inherent in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Company cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect the Company or its shareholders. The Company and its shareholders could be impacted as a result.
Technology Systems Risk. The Company depends on the Adviser to develop and implement appropriate systems for its activities. The Company may rely on computer programs to evaluate certain securities and other investments, to monitor their portfolios, to trade, clear and settle securities transactions and to generate asset, risk management and other reports that are utilized in the oversight of the Company’s activities. In addition, certain of the Company’s and the Adviser’s operations interface with or depend on systems operated by third parties, including loan servicers, custodians and administrators, and the Adviser may not always be in a position to verify the risks or reliability of such third-party systems. For example, the Company and the Adviser generally expect to provide statements, reports, notices, updates, requests and any other communications in electronic form, such as e-mail or posting on a web-based reporting site or other internet service, in lieu of or in addition to sending such communications as hard copies via fax or mail. These programs or systems may be subject to certain defects, failures or interruptions, including, but not limited to, those caused by ‘hacking’ or other security breaches, computer ‘worms,’ viruses and power failures. Such failures could cause settlement of trades to , lead to accounting, recording or processing of trades and cause reports, which may affect the Company’s ability to monitor its investment portfolio and its risks. Any such or could cause the Company to financial , of its business, liability to clients or third parties, regulatory intervention or reputational .
No Registration as an Investment Company. While the Company is not registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act, it will be subject to regulation as a BDC under the 1940 Act and will be required to adhere to the provisions of the 1940 Act applicable to BDCs.
Rights Against Third Parties, Including Third-Party Service Providers. The Company is reliant on the performance of third-party service providers, including the Adviser, the Administrator, auditors, legal advisers, lenders, bankers, brokers, consultants, sourcing, operating and joint venture partners and other service providers (collectively, “ Service Providers ”). Further information regarding the duties and roles of certain of these Service Providers is provided in this report. The Company may bear the risk of any errors or omissions by such Service Providers. In addition, misconduct by such Service Providers may result in reputational damage, litigation, business disruption and/or financial losses to the Company. Each Company investor’s contractual relationship in respect of its investment in Common Shares of the Company is with the Company only and Company investors are not in contractual privity with the Service Providers. Therefore, generally, no Company investor will have any contractual claim against any Service Provider with respect to such Service Provider’s default or . Accordingly, Company investors must generally rely upon the Adviser to enforce the Company’s rights Service Providers. In certain circumstances, which are generally not expected to prevail, Company investors may have limited rights to enforce the Company’s rights on a derivative basis or may have rights Service Providers if they can establish that such Service Providers owe duties to the Company investors. In addition, Company investors will have no right to participate in the day-to-day operation of the Company and decisions regarding the selection of Service Providers. Rather, the Adviser will select the Company’s Service Providers and determine the retention and compensation of such providers without the review by or consent of the Company investors. The Company investors must therefore rely on the ability of the Adviser to select and compensate Service Providers and to make investments and manage and of investments.
Lack of Diversification Risk. The Company is classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that the Company is not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of its assets that it may invest in securities of a single issuer. To the extent that the Company assumes large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, its NAV may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market’s assessment of the issuer. The Company may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Beyond the Company’s asset diversification requirements as a RIC under the Code, the Company does not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and its investments could be concentrated in relatively few portfolio companies. Although the Company is classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, it maintains the flexibility to operate as a diversified investment company. To the extent that the Company operates as a non-diversified investment company, it may be subject to greater risk.
During the period of time in which the Company is deploying its initial capital, the Company may make a limited number of investments. In addition, the Company does not have fixed guidelines for diversification by industry or type of security, and investments may be concentrated in only a few industries or types of securities. Further, if the expected amount of leverage is not obtained or deployed, the Company may be more concentrated in an investment than originally anticipated. As a result, the Company’s investments may be concentrated and the poor performance of a single investment may have pronounced negative consequences to the Company and the aggregate returns realized by the Company investors.
Consultation with Sourcing and Operating Partners Risk. In certain circumstances, sourcing and operating partners may be aware of and consulted in advance in relation to certain investments made by the Company. While sourcing and operating partners will be subject to confidentiality obligations, they are not restricted from engaging in any activities or businesses that may be similar to the business of the Company or competitive with the Company. In particular, sourcing and operating partners may use information available to them as sourcing and operating partners of the Adviser in a manner that conflicts with the interests of the Company. Except in limited circumstances, the sourcing and operating partners are generally not obligated to account to the Adviser for any profits or income earned or derived from their activities or businesses or inform the Adviser of any business opportunity that may be appropriate for the Company.
Timing of Realization of Investments. The Adviser, in its discretion, may seek to realize the Company’s investments earlier than originally expected, which may be accomplished through one or more transactions, including transactions with another investment fund or account sponsored or managed by Lord Abbett or its affiliates, which will be for a price equal to the fair value of such investment. The value of a security in a transaction between the Company and an account sponsored or managed by Lord Abbett or its affiliates, subject to approval by the Board, will be determined by the Adviser and verified by one or more third-party valuation services. The Adviser may seek such realizations in order to support the Company’s target risk/return profile with respect to the Company’s unrealized investments, taking into account factors such as, but not limited to, the Company’s expense ratio relative to such assets and the availability of, or repayment obligations with respect to, any credit facilities.
Risks Relating to the Use of Proceeds. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to (1) make investments in accordance with its investment strategy and policies, (2) pay its operating expenses, (3) fund repurchases under its share repurchase program, and (4) for general corporate purposes. Generally, the Company’s policy will be to pay distributions and operating expenses from cash flow from operations, however, it is not restricted from funding these items from proceeds from the offering or other sources and may choose to do so, particularly in the earlier part of the offering. While the Company generally intends to make all distributions of net proceeds in accordance with the above, the amount and timing of distributions from the Company to the Company investors will be at the discretion of the Board, who may also direct that amounts available for distribution be retained in the Company (i) to be used to satisfy, or establish reserves for, the Company’s current or anticipated obligations (including management fees, incentive fees and any other expenses) or (ii) for reinvestment of the cost basis of an investment. Accordingly, there can be no assurance as to the timing and amount of distributions from the Company.
Risk of Electronic Delivery of Certain Documents. Shareholders will be deemed to consent to electronic delivery or posting to the Administrator’s website or other service of: (i) certain closing documents such as the Declaration of Trust, the Bylaws and the Subscription Agreements; (ii) any notices or communications required or contemplated to be delivered to the Company investors by the Company, the Adviser, or any of their respective affiliates, pursuant to applicable law or regulation; (iii) certain tax-related information and documents; and (iv) notices, requests, demands, consents or other communications and any financial statements, reports, schedules, certificates or opinions required to be provided to the Company investors under any agreements. There are certain costs and possible risks associated with electronic delivery. Moreover, the Adviser cannot provide any assurance that these communication methods are
secure and will not be responsible for any computer viruses, problems or malfunctions resulting from the use of such communication methods. See “ – Technology Systems Risk ” and “ Cybersecurity Risk ” above.
Risks Relating to Handling of Mail. Mail addressed to the Company and received at its registered office will be forwarded unopened to the forwarding address supplied by the Company to be processed. None of the Company, the Adviser or any of their trustees, officers, advisers or Service Providers will bear any responsibility for any delay howsoever caused in mail reaching the forwarding address.
General Credit Risks . The Company may be exposed to losses resulting from default and foreclosure of any such loans or interests in loans in which it has invested. Therefore, the value of underlying collateral, the creditworthiness of borrowers and the priority of liens are each of great importance in determining the value of the Company’s investments. In the event of foreclosure, the Company or an affiliate thereof may assume direct ownership of any assets collateralizing such foreclosed loans. The liquidation proceeds upon the sale of such assets may not satisfy the entire outstanding balance of principal and interest on such foreclosed loans, resulting in a loss to the Company. Any costs or delays involved in the effectuation of loan foreclosures or of the assets collateralizing such loans will further reduce proceeds associated therewith and, consequently, increase possible to the Company. In addition, no assurances can be made that borrowers or third parties will not assert in connection with proceedings or otherwise, or that such will not with the enforcement of the Company’s rights.
Volatility of Investment Prices . The prices of the Company’s investments can be volatile. In addition, price movements may also be influenced by, among other things, changing supply and demand relationships, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and national and international political and economic events and policies. In addition, governments from time to time intervene in certain markets. Such intervention often is intended directly to influence prices and may cause or contribute to rapid fluctuations in asset prices, which may adversely affect the Company’s returns.
Syndication and/or Transfer of Investments Risk . The Company, directly or through the use of one or more taxable subsidiaries that are wholly owned or primarily controlled by the Company, may originate and/or purchase certain debt assets, including ancillary equity assets (“ Assets ”). The Company may also purchase certain Assets (including, participation interests or other indirect economic interests) that have been originated by other affiliated or unaffiliated parties and/or trading on the secondary market. The Company may, in certain circumstances, originate or purchase such Assets with the intent of syndicating and/or otherwise transferring a significant portion thereof, including to one or more offshore funds or accounts managed by the Adviser or any of its affiliates or to other third party investment firms. In such instances, the Company will bear the risk of any decline in value prior to such syndication and/or other transfer. In addition, the Company will also bear the risk of any inability to syndicate or otherwise transfer such Assets or such amount thereof as originally intended, which could result in the Company owning a greater interest therein than anticipated.
Raising Additional Capital . The Company may need additional capital to fund new investments and grow its portfolio of investments once it has fully invested the net proceeds of the offering. Unfavorable economic conditions could increase the Company’s funding costs or limit its access to the capital. A reduction in the availability of new capital could limit the Company’s ability to grow. In addition, the Company is required to distribute at least 90% of its net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to investors to maintain its qualification as a RIC. As a result, these earnings will not be available to fund new investments. An inability on the Company’s part to access the capital successfully could limit its ability to grow its business and execute its business strategy fully and could decrease its earnings, if any, which would have an adverse effect on the value of its securities.
Counterparty Risks . To the extent that contracts for investment will be entered into between the Company and a market counterparty as principal (and not as agent), the Company is exposed to the risk that the market counterparty may, in an insolvency or similar event, be unable to meet its contractual obligations to the Company. The Company may have a limited number of potential counterparties for certain of its investments, which may significantly impair the Company’s ability to reduce its exposure to counterparty risk. In addition, difficulty reaching an agreement with any single counterparty could limit or eliminate the Company’s ability to execute such investments altogether. Because certain purchases, sales, hedging, financing arrangements and other instruments in which the Company will engage are not traded on an exchange but are instead traded between counterparties based on contractual relationships, the Company is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not perform its obligations under the related contracts. Although the Company intends to pursue its remedies under any such contracts, there can be no assurance that a counterparty will not default and that the Company will not sustain a loss on a transaction as a result.
Return of Distributions to Satisfy Unpaid Debts of the Company . Under Delaware law, the investors could, under certain circumstances, be required to return distributions made by the Company to satisfy unpaid debts of the Company that were in existence at the time the distributions were made.
Changes in the Company’s Investment Objective, Operating Policies or Strategies Without Prior Notice or Investor Approval. The Company’s Board has the authority to modify or waive certain of the Company’s operating policies and strategies without prior notice (except as required by the 1940 Act) and without investor approval. However, absent investor approval, the Company may not change the nature of its business so as to cease to be, or withdraw its election as, a BDC. The Company cannot predict the effect any changes to its current operating policies and strategies would have on its business, operating results and value of its Common Shares. Nevertheless, the effects may adversely affect the Company’s business and impact its ability to make distributions.
Changes to the Company’s Declaration of Trust Without Prior Investor Approval. Our Board may, without shareholder vote, subject to certain exceptions, amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration of Trust by making an amendment, a Declaration of Trust supplemental thereto or an amended and restated Declaration of Trust, including without limitation to classify the Board, to impose advance notice bylaw provisions for Trustee nominations or for shareholder proposals, to require super- majority approval of transactions with significant shareholders or other provisions that may be characterized as anti-takeover in nature.
Allocation of Investment Opportunities and Related Conflicts. The Company generally is prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with its affiliates without prior approval of the Independent Trustees and, in some cases, the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the Company’s outstanding voting securities is an affiliate of the Company for purposes of the 1940 Act, and the Company generally is prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of the Independent Trustees. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of the Company’s affiliates, which could include investments in the same issuers (whether at the same or different times), without prior approval of the Independent Trustees and, in some cases, the SEC. If a person acquires more than 25% of the Company’s voting securities, the Company will be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such person or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. Similar restrictions limit the Company’s ability to transact business with the Company’s officers or Trustees or their affiliates. These prohibitions will affect the manner in which investment opportunities are allocated between the Company and other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Most importantly, the Company generally is prohibited from co-investing with certain other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser in Lord Abbett-originated loans and financings unless the Company co-invests in accordance with the applicable regulatory guidance or an exemptive order it has received from the SEC permitting such co-investment activities. Accordingly, while the Adviser intends to allocate suitable among the Company and other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser based on the principles described above, the prohibition on co-investing with affiliates could significantly limit the scope of investment available to the Company. In particular, the decision by the Adviser to allocate an to one or more other accounts or to an affiliate of the Adviser, or the existence of a prior co-investment structure, might cause the Company to forgo an investment that it otherwise would have made. Similarly, the Company generally may be limited in its ability to invest in an issuer in which another account or affiliate of the Adviser had previously invested. The Company may in certain circumstances also be required to sell, transfer or otherwise reorganize assets in which the Company has invested with other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser at times that the Company may not consider .
Distributions Risk. The Company intends to pay monthly distributions to shareholders out of assets legally available for distribution commencing in calendar year 2025. The Company cannot guarantee that it will achieve investment results that will allow it to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. If the Company is unable to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to it as a BDC, or if the Company violates certain debt financing agreements, its ability to pay distributions to shareholders could be limited. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of the Company’s Board and will depend on the Company’s earnings, financial condition, maintenance of RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations, compliance with debt financing agreements and such other factors as the Board may deem relevant from time to time. The distributions the Company pays to investors in a year may exceed the Company’s current and accumulated earnings and profits and, accordingly, a portion of such distributions may constitute a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Investors who periodically receive the payment of a distribution from a RIC consisting of a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be under the impression that they are receiving a distribution of the RIC’s net ordinary income or capital gains when they are not. Accordingly, investors should read carefully any written disclosure accompanying a distribution from the Company and the
information about the specific tax characteristics of the Company’s distributions provided to investors after the end of each calendar year, and should not assume that the source of any distribution is the Company’s net ordinary income or capital gains.
Repurchase Program Risk. Our Board has adopted a share repurchase program, and may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time in its discretion. You may not be able to sell your Common Shares at all in the event our Board amends, suspends or terminates the share repurchase program. We will notify you of such developments in our quarterly reports or other filings. If less than the full amount of Common Shares requested to be repurchased in any given repurchase offer are repurchased, funds will be allocated pro rata based on the total number of Common Shares being repurchased without regard to class. The share repurchase program has many limitations and should not be relied upon as a method to sell Common Shares promptly or at a desired price.
Timing of Repurchase May be Disadvantageous . In the event a shareholder chooses to participate in our share repurchase program, the shareholder will be required to provide us with notice of intent to participate prior to knowing what the NAV per share of the Common Shares being repurchased will be on the repurchase date. Although a shareholder will have the ability to withdraw a repurchase request prior to the repurchase date, to the extent a shareholder seeks to sell Common Shares to us as part of our periodic share repurchase program, the shareholder will be required to do so without knowledge of what the repurchase price of our Common Shares will be on the repurchase date.
Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk. Geopolitical and other events ( e.g. , wars, terrorism, social unrest, political or regulatory changes, diplomatic developments, the imposition of sanctions or tariffs, natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics) may disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets, thereby decreasing the value of the Company’s investments. Sudden or significant changes in the supply or prices of commodities or other economic inputs may have material and unexpected effects on both global securities markets and individual countries, regions, sectors, companies, or industries, which could significantly reduce the value of the Company’s investments. Securities markets also may be susceptible to market manipulation or other fraudulent trading practices, which could disrupt the orderly functioning of markets, increase overall market volatility or reduce the value of investments traded in them, including investments of the Company.
Risks Relating to the Company’s Investments
Our investments may be risky and, subject to compliance with our 80% test and the 70% test for Qualifying Assets under the requirements for BDCs and certain other portfolio restrictions under the 1940 Act, there is no limit on the amount of any such investments in which we may invest.
Risks Associated with Portfolio Companies
General Risks . A fundamental risk associated with the Company’s investment strategy is that the companies in whose debt the Company invests will be unable to make regular payments ( e.g. , principal and interest payments) when due, or at all, or otherwise fail to perform. Portfolio companies could deteriorate as a result of, among other factors, an adverse development in their business, poor performance by their management teams, a change in the competitive environment, an economic downturn or legal, tax or regulatory changes. Portfolio companies that the Adviser expects to remain stable may in fact 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.
Highly Leveraged Portfolio Companies . Portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, and there is no restriction on the amount of debt a portfolio company can incur. Substantial indebtedness may add additional risk with respect to a portfolio company, and 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/or (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. In some cases, proceeds of debt incurred by a portfolio company could be paid as a dividend to stockholders rather than retained by the portfolio company for its working capital. Leveraged companies are often more sensitive to declines in revenues, increases in expenses, and adverse business, political, or financial developments or economic factors such as a significant rise in interest rates, a severe in the economy or in the condition of such companies or their
industries. A leveraged company’s income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used.
If a portfolio company is unable to generate sufficient cash flow to meet principal and interest payments to its lenders, it may be forced to take other actions to satisfy such obligations under its indebtedness. These alternative measures may include reducing or delaying capital expenditures, selling assets, seeking additional capital, or restructuring or refinancing indebtedness. Any of these actions could significantly reduce the value of the Company’s investment(s) in such portfolio company. If such strategies are not successful and do not permit the portfolio company to meet its scheduled debt service obligations, the portfolio company may also be forced into liquidation, dissolution or insolvency, and the value of the Company’s investment in such portfolio company could be significantly reduced or even eliminated.
Issuer/Borrower Fraud . Of paramount concern in originating loans is the possibility of material misrepresentation or omission on the part of borrowers or guarantors. Such inaccuracy or incompleteness may adversely affect the valuation of the collateral underlying the loans or may adversely affect the ability of the Company or its affiliates to perfect or effectuate a lien on the collateral securing the loan. The Company or its affiliates will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of representations made by borrowers to the extent reasonable but cannot guarantee such accuracy or completeness.
Reliance on Company Management . The Adviser generally will seek to monitor the performance of investments in operating companies either through interaction with the owners of the applicable company (typically a financial sponsor) and/or by maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the company’s management team. However, the Company generally will not be in a position to control any borrower by virtue of investing in its debt and the portfolio company’s management will be primarily responsible for the operations of the company on a day-to-day basis. Although it is the intent of the Company to invest in companies with strong management teams, there can be no assurance that the existing management team, or any new one, will be able to operate the company successfully. In addition, the Company is subject to the risk that a borrower in which it invests may make business decisions with which the Company disagrees and the management of such borrower, as representatives of the common equity holders, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve the interests of the debt investors, including the Company. Furthermore, in exercising its investment discretion, the Adviser may in certain circumstances commit funds of the Company to other entities that will be given a mandate to make certain investments consistent with the Company’s investment objective and that may earn a performance-based fee on those investments. Once such a commitment is made, such entities will have full control over the investment of such funds, and the Adviser will to have such control.
Environmental Matters . Ordinary operation or the occurrence of an accident with respect to the portfolio companies in which the Company invest could cause major environmental damage, which may result in significant financial distress to the Company’s investments and any portfolio company holding such assets, even if covered by insurance. Certain environmental laws and regulations may require that an owner or operator of an asset address prior environmental contamination, which could involve substantial cost and other liabilities. The Company (and the Company investors) may therefore be exposed to substantial risk of loss from environmental claims arising in respect of its investments. Furthermore, changes in environmental laws or regulations or the environmental condition of an investment may create liabilities that did not exist at the time of its acquisition and that could not have been foreseen. Even in cases where the Company are indemnified by the seller with respect to an investment against liabilities arising out of violations of environmental laws and regulations, there can be no assurance as to the financial viability of the seller to such indemnities or the ability of the Company to enforcement of such indemnities. See also “– Provision of Managerial Assistance and Control Person Liability ” below.
No Readily Determinable Valuation . The Company expects that many of its portfolio investments will take the form of securities that are not publicly traded. The fair value of loans, securities and other investments that are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable and will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, including to reflect significant events affecting the value of the Company’s investments. Most, if not all, of the Company’s investments (other than cash and cash equivalents) will be classified as Level 3 assets under Topic 820 of the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification, as amended, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. This means that the Company’s portfolio valuations will be based on unobservable inputs and the Company’s assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability in question. The Company expects that inputs into the determination of fair value of portfolio investments will require significant management judgment or estimation. The Company expects to retain the services of one or more independent service providers to review the valuation of the Company’s investments in loans. The types of factors that may be taken into account in determining the fair value of 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 and other relevant factors. 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, 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. The Company’s NAV could be adversely affected if determinations regarding the fair value of the Company’s investments were materially higher than the values that the Company ultimately realizes upon the disposal of such loans and securities. In addition, the method of calculating the Base Management Fee and Incentive Fee may result in conflicts of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and investors on the other hand, with respect to the valuation of investments.
Follow-On Investments in Portfolio Companies . Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, the Company may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments, in order to:
attempt to preserve or enhance the value of the Company’s investment;
invest in various growth or merger and acquisition related initiatives;
increase or maintain in whole or in part the Company’s debt or equity ownership percentage; or
exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing.
The Company may elect not to make follow-on investments or otherwise lack sufficient funds to make those investments.
The Company has the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. The failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and the Company’s initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for the Company to increase its participation in a successful operation. Even if the Company has sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, it may elect not to make a follow-on investment because it may not want to increase its concentration of risk, because it prefers other opportunities or because it is inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements, or compliance with the requirements for maintenance of its RIC status.
Equity Interests in Portfolio Companies . The Company does not generally intend to take controlling equity positions in the Company’s portfolio companies. To the extent that the Company does not hold a controlling equity interest in a portfolio company, it will be subject to the risk that such portfolio company may make business decisions with which the Company disagrees, and the stockholders and management of such portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to the Company’s interests. Due to the lack of liquidity for the debt and equity investments that the Company typically holds in portfolio companies, the Company may not be able to dispose of its investments in the event it disagrees with the actions of a portfolio company and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of its investments.
Defaults by Portfolio Companies . A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by the Company or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on the portfolio company’s assets representing collateral for its obligations. This could trigger cross defaults under other agreements and jeopardize the portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that the Company holds and the value of any equity securities the Company owns. The Company may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company.
Third Party Litigation . The Company’s investment activities subject it to the normal risks of becoming involved in litigation initiated by third parties. This risk is somewhat greater where the Company exercises control or influence over a company’s direction. The expense of defending against claims by third parties and paying any amounts pursuant to settlements or judgments would, absent willful misconduct or gross negligence by the Adviser, be borne by the Company (to the extent not borne by the portfolio companies) and would reduce net assets or could require Company investors to return to the Company distributed capital and earnings. The Adviser and others are indemnified in connection with such litigation, subject to certain conditions.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technology Risk . Artificial intelligence, including machine learning and similar tools and technologies that collect, aggregate, analyze or generate data or other materials (collectively, “AI”), and its current and potential future applications including in the private investment and financial industries, as well as the legal and regulatory frameworks within which AI operates, continue to rapidly evolve.
Recent technological advances in AI pose risks to the Company, the Adviser and the Company’s portfolio investments. The Company and its portfolio investments could also be exposed to the risks of AI if third-party service providers or any counterparties, whether or not known to the Company, also use AI in their business activities. The Company and its 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. While the Adviser does not currently use AI to make investment recommendations, the use of AI could also exacerbate or create new and unpredictable risks to the Company’s business, the Adviser’s business and the business of the Company’s portfolio companies, including by potentially significantly disrupting the markets in which the Company and its portfolio companies operate or subjecting the Company, its portfolio companies and the Adviser to increased competition and regulation, which could materially and adversely affect the business, financial condition or results of operations of the Company, its portfolio companies and the Adviser. In addition, the use of AI by actors could heighten the sophistication and effectiveness of cyber and security attacks experienced by the Company’s portfolio companies and the Adviser.
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 the Company or its portfolio investments are exposed to the risks of AI use, any such inaccuracies or errors could have adverse impacts on the Company or its investments.
AI technology and its applications, including in the private investment and financial sectors, continue to develop rapidly, and it is impossible to predict the future risks that may arise from such developments.
Nature of Investments Risk . The Adviser will have broad discretion in making investments for the Company. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will correctly evaluate the nature or magnitude of the various factors that could affect the value of and return on the Company’s investments. Prices of investments may be volatile, and a variety of factors that are inherently difficult to predict, such as domestic or international economic and political developments, may significantly affect the results of the Company’s activities and the value of its investments. These factors and others may significantly affect the results of the Company’s activities and the value of its investments.
An investment in the Company is suitable only for those investors willing to risk losing some or all of their principal investment and who have the experience and ability to evaluate the risks and merits of an investment in the Company. Potential investors should consult with their investment advisers, attorneys and accountants prior to investing in the Company.
Provision of Managerial Assistance and Control Person Liability. The Company may obtain rights to participate in the governance of certain of the Company’s portfolio companies. In such instances, the Company typically will designate representatives to serve on the boards of portfolio companies. The designation of representatives and other measures contemplated could expose the assets of the Company to claims by a portfolio company, its security holders and its creditors, including claims that the Company is a controlling person and thus is liable for securities laws violations and other liabilities of a portfolio company. The exercise of control over a company may impose additional risks of liability for environmental damage, product defects, failure to supervise management, violation of governmental regulations (including securities laws) or other types of liability in which the limited liability generally characteristic of business ownership may be ignored. If these liabilities were to arise, the Company might suffer a significant . These measures also could result in certain liabilities in the event of the or reorganization of a portfolio company, could result in the Company if the designated board members their fiduciary or other duties to a portfolio company or to exercise appropriate levels of care under applicable corporate or securities laws, environmental laws or other legal principles, and could the Company to that it has in management to the of a portfolio company. While the Adviser intends to operate the Company in a way that will minimize the exposure to these risks, the possibility of cannot be , nor can there be any assurance as to whether laws, rules, regulations and court decisions will be expanded or otherwise applied in a manner that is to portfolio companies and the Company and the Company investors.
Adverse Developments in the Debt Capital Markets. Recent market and economic conditions have been unprecedented and challenging. Continued concerns about the systemic impact of inflation, energy costs, the pandemic, geopolitical issues, the availability and cost of credit, sovereign debt levels, the mortgage market and a declining real estate market in the U.S. have contributed to increased market volatility and diminished expectations for the U.S. economy. These conditions, combined with volatile oil prices, declining business and consumer confidence and increased unemployment have contributed to volatility of unprecedented levels. The factors described above have led to an overall reduction in liquidity in the debt capital markets, including sources of liquidity that the Company may wish to utilize. Such conditions could reduce the availability of leverage to the Company, its investments, and potential purchasers of the Company’s investments or make such leverage more expensive to obtain, thereby affecting the performance of the Company.
Market Risk. The success of the Company’s activities will be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, inflation rates, industry conditions, competition, technological developments, tax laws, availability of credit, economic uncertainty, changes in laws (including laws relating to taxation of the Company’s investments), trade barriers (such as tariffs or sanctions), currency exchange controls, and national and international political circumstances (including wars, terrorist acts or security operations). These factors may affect, among other things, the level and volatility of securities’ prices, the liquidity of the Company’s investments and the availability of certain securities and investments. Volatility or illiquidity could impair the Company’s profitability or result in losses. The Company may maintain substantial trading positions that can be materially adversely affected by the level of volatility in the financial markets—the larger the positions, the greater the potential for . Global markets have recently experienced unprecedented and . The effects thereof are continuing and there can be no assurance that the Company will not be materially affected. Furthermore, none of these conditions is within the control of the Adviser.
Temporary Investments; Use of Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk . Pending investment in other types of Qualifying Assets (including directly originated loans and broadly syndicated loans), the Company’s investments can consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which are referred to herein, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of the Company’s assets would be Qualifying Assets. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.
Exposure to Foreign Markets Risk. While the Company does not expect to invest in securities of issuers located in foreign markets as a principal investment strategy, it may invest in such securities if the Adviser believes it is advantageous to do so. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments. Investments in securities and instruments in emerging and developing markets could involve substantial risks not typically associated with investing in more established markets, including, without limitation, those set forth below under “— Non-U.S. Securities Risk.”
Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, the Adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to it and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the Adviser and/or its affiliates) may be impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the Adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. Additionally, governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due and may require that the conditions for payment be . There is no assurance that the Adviser will be to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative of the U.S. dollar.
Foreign security trading, settlement, custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment), and creditor protection are often less developed than those in U.S. markets and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign sub-custodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.
Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets and tend to be less regulated. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.
Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or at times.
Credit Risk. Performance may be affected by the default or perceived credit impairment of the Company’s investments and by general or sector specific credit spread widening. Credit risks associated with the Company’s investments include (among others): (i) the possibility that earnings of the obligor may be insufficient to meet its debt service obligations; (ii) the obligor’s assets declining in value; and (iii) the declining creditworthiness, default and potential for insolvency of the obligor during periods of rising interest rates and economic downturn. An economic downturn and/or rising interest rates could severely disrupt the market for the investments and adversely affect the value of the Company’s investments and the ability of the obligors thereof to repay principal and interest. In turn, this could have a material adverse effect on the performance of the Company, and, by extension, the Company’s business, financial
condition, results of operations and the value of the Common Shares. In the event of a default by a borrower, the Company will bear a risk of loss of principal and accrued interest on that investment. Any such investment may become defaulted for a variety of reasons, including non-payment of principal or interest, as well as breaches of contractual covenants. A defaulted investment may become subject to workout negotiations or may be restructured by, for example, reducing the interest rate, a write-down of the principal, and/or changes to its terms and conditions. Any such process may be extensive and protracted over time, and therefore may result in substantial uncertainty with respect to the ultimate recovery on the defaulted investments. In addition, significant costs might be imposed on the lender, further affecting the value of the investment. The liquidity in such defaulted investment may also be limited and, where a defaulted investment is sold, it is unlikely that the proceeds from such sale will be equal to the amount of principal and interest owed on that investment. This would have a material effect on the value of the Company’s portfolio, and, by extension, the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and the value of the Common Shares. In the case of secured loans, can be an expensive and lengthy process which could have a material effect on the Company’s anticipated return on the loan. By way of example, it would not be unusual for any costs of enforcement to be paid out in full before the repayment of interest and principal. This would substantially reduce the Company’s anticipated return on the loan.
Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of securities held by the Company or counterparties to Company transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, custodial practices and creditor protection can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.
Forming CLOs Risk. To finance investments, we may securitize certain of our secured loans or other investments, including through the formation of one or more CLOs, while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. This would involve contributing a pool of assets to a special purpose entity and selling debt interests in such entity on a non-recourse or limited-recourse basis to purchasers.
If we create a CLO, we will depend in part on distributions from the CLO’s assets out of its earnings and cash flows to enable us to make distributions to shareholders. The ability of a CLO to make distributions will be subject to various limitations, including the terms and covenants of the debt it issues. Also, a CLO may take actions that delay distributions in order to preserve ratings and to keep the cost of present and future financings lower or the CLO may be obligated to retain cash or other assets to satisfy over-collateralization requirements commonly provided for holders of the CLO’s debt, which could impact our ability to receive distributions from the CLO. If we do not receive cash flow from any such CLO that is necessary to satisfy the annual distribution requirement for maintaining RIC status, and we are unable to obtain cash from other sources necessary to satisfy this requirement, we may not maintain our qualification as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on an investment in the Common Shares.
In addition, a decline in the credit quality of loans in a CLO due to poor operating results of the relevant borrower, declines in the value of loan collateral or increases in defaults, among other things, may force a CLO to sell certain assets at a loss, reducing their earnings and, in turn, cash potentially available for distribution to us for distribution to shareholders. To the extent that any losses are incurred by the CLO in respect of any collateral, such losses will be borne first by us as owner of equity interests in the CLO.
The collateral manager for a CLO that we create may be the Company, the Adviser or an affiliate, and such collateral manager may be entitled to receive compensation for structuring and/or management services. To the extent the Adviser or an affiliate other than the Company serves as collateral manager and the Company is obligated to compensate the Adviser or the affiliate for such services, we, the Adviser or the affiliate will implement offsetting arrangements to assure that we, and indirectly, our shareholders, pay no additional fees to the Adviser or the affiliate in connection therewith. To the extent the Company serves as collateral manager, the Company will receive no fees for providing such collateral management services.
Non-Recourse Obligations Risk . The Company may invest in non-recourse obligations of issuers. Such obligations are payable solely from proceeds collected in respect of collateral pledged by an issuer to secure such obligations. None of the owners, officers, directors or incorporators of the issuers, board members, any of their respective affiliates or any other person or entity will be obligated to make payments on the obligations. Consequently, the Company, as holder of the obligations, must rely solely on distributions of proceeds of collateral debt obligations and other collateral pledged to secure obligations for payments due in respect of principal thereof and interest thereon. If distributions of such proceeds are insufficient to make payments on the obligations, no other assets will be available for such payments and following liquidation of all the collateral, the obligations of the issuers to make such payments will be extinguished.
Covenant-Lite Loans Risk. Some of the loans in which the Company may invest may be “covenant-lite” loans.” “Covenant-lite” loans refer generally to loans that do not have a complete set of financial maintenance covenants. Generally, covenant-lite loans either do not have certain maintenance covenants that would require the issuer to maintain debt service or other financial ratios or do not contain common restrictions on the ability of the issuer to change significantly its operations or to enter into other significant transactions that could affect its ability to repay such loans. Ownership of covenant-lite loans may expose the Company to different risks, including with respect to liquidity, price volatility and ability to restructure loans, than is the case with loans that have financial maintenance covenants. Covenant-lite loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower’s financial condition. Furthermore, while these loans may still contain other collateral protections, a covenant-lite loan may carry more risk than a covenant-heavy loan made by the same borrower, as it does not require the borrower to provide affirmation that certain specific financial tests have been on a routine basis as is required under a covenant-heavy loan agreement. Accordingly, to the extent the Company invests in covenant-lite loans, the Company may have fewer rights a borrower and may have a risk of on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants.
Debt Guaranteed by a Subsidiary of the Issuer Risk. The Company may invest in debt that is guaranteed by a subsidiary of the issuer. In some circumstances, guarantees of secured debt issued by subsidiaries of a portfolio company and held by the Company may be subject to fraudulent conveyance or similar avoidance claims made by other creditors of such subsidiaries under applicable insolvency laws. As a result, such creditors may take priority over the claims of the Company under such guarantees. Under federal or state fraudulent transfer law, a court may void or otherwise decline to enforce such debt and the Company would no longer have any claim against such portfolio company or the applicable guarantor. In addition, the court might direct the Company to disgorge any amounts already received from the portfolio company or a guarantor. In some cases, significant subsidiaries of portfolio companies may not guarantee the obligations of the portfolio company; in other cases, a portfolio company may have the ability to release subsidiaries as guarantors of the portfolio company’s obligations. The repayment of such investments may depend on cash flow from subsidiaries of a portfolio company that are not themselves guarantors of the portfolio company’s obligations.
Loans with Limited Amortization Requirements Risk. The Company may invest in loans that have limited mandatory amortization requirements. While such a loan may obligate a portfolio company to repay the loan out of asset sale proceeds or with annual excess cash flow, such requirements may be subject to substantial limitations and/or “baskets” that would allow a portfolio company to retain such proceeds or cash flow, thereby extending the expected weighted average life of the investment. In addition, 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 loans held by the Company when they come due at their final stated maturity.
Risks Related to Changes in Interest Rates. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political considerations and other factors beyond the ability of the Company to control or to forecast. Interest rate risk is defined as the sensitivity of the Company’s current and future earnings to interest rate volatility, variability of spread relationships, the difference in re-pricing intervals between its assets and liabilities and the effect that interest rates may have on its cash flows. Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. When the Company chooses to borrow money to make investments, the Company’s net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which the Company borrows funds and the rate at which the Company invests those funds. Changes in interest rates can also affect, among other things, the Company’s ability to acquire and originate loans and securities and the value of the Company’s investment portfolio. As a result, the Company can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates would not have a material adverse effect on its net investment income in the event the Company uses debt to finance its investments. In periods of rising interest rates, the Company’s cost of funds would increase, which could reduce its net investment income. The Company’s net investment income is affected by fluctuations in various interest rates, including EURIBOR, BBSY, CORRA, SOFR, SONIA and SARON. The Company may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit its exposure to interest rate fluctuations. The Company regularly measures its exposure to interest rate risk and determines whether or not any hedging transactions are necessary to mitigate exposure to changes in interest rates. The Company currently, and may in the future, hedge interest rate fluctuations by using hedging instruments such as interest rate swaps, futures, options and forward contracts. While hedging activities may mitigate the Company’s exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, certain hedging transactions that the Company has entered into and may enter into in the future, such as interest rate swap agreements, may also limit the Company’s ability to participate in the benefits of changes in interest rates with respect to its portfolio investments. In addition, a rise in the general level of interest rates typically leads to higher interest rates applicable to the Company’s debt investments.
Following a campaign by the U.S. Federal Reserve of raising interest rates to address significant and persistent inflation in order to slow economic growth and reduce price pressure, in 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced several benchmark rate cuts. A prolonged reduction in interest rates will reduce the Company’s gross investment income and could result in a decrease in its net investment income if such decreases in SOFR are not offset by a corresponding increase in the spread over SOFR that the Company earns on any portfolio investments, a decrease in the Company’s operating expenses, including with respect to its income incentive fee, or a decrease in the interest rate of the Company’s floating interest rate liabilities tied to SOFR.
Prepayment Risks. The terms of loans in which the Company invests may permit the borrowers to voluntarily prepay loans at any time, either with no or a nominal prepayment premium. This prepayment right could result in the borrower repaying the principal on an obligation held by the Company earlier than expected. This may happen when there is a decline in interest rates, an improvement in the credit market conditions, or the borrower’s improved credit or operating or financial performance allows the refinancing of certain classes of debt with lower cost debt. The yield of the Company’s investments may be affected by the rate of prepayments differing from the Adviser’s expectations. To the extent early prepayments increase, they may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s investment objective and profits. In addition, if the Company is unable to reinvest the proceeds of such prepayments received in investments expected to be as profitable, the proceeds generated by the Company will decline as compared to the Adviser’s expectations.
Credit Markets Risk. Conditions in the credit markets may have a significant impact on the business of the Company. The credit markets in the United States have experienced a variety of difficulties and changed economic conditions in recent years that have adversely affected the performance and market value of many securities and financial instruments. There can be no assurance that the Company will not suffer material adverse effects from broad and rapid changes in market conditions in the future. Among other things, the level of investment opportunities may decline from the Adviser’s current expectations. As a result, fewer investment opportunities may be available to the Company, although if credit markets remain constrained, the Company may have the opportunity to take larger positions in potential transactions. One possible consequence is that the Company may take a larger than anticipated period to invest capital, as a result of which, at least for some period of time, the Company may be relatively concentrated in a limited number of investments. Consequently, during this period, the returns realized by the shareholders may be substantially affected by the performance of a small number of these investments.
Furthermore, market conditions may unfavorably impact the Company’s ability to secure leverage on terms as favorable as more established borrowers in the market, or to obtain any leverage on commercially feasible terms. To the extent the Company is able to secure financing for investments, increases in interest rates or in the risk spread demanded by financing sources would make the partial financing of investments with indebtedness more expensive and could limit the Company’s ability to structure and consummate its investments. Although the Adviser believes that the continued unfolding of the credit cycle will result in attractive investment opportunities, it may not be able to time its investments correctly, which could result in further depreciation in values. Furthermore, market conditions could deteriorate further, and the Company may be limited in its ability to realize investments already made by the Company due to difficulties in buyers’ ability to obtain financing on favorable terms, or to secure financing at all.
Convertible Securities Risk. The Company may invest in convertible securities, which are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles its holder to receive interest that is generally paid or accrued on debt or a dividend that is paid or accrued on preferred stock, in each case, until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Because of their embedded equity component, the value of convertible securities is sensitive to changes in equity volatility and price and a decrease in equity volatility and price could result in a loss for the Company. The debt characteristic of convertible securities also exposes the Company to changes in interest rates and credit spreads. The value of the convertible securities may fall when interest rates rise or credit spreads widen. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed income security. Generally, the amount of the premium decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by the Company is called for redemption, the Company will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Any of these actions could have an effect on the Company’s ability to its investment objective. The Company’s exposure to these risks may be unhedged or only partially hedged.
Structured Credit Instruments Risk. The Company may invest in structured credit instruments. Structured securities are extremely complex and are subject to risks related to, among other things, the decline in value of assets in the collateral pool, changes in interest rates, the rate of defaults in the collateral pool, the exercise of redemption rights by more senior tranches and the possibility that a liquid market will not exist in when the Company seeks to sell its interest in a structured security.
Derivative Investments Risk. The Company may invest in derivative instruments or “derivatives” that include TRS agreements and other swaps, futures, options, structured securities and other instruments and contracts that are derived from, or the value of which is related to, one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, currencies or indices. Derivatives allow an investor to hedge or speculate upon the price movements of a particular security, financial benchmark currency or index at a fraction of the cost of investing in the underlying asset. The value of a derivative depends largely upon price movements in the underlying asset. Therefore, many of the risks applicable to trading the underlying asset are also applicable to derivatives of such asset. However, there are a number of other risks associated with derivatives trading. For example, because many derivatives are leveraged, and thus provide significantly more market exposure than the money paid or deposited when the transaction is entered into, a relatively small adverse market movement may expose the Company to the possibility of a loss exceeding the original amount invested. Derivatives may also expose investors to liquidity risk, as there may not be a liquid market within which to close or dispose of outstanding derivatives contracts.
All derivative instruments involve risks that are in addition to, and potentially greater than the risks of investing directly in securities and other more traditional assets, including:
Management Risks . Derivative products are specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with equities and fixed income securities. The use of a derivative requires an understanding not only of the underlying instrument but also of the derivative itself. In particular, the use and complexity of derivatives require the maintenance of adequate controls to monitor the transactions entered into and the ability to assess the risk that a derivative adds to the Company’s portfolio.
Counterparty Risks . This is the risk that a loss may be sustained by the Company as a result of the failure of the other party to a derivative (usually referred to as a “ counterparty ”) to comply with the terms of the derivative contract. The credit risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for over-the-counter (“ OTC ”) derivatives, since the clearinghouse, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded or cleared derivative transaction is the counterparty to the derivative transaction. The Company may post or receive collateral related to changes in the market value of a derivative. The Company also may invest in derivatives that (i) do not require the counterparty to post collateral, (ii) require collateral but that do not provide for the Company’s security interest in it to be perfected, (iii) require significant upfront deposits unrelated to the derivatives’ intrinsic value, or (iv) do not require that collateral be regularly marked-to-market. When a counterparty’s obligations are not fully secured by collateral, the Company runs the risk of having limited recourse if the counterparty defaults.
Documentation Risks . Many derivative instruments also have documentation risk. Because the contract for each OTC derivative transaction is individually negotiated, the counterparty may interpret contractual terms ( e.g. , the definition of default) differently than the Company, and if it does, the Company may decide not to pursue its claims against the counterparty to avoid incurring the cost and unpredictability of legal proceedings. The Company, therefore, may be unable to obtain payments the Adviser believes are owed to the Company under derivative instruments or those payments may be delayed or made only after the Company has incurred the costs of litigation.
Liquidity Risks . If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with many OTC derivatives), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous price. Less liquid derivative instruments also may fall more in price than other securities during market falls. During periods of market disruptions, the Company may have a greater need for cash to provide collateral for large swings in the mark-to-market obligations arising under the derivative instruments used by the Company. These risks may be further exacerbated by requirements under rules issued pursuant to recently enacted financial reform legislation.
Leverage Risks . Because many derivatives have a leverage component ( i.e. , a notional value in excess of the assets needed to establish or maintain the derivative position), adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.
Tax Uncertainties . The taxation of derivatives, including credit default swaps, TRS and other transactions in which the Company may participate, is subject to uncertainties. Such transactions may become subject to new laws and regulations, possibly with retroactive effect, as well as differing interpretations of existing law and regulations by the relevant taxing authorities. There can be no assurance that such changes in law or interpretation will not have a material adverse effect on the Company.
Other Risks . Other risks in using derivatives include the risk of mispricing or incorrect valuation of derivatives. Many derivatives, in particular OTC derivatives, are complex and their valuation often requires modeling and judgment, which increases the risk of mispricing or incorrect valuation. The pricing models used may not produce valuations that are consistent with the values the Company realizes when it closes or sells an OTC derivative. Valuation risk is more pronounced when the Company enters into OTC derivatives with specialized terms because the market value of those derivatives in some cases is determined in part by reference to similar derivatives with more standardized terms. Incorrect valuations may result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties, over- and/or under- collateralization, and/or errors in calculation of the Company’s NAV.
The Company’s use of derivatives may not be effective or have the desired result. Derivatives involve the risk that changes in their value may not move as expected relative to the value of the assets, rates or indices they are designed to track. The risk may be more pronounced when outstanding notional amounts in the market exceed the amounts of the referenced assets. For example, the Company’s use of reverse repurchase agreements subjects it to interest costs based on the difference between the sale and repurchase price of the securities involved. Derivatives are also subject to currency and other risks. Moreover, suitable derivatives may not be available in all circumstances. For example, the economic costs of taking some derivatives positions may be prohibitive. In addition, the Adviser may decide not to use derivatives to hedge or otherwise reduce the Company’s risk exposures, potentially resulting in losses for the Company.
Counterparties to derivatives contracts may have the right to terminate such contracts if the Company’s NAV declines below a certain level over a specified period of time. The exercise of such a right by the counterparty could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations.
Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act regulates registered investment companies’ use of derivatives and certain related instruments ( e.g. , reverse repurchase agreements). This rule, among other things, limits derivatives exposure through one of two value-at-risk tests, requires funds to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program (including the appointment of a derivatives risk manager and the implementation of certain testing requirements), and subjects funds to certain reporting requirements in respect of derivatives. To the extent the Company uses derivative instruments (excluding certain currency and interest rate hedging transactions) in a limited amount, it will not be subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4.
Illiquidity of Company Investments Risk. The market value of the Company’s investments will fluctuate with, among other things, changes in market rates of interest, general economic conditions, economic conditions in particular industries, the condition of financial markets and the financial condition of the issuers of the Company’s investments. In addition, the lack of an established, liquid secondary market for some investments may have an adverse effect on the market value of those investments and on the Adviser’s ability to dispose of them. Therefore, no assurance can be given that, if the Adviser decides to dispose of a particular investment, it will be able to dispose of such investment at the prevailing market price.
Default Risk. Defaults by the Company’s investments will harm the Company’s operating results. An investment’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by the Company or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its debt financing and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize an investment’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity securities that the Company holds. The Company may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting investment.
Distressed and Highly Leveraged Companies Risk. The Company may make investments in restructurings that involve, or otherwise invest in the debt securities of, investments that are experiencing, or are expected to experience, severe financial difficulties. These severe financial difficulties may never be overcome and may cause such investments to become subject to bankruptcy proceedings. As such, these investments could subject the Company to certain additional potential liabilities that may exceed the value of the Company’s original investment. Under certain circumstances, payments to the Company may be reclaimed if any such payment or distribution is later determined to have been a fraudulent conveyance, a preferential payment or a similar transaction under the applicable bankruptcy and insolvency laws. In addition, under certain circumstances, a lender that has inappropriately exercised control of the management and policies of a debtor may have its subordinated or or may be found liable for by parties as a result of such actions.
The Company may also invest in highly leveraged companies. Investment in leveraged companies involves a number of significant risks. Leveraged companies in which the Company invests may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that the Company holds. Such developments may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of the Company’s realizing any guarantees that the Company may have obtained in connection with the Company’s investment. Smaller leveraged companies also may have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance their expansion or maintain their competitive position.
Bankruptcy Proceedings Risk. The Company may hold the debt securities of leveraged companies that may, due to the significant volatility of such companies, enter into bankruptcy proceedings. Leveraged companies may experience bankruptcy or similar financial distress. The bankruptcy process has a number of significant inherent risks. Many events in a bankruptcy proceeding are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings and are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy filing by an issuer may adversely and permanently affect the issuer. The duration of a bankruptcy case can only be roughly estimated. The bankruptcy process can involve substantial legal, professional and administrative costs to the company and the Company, it is subject to unpredictable and lengthy , and during the process the company’s competitive position may , its brand may value, key management may depart and the company may not be to invest or receive financing at a rate or at all. In some cases, the company may not be to reorganize and may be required to assets. Any of these factors may affect the return on a creditor’s investment. If the proceeding is converted to a , the value of the issuer may not equal the value that was believed to exist at the time of the investment. The administrative costs of a proceeding are frequently high and would be paid out of the debtor’s estate prior to any return to creditors. Because the standards for classification of under law are vague, the Company’s influence with respect to the class of securities or other obligations the Company owns may be by increases in the number and amount of in the same class or by different classification and treatment. In the early stages of the process, it is often to estimate the extent of, or even to identify, any contingent that might be made. In addition, certain that have priority by law (for example, for taxes) may be substantial.
Depending on the facts and circumstances of the Company’s investments and the extent of the Company’s involvement in the management of an investment, upon the bankruptcy of an investment, a bankruptcy court may recharacterize the Company’s debt investments as equity interests and subordinate all or a portion of the Company’s claim to that of other creditors. This could occur even though the Company may have structured the Company’s investment as senior debt.
Exit Financing Risk. The Company may invest in portfolio companies that are in the process of exiting, or that have recently exited, the bankruptcy process. Post-reorganization securities typically entail a higher degree of risk than investments in securities that have not undergone a reorganization or restructuring. Moreover, post-reorganization securities can be subject to heavy selling or downward pricing pressure after the completion of a bankruptcy reorganization or restructuring. If the Adviser’s evaluation of the anticipated outcome of an investment situation should prove incorrect, the Company could experience a loss.
Bankruptcy Involving Non-U.S. Companies Risk. Investment in the debt of financially distressed companies domiciled outside the United States involves additional risks. Bankruptcy law and process may differ substantially from that in the United States, resulting in greater uncertainty as to the rights of creditors, the enforceability of such rights, reorganization timing and the classification, seniority and treatment of claims. In certain developing countries, although bankruptcy laws have been enacted, the process for reorganization remains highly uncertain, while other developing countries may have no bankruptcy laws enacted, adding further uncertainty to the process for reorganization.
Investments in Special Situations Risk. The Company’s investments may involve investments in ‘event-driven’ special situations such as recapitalizations, spinoffs, corporate and financial restructurings, litigation or other liability impairments, turnarounds, management changes, consolidating industries and other catalyst-oriented situations. Investments in such securities are often difficult to analyze, have limited trading histories and have limited in-depth research coverage and, therefore, may present an increased risk of loss to the Company.
Creditors’ Committee and/or Board Participation Risk . In connection with some of the investments, the Company may, but is not obligated to, seek representation on official and unofficial creditors’ committees and/or boards (or comparable governing bodies) of the portfolio companies. While such representation may enable the Adviser to enhance the value of the investments, it may also prevent the Company from disposing of the investments in a timely and profitable manner, because serving on a creditors’ committee increases the possibility that the Company will be deemed an “insider” or a “fiduciary” of the portfolio company. If the Adviser concludes that its
obligations owed to the other parties as a committee or group member conflict with its duties owed to the Company, it may resign from that committee or group, and the Company may not realize the benefits, if any, of participation on the committee or group. If representation on a creditors’ committee or board causes the Company or the Adviser to be deemed affiliates or related parties of the portfolio company, the securities of such portfolio company held by the Company may become restricted securities, which are not freely tradable. Participation on a creditors’ committee and/or board representation may also subject the Company to additional liability to which they would not otherwise be subject as an ordinary course, third-party investor. The Company will indemnify the Adviser or any other person designated by the Adviser for claims arising from such board and/or committee representation, which could adversely affect the return on the investments. The Company will attempt to balance the advantages and disadvantages of such representation when deciding whether and how to exercise its rights with respect to such portfolio companies, but changes in circumstances could produce adverse consequences in particular situations.
High Yield Securities Risk. The Company may make investments in “high yield” debt and preferred securities which are rated lower than investment grade by the various credit rating agencies (or in comparable non-rated securities as determined by the Adviser). Securities that are rated lower than investment grade are subject to greater risk of loss of principal and interest than higher-rated securities and are generally considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They are also generally considered to be subject to greater risk than securities with higher ratings in the case of deterioration of general economic conditions. Because investors generally perceive that there are greater risks associated with lower-rated securities, the yields and prices of such securities may tend to fluctuate more than those for higher-rated securities. The market for lower-rated securities is thinner and less active than that for higher-rated securities, which can adversely affect the prices at which these securities can be sold. In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions about lower-rated securities, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may be a contributing factor in a decrease in the value and liquidity of such lower-rated securities.
The Company may invest in debt of issuers that have defaulted or are anticipated to default. Issuers in this situation frequently resort to bankruptcy and other litigation to effect debt restructuring on attractive terms. Such actions may require the Company to spend material amounts on legal and other litigation costs. Bankruptcy and other insolvency proceedings are highly complex and may result in undesirable outcomes, such as the return of payments characterized as a “preference,” the invalidation of debt as a result of a deemed fraudulent conveyance and the recharacterization or equitable subordination of debt. There can be no assurance that the Company will obtain favorable results in bankruptcy or proceedings.
Securities that are rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services are often referred to in the financial press as “junk bonds” and may include securities of issuers in default. “Junk bonds” are considered by the rating agencies to be predominately speculative and may involve major risk exposures such as: (i) vulnerability to economic downturns and changes in interest rates; (ii) sensitivity to adverse economic changes and corporate developments; (iii) redemption or call provisions which may be exercised at inopportune times; and (iv) difficulty in accurately valuing or disposing of such securities.
Investment in Private and Middle-Market Investments Risk . The Company will make investments in private and middle-market companies, which involve a number of significant risks. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and the Company relies on the ability of the Adviser’s investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If the Adviser is unable to uncover all material information about these companies, it may not make a fully informed investment decision, and the Company may lose money on the Company’s investments. Middle-market companies generally have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position. Middle-market companies may have limited financial resources, may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that the Company holds, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of the Company’s realizing any guarantees the Company may have obtained in connection with the Company’s investment. In addition, such companies typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic . Additionally, middle-market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons. Therefore, the death, disability, or of one or more of these persons could have a material impact on the Company’s investment and, in turn, on the Company. Middle-market companies also may be parties to and may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of . In addition, the Company’s executive officers, trustees and the Adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as in arising from the Company’s investments.
Senior Debt Risk. The Company’s investments may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the Company’s investments in such companies and such investments may not generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations to the Company. The Company may invest a portion of the Company’s capital in second lien and subordinated loans issued by the Company’s investments. The Company’s investments may have, or be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt securities in which the Company invests. Such 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 the Company makes a subordinated investment in an investment, the investment 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. By their terms, such debt instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which the Company is entitled to receive payments in respect of the securities in which the Company invests. These debt instruments would usually prohibit the Company’s subordinated investments from receiving interest or being repaid in the event of and during the continuance of a under such debt. Also, in the event of , , , reorganization or of an investment, holders of securities ranking senior to the Company’s investment in that investment would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before the Company receives any distribution in respect of the Company’s investment. After repaying senior creditors, the investment may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to the Company where the Company is a junior creditor. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt securities in which the Company invests, the Company would have to share any distributions on an equal and ratable basis with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an , , , reorganization or of the relevant investment.
Additionally, certain loans that the Company makes to investments 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 investment’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the investment 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 the Company. 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.
The Company may make unsecured loans, meaning that such loans will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such companies. Liens on an investment’s collateral, if any, will secure the investment’s obligations under its outstanding secured debt and may secure certain future debt that is permitted to be incurred by the investment under its secured loan agreements. The holders of obligations secured by such liens will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of such collateral to repay their obligations in full before the Company. In addition, the value of such collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. The Company can offer no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of such collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the Company’s unsecured loan obligations after payment in full of all loans secured by collateral. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay the outstanding secured loan obligations, then the Company’s unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors’ claims the investment’s remaining assets, if any.
The rights the Company may have with respect to the collateral securing any junior priority loans, including any “last out” pieces of tranched first lien loans, the Company makes to the Company’s investments may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that the Company enters into (or the absence of an intercreditor agreement) with the holders of 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.
The Company may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if the Company’s rights as junior lenders are adversely affected.
Revolver, Delayed-Draw and Line of Credit Investments Risk . The Company is expected to, from time to time, incur future commitments in connection with an investment. For example, the Company expects to participate in one or more investments that are structured as “revolvers,” “delayed-draws” or “lines of credit.” These types of investments generally have funding obligations that extend over a period of time, and if the portfolio company subsequently draws down on the revolver or delayed-draw facility or on the line of credit, the Company would be obligated to fund the amounts due. However, there can be no assurance that a borrower will ultimately draw down on any such loan, in which case the Company may never fund the investment (in full or in part), which may result in the Company not fully deploying its capital. There can be no assurance that the Company will adequately reserve for its future commitments and that such commitments will not have an adverse effect on the Company.
It is possible that a revolver, delayed-draw or line of credit investment would be bifurcated by the Adviser into separate investments, with certain investors (which may or may not include the Company) participating in the initial drawdowns and other investors (which may or may not include the Company) participating in the later drawdowns. In this situation, it is possible that investors that participate in the initial funding of an investment may receive certain economic benefits in connection with such initial funding, such as original issue discount, closing payments, or commitment fees and these benefits are expected to be allocated based on participation in the initial funding, regardless of participation in future funding obligations. Conversely, the investors participating only in the later funding obligations will have the benefit of the most recent portfolio company performance information in evaluating their investment whereas the investors that participated in the initial drawdowns (which may or may not include the Company) will be obligated in any event to fund such later funding obligations. In certain cases, the Company may participate in the initial funding of an investment, but may not participate in later-arising funding obligations ( i.e. , the revolver, delayed-draw or line of credit portions) related to such investment, including because of capacity limitations that an investment vehicle may have for making new revolver, -draw investments or lines of credit. As a result, the Company may be allocated a smaller or larger portion of revolver, -draw investments or lines of credit than other investors participating in the loan. Where the Company and any other participating investors have not participated in each funding of an investment on a pro rata basis, of interest may arise between the Company and the other investors as the interests of the Company and the other investors may not be completely aligned with respect to such investment. In addition, a revolver, draw investment or line of credit may be senior to the rest of the loan or to the initial funding, and as a result, the interests of the Company may not be aligned with other participating investors. There can be no assurance that the Company will reserve for its future commitments and that such commitments will not have an effect on the Company.
Investments in Portfolio Companies in Regulated Industries Risk. Certain industries are heavily regulated. The Company may make loans to borrowers operating in industries that are subject to greater amounts of regulation than other industries generally. These more highly regulated industries may include, among others, energy and power, gaming and healthcare. Investments in borrowers that are subject to a high level of governmental regulation pose additional risks relative to loans to other companies generally. Changes in applicable laws or regulations, or in the interpretations of these laws and regulations, could result in increased compliance costs or the need for additional capital expenditures. If a portfolio company fails to comply with these requirements, it could also be subject to civil or criminal liability and the imposition of fines. A portfolio company also could be materially and adversely affected as a result of statutory or regulatory changes or judicial or administrative interpretations of existing laws and regulations that impose more comprehensive or stringent requirements on such company. Governments have considerable discretion in implementing regulations that could impact a portfolio company’s business, and governments may be influenced by political considerations and may make decisions that affect a portfolio company’s business.
Union Related Risk. Certain portfolio companies may have a unionized workforce or employees who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, which could subject any such portfolio company’s activities and labor relations matters to complex laws and regulations relating thereto. Moreover, a portfolio company’s operations and profitability could suffer if it experiences labor relations problems. A work stoppage at one or more of any such portfolio company’s facilities could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition. Any such problems additionally may bring scrutiny and attention to the Company, which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to implement its investment objective.
Investments in Original Issue Discount and PIK Instruments Risk . Certain of the Company’s debt investments contain provisions providing for the payment of payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest. Because PIK interest results in an increase in the size of the loan balance of the underlying loan, the receipt by the Company of PIK interest will have the effect of increasing the Company’s net assets. As a result, because the Base Management Fee that the Company pays to the Adviser is based on the value of the Company’s assets, the receipt by the Company of PIK interest will result in an increase in the amount of the Base Management Fee payable by the Company to the Adviser. In addition, any such increase in a loan balance due to the receipt of PIK interest will cause such loan to accrue interest on the higher loan balance, which will result in an increase in the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income and, as a result, an increase in incentive fees that are payable by the Company to the Adviser. To the extent that the Company invests in original issue discount or PIK instruments and the accretion of original issue discount or PIK interest income constitutes a portion of the Company’s income, the
Company will be exposed to risks associated with the requirement to include such non-cash income in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:
the higher interest rates on PIK instruments reflect the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with these instruments, and PIK instruments generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than non-PIK instruments;
original issue discount and PIK instruments may have unreliable valuations because the accruals require judgments about collectability of the deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral;
an election to defer PIK interest payments by adding them to the principal on such instruments increases our future investment income which increases our net assets and, as such, increases the Adviser’s future base management fees which, thus, increases the Adviser’s future income incentive fees at a compounding rate;
market prices of PIK instruments and other zero-coupon instruments are affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes and may be more volatile than instruments that pay interest periodically in cash. While PIK instruments are usually less volatile than zero-coupon debt instruments, PIK instruments are generally more volatile than cash pay securities;
the deferral of PIK interest on an instrument increases the loan-to-value ratio, which is a measure of the riskiness of a loan, with respect to such instrument;
even if the conditions for income accrual under GAAP are satisfied, a borrower could still default when actual payment is due upon the maturity of such loan;
for accounting purposes, cash distributions to investors representing original issue discount income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from the offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of original issue discount income may come from the cash invested by investors, the 1940 Act does not require that investors be given notice of this fact;
the required recognition of original issue discount or PIK interest for U.S. federal income tax purposes may have a negative impact on liquidity, as it represents a non-cash component of our investment company taxable income that may require cash distributions to shareholders in order to maintain tax treatment as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes; and
original issue discount may create a risk of non-refundable cash payments to the Adviser based on non-cash accruals that may never be realized.
In addition, the part of the incentive fee payable by us that relates to our net investment income is computed and paid on income that may include interest that accrues prior to being received in cash, such as original issue discount, market discount, and income arising from debt instruments with PIK interest or zero-coupon securities. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that provides for such accrued interest, it is possible that accrued interest previously used in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible, and the Adviser will have no obligation to refund any fees it received in respect of such accrued income.
Lack of Liquidity Risk. The lack of liquidity in the Company’s investments may adversely affect the Company’s business. The Company may invest in companies that are experiencing financial difficulties, which difficulties may never be overcome. The Company’s investments will be illiquid in most cases, and the Company can offer no assurance that the Company will be able to realize on such investments in a timely manner. A substantial portion of the Company’s investments in leveraged companies are and will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than more broadly traded public securities. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for the Company to sell such investments if the need arises. In addition, if the Company is required to liquidate all or a portion of the Company’s portfolio quickly, the Company may realize significantly less than the value at which the Company has previously recorded the Company’s investments. The Company may also face other restrictions on the Company’s ability to an investment in an investment to the extent that the Adviser or any of its affiliates have material nonpublic information regarding such investment.
In addition, the Company generally expects to invest in securities, instruments and assets that are not, and are not expected to become, publicly traded. The Company will generally not be able to sell securities publicly unless the sale is registered under applicable securities laws, or unless an exemption from such registration requirements is available.
Investments may be illiquid and long-term. Illiquidity may result from the absence of an established or liquid market for investments as well as legal and contractual restrictions on their resale by the Company. It is generally expected that the Company will hold assets to maturity, and the amount of “discretionary sales” of investments generally will be limited. The Company’s investment in illiquid investments may restrict its ability to dispose of investments in a timely fashion and for a fair price. Furthermore, the Company likely will be limited in the Company’s ability to sell investments because the Adviser may have material, non-public information regarding the issuers of such loans or investments or as a result of other policies of the Adviser. This limited ability to sell investments could materially adversely affect the Company’s investment results. As a result, the Company’s exposure to losses, including a potential loss of principal, as a result of which the shareholder could potentially lose all or a portion of the shareholder’s investment in the Company, may be increased due to the of the Company’s investments generally.
In certain cases, the Company may also be prohibited by contract from selling its investments for a period of time or otherwise be restricted from disposing of the Company’s investments. Furthermore, certain types of investments expected to be made may require a substantial length of time to realize a return or fully liquidate. The Company may exit some investments through distributions in kind to the shareholders, after which the shareholder will still bear the risks associated with holding the securities and must make the shareholder’s own disposition decisions.
Given the nature of the investments contemplated by the Company, there is a material risk that the Company will be unable to realize the Company’s investment objective by sale or other disposition at attractive prices or will otherwise be unable to complete any exit strategy. In particular, this risk could arise from changes in the financial condition or prospects of the investment, changes in national or international economic conditions, changes in debt and equity capital markets and changes in laws, regulations, fiscal policies or political conditions of countries in which investments are made.
In connection with the disposition of an investment, the Company may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the investment or may be responsible for the contents of disclosure documents under applicable securities laws. The Company may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment or underwriters to the extent that any such representations or disclosure documents turn out to be incorrect, inaccurate or misleading. These arrangements may result in contingent liabilities, for which the Company may establish reserves or escrows. However, the Company can offer no assurance that the Company will adequately reserve for the Company’s contingent liabilities and that such liabilities will not have an adverse effect on the Company. Such contingent liabilities might ultimately have to be funded by proceeds, including the return of capital, from the Company’s other investments.
Inability of Investments to Repay or Refinance Outstanding Principal. The Company’s prospective 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 the portfolio companies to make periodic payments on their loans. This risk and the risk of default is increased to the extent that the loan documents do not require the investments to pay down some or all of the outstanding principal of such debt prior to maturity. In addition, if general interest rates rise, there is a risk that the Company’s portfolio companies will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with the Company. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. Any of one or more portfolio companies to repay or refinance its debt at or prior to maturity or the of one or more portfolio companies to make ongoing payments following an increase in contractual interest rates could have a material effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Publicly Traded Securities Risk . The Company may invest in publicly traded equity and debt securities. These investments are subject to certain risks, including the risk of loss from counterparty defaults, the risks arising from the volatility of the global fixed-income and equity markets, movements in the stock market and trends in the overall economy, increased obligations to disclose information regarding such companies, increased likelihood of shareholder litigation against such companies’ board members, which may include Lord Abbett personnel, regulatory action by the SEC and increased costs associated with each of the aforementioned risks. When buying a publicly traded security or other publicly traded instruments, the Company may be unable to obtain financial covenants or other contractual rights that the Company might otherwise be able to obtain in making privately-negotiated investments. Moreover, the Company may not have the same access to information in connection with investments in publicly traded securities or other publicly traded instruments, either when investigating a potential investment or after making an investment, as compared to a privately-negotiated
investment. Publicly traded securities that are rated by rating agencies are often reviewed and may be subject to downgrade, which generally results in a decline in the market value of such security. Furthermore, the Company may be limited in its ability to make investments and to sell existing investments in public securities or other publicly traded instruments because Lord Abbett may have material, non-public information regarding the issuers of those securities or as a result of other Lord Abbett policies. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Company will make investments in public securities or other publicly traded instruments or, if it does, as to the amount it will invest. The inability to sell such securities or instruments in these circumstances could materially adversely affect the investment results of the Company.
Equity Investments Risk. When the Company invests in senior, unitranche, second lien and subordinated loans, the Company may acquire warrants or other equity securities of investments as well. The Company may also invest in equity securities directly. To the extent the Company holds equity investments, the Company will seek to dispose of them and realize gains upon the Company’s disposition of them. However, the equity interests the Company receives may not appreciate in value and may decline in value. As a result, the Company may not be able to realize gains from its equity interests, and any gains that the Company does realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses the Company experiences.
Risk of No Controlling Equity Interests. Because the Company generally does not hold controlling equity interests in the Company’s investments, the Company may not be able to exercise control over the Company’s investments or to prevent decisions by management of the Company’s investments that could decrease the value of the Company’s investments. To the extent that the Company does not hold controlling equity interests, the Company will have a limited ability to protect the Company’s position in such investments.
Minority Investments and Joint Ventures Risk. The Company may make minority equity investments in entities in which the Company does not control the business or affairs of such entities. In addition, the Company intends to co-invest with other parties through partnerships, joint ventures or other entities and the Adviser may share management fees, incentive fees and/or other forms of compensation with such parties. The Adviser expects that in some cases the Company will have control over, or significant influence on, the decision making of joint ventures. However, in other cases, in particular with respect to certain terms, amendments and waivers related to the underlying loans, the joint venture partner may have controlling or blocking rights (including because certain decisions require unanimous approval of the joint venture partners) or a tie vote among joint venture partners may be resolved by an appointed third party. Where a joint venture partner or third party has controlling or blocking rights or decision-making power with respect to a joint venture matter, there can be no assurance that the matter will be resolved in the manner desired by the Company. In addition, these types of voting arrangements may slow the decision-making process and hinder the joint venture’s ability to act quickly.
Cooperation among joint venture partners or co-investors on existing and future business decisions will be an important factor for the sound operation and financial success of any joint venture or other business in which the Company is involved. In particular, a joint venture partner or co-investor may have economic or business interests or goals that are inconsistent with those of the Company, and the Company may not be in a position to limit or otherwise protect the value of one or more of the Company’s investments. Disputes among joint venture partners or co-investors over obligations, expenses or other matters could have an adverse effect on the financial conditions or results of operations of the relevant businesses. In addition, the Company may in certain circumstances be liable for actions of its joint venture partners.
In certain cases, conflicts of interest may arise between the Company and a joint venture partner, for example, because the joint venture partner has invested in a different level of the issuer’s capital structure or because the joint venture partner has different investment goals or timelines. There can be no assurance that a joint venture partner with divergent interests from the Company will cause the joint venture to be managed in a manner that is favorable to the Company. In addition, it is anticipated that the Company could be invested in debt instruments issued by a joint venture entity while one or more Other Clients managed by the Adviser will be invested in equity interests in such entity or vice versa, which presents certain potential conflicts of interest with respect to the capital structure of such entity.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk . The Company may invest in securities and instruments of non-U.S. issuers. See “ — Exposure to Foreign Markets Risk ” above . The Company’s investments in securities and instruments in non-U.S. markets involve substantial risks often not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be adversely affected by changes in currency rates or exchange control regulations, changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in the United States and abroad) or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of the Company’s assets denominated in that currency and thereby will have an impact upon
the Company’s total return on such assets. The Company may seek to borrow money in foreign currencies or utilize options and forward contracts to hedge against currency fluctuations, but there can be no assurance that such techniques will be effective.
Investments in non-U.S. securities will also be subject to risks relating to political and economic developments abroad, including the possibility of expropriations or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the use or transfer of the Company’s assets and the effects of foreign social, economic or political instability. Non-U.S. companies are not subject to the regulatory requirements of U.S. companies and, as such, there may be less publicly available information about such companies. Moreover, non-U.S. companies are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies.
Securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than comparable securities of U.S. issuers and, as such, their price changes may be more volatile. Furthermore, foreign exchanges and broker-dealers are generally subject to less government and exchange scrutiny and regulation than their American counterparts. Brokerage commissions, dealer concessions and other transaction costs may be higher on foreign markets than in the U.S. In addition, differences in clearance and settlement procedures on foreign markets may occasionally lead to delays in settlements of the Company’s trades effected in such markets.
Repatriation of investment income, capital and the proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval. The Company could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for such repatriation or by withholding taxes imposed by the government of an emerging country.
Taxation of dividends, interest and capital gains received by non-residents varies among foreign countries and, in some cases, is comparatively high. In addition, some countries have tax laws and procedures that may permit retroactive taxation so that the Company could in the future become subject to local tax liability that it had not reasonably anticipated in conducting its investment activities or valuing its assets.
Hedging Risk. The Company may be subject to risks under hedging transactions. The Company may engage in hedging transactions to the extent permitted under applicable commodities laws and the 1940 Act. Engaging in hedging transactions would entail additional risks to the shareholders. The Company could, for example, use instruments such as interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors and, if the Company were to invest in foreign securities, the Company could use instruments such as forward contracts or currency options and borrow under a credit facility in currencies selected to minimize the Company’s foreign currency exposure. In each such case, the Company generally would seek to hedge against fluctuations of the relative values of the Company’s portfolio positions from changes in market interest rates or currency exchange rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of the Company’s portfolio positions would not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of the positions declined. However, such hedging could establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions could also limit the for if the values of the underlying portfolio positions increased. Moreover, it might not be possible to hedge an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that was so generally anticipated that the Company would not be to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price. Use of a hedging transaction could involve counterparty credit risk.
The success of any hedging transactions the Company may enter into will depend on the Company’s ability to correctly predict movements in currencies and interest rates. Therefore, while the Company may enter into hedging transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates could result in poorer overall investment performance than if the Company had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged could vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, the Company might not seek to (or be able to) establish a perfect correlation between the hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation could prevent the Company from achieving the intended hedge and expose the Company to risk of loss. In addition, it might not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations. The Company’s ability to engage in hedging transactions may also be affected by rules adopted by the CFTC.
Force Majeure Risk. The Company’s investments may be affected by force majeure events (i.e., events beyond the control of the party claiming that the event has occurred, including, without limitation, acts of God, fire, flood, earthquakes, outbreaks of an infectious disease, pandemic or any other serious public health concern, war, terrorism and labor strikes). Some force majeure events may adversely affect the ability of a party (including a company or a counterparty to the Company or a company) to perform its obligations until it is
able to remedy the force majeure event. In addition, the cost to a company of repairing or replacing damaged assets resulting from such force majeure event could be considerable. Additionally, a major governmental intervention into industry, including the nationalization of an industry or the assertion of control over one or more companies or its assets, could result in a loss to the Company, including if its investment in such company is cancelled, unwound or acquired (which could be without what the Company considers to be adequate compensation). To the extent the Company is exposed to investments in companies that as a group are exposed to such force majeure events, the risks and potential losses to the Company are enhanced.
Repurchase Agreements Risk. Subject to our investment objective and policies, the Company may invest in repurchase agreements as a buyer for investment purposes. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Company of debt securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank, savings and loan association or broker-dealer. The agreement provides that the Company will sell the securities back to the institution at a fixed time in the future for the purchase price plus premium (which often reflects the interests). The Company does not bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security unless the seller defaults under its repurchase obligation. In the event of the bankruptcy or other default of a seller of a repurchase agreement, the Company could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying securities and losses, including (1) possible decline in the value of the underlying security during the period in which the Company seeks to enforce its rights thereto; (2) possible lack of access to income on the underlying security during this period; and (3) expenses of enforcing its rights. In addition, as described above, the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will be at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase agreement. In the event of a or by a selling financial institution, the Company generally will seek to such collateral. However, the exercise of the Company’s right to such collateral could involve certain costs or and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Company could a .
Risk of Assignments and Participations . The Company may acquire investments directly, by way of assignment or indirectly by way of participation. The purchaser of an assignment of a loan obligation typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the selling institution and becomes a lender under the loan or credit agreement with respect to the loan obligation. In contrast, participations acquired in a portion of a loan obligation held by a selling institution typically result in a contractual relationship only with such selling institution, not with the obligor. Therefore, holders of indirect participation interests are subject to additional risks not applicable to a holder of a direct assignment interest in a loan. In purchasing a participation, the Company generally would have no right to enforce compliance by the obligor with the terms of the loan or credit agreement or other instrument evidencing such loan obligation, nor any rights of set-off against the obligor, and the Company may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Company would assume the credit risk of both the obligor and the selling institution, which would remain the legal owner of record of the applicable loan. In the event of the insolvency of the selling institution, the Company may be treated as a general creditor of the selling institution in respect of the participation, may not from any set-off exercised by the selling institution the obligor and may be subject to any set-off exercised by the obligor the selling institution. Assignments and participations are typically sold strictly without recourse to the selling institution, and the selling institution generally will make no representations or warranties about the underlying loan, the portfolio companies, the terms of the loans or any collateral securing the loans. Certain loans have restrictions on assignments and participations which may impact the Company’s ability to exit from all or part of its investment in a loan. In addition, if a participation interest is purchased from a selling institution that does not itself retain any portion of the applicable loan, such selling institution may have limited interests in monitoring the terms of the loan agreement and the continuing creditworthiness of the borrower.
Fraudulent Conveyances and Voidable Preferences by Issuers. Under U.S. legal principles, in a lawsuit brought by an unpaid creditor or representative of creditors of an issuer of indebtedness (including a bankruptcy trustee), if a court were to find that the issuer did not receive fair consideration or reasonably equivalent value for incurring the indebtedness or for granting security, and that after giving effect to such indebtedness or such security, the issuer (a) was insolvent, (b) was engaged in a business for which the remaining assets of such issuer constituted unreasonably small capital or (c) intended to incur, or believed that it would incur, debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature, such court could determine to invalidate and avoid, in whole or in part, the obligation underlying an investment of the Company as a constructive fraudulent conveyance. The measure of insolvency for purposes of the foregoing will vary. Generally, an issuer would be considered insolvent at a particular time if the sum of its debts was then than all of its property at a fair valuation, or if the present fair saleable value of its assets was then less than the amount that would be required to pay its probable liabilities on its existing debts as they became absolute and matured. There can be no assurance as to what standard a court would apply to determine whether the issuer was “” after giving effect to the incurrence of the indebtedness in which the Company invested or that, regardless of the method of valuation, a court would not determine that the issuer was “” upon giving effect to such incurrence.
In addition, it is possible a court may invalidate, in whole or in part, the indebtedness underlying an investment of the Company as a fraudulent conveyance, subordinate such indebtedness to existing or future creditors of the obligor or recover amounts previously paid by the obligor in satisfaction of such indebtedness. Moreover, in the event of the insolvency of an issuer of a portfolio company, payments made on its indebtedness could be subject to avoidance as a “preference” if made within a certain period of time (which may be as long as one year) before the portfolio company becomes a debtor in a bankruptcy case.
Even if the Company does not engage in conduct that would form the basis for a successful cause of action based upon fraudulent conveyance or preference law, there can be no assurance as to whether any lending institution or other party from which the Company may acquire such indebtedness, or any prior holder of such indebtedness, has not engaged in any such conduct (or any other conduct that would subject such indebtedness to disallowance or subordination under insolvency laws) and, if it did engage in such conduct, as to whether such creditor claims could be asserted in a U.S. court (or in the courts of any other country) against the Company so that the Company’s claim against the issuer would be disallowed or subordinated.
Risk of Default Under a Credit Facility. In the event the Company defaults under a credit facility, the Company’s business could be adversely affected as the Company may be forced to sell a portion of its investments quickly and prematurely at prices that may be disadvantageous to the Company in order to meet its outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements under the credit facility or such future borrowing facility, any of which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under a credit facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of the Company’s assets, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Investments in Portfolio Companies in the Software Industry Risk. 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 risk 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. In addition, 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 with respect to such products). Furthermore, many software companies have limited operating histories. Prices of securities of companies in the software industry historically have been more than other securities, especially over the short term. To the extent the Company invests in portfolio companies operating in the software industry, the Company may be subject to the foregoing risks, which could have a material effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Relating to Certain Regulatory and Tax Matters
Failure to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility. We have elected to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. If we do not remain a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would subject us to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act and correspondingly decrease our operating flexibility.
Regulations Governing the Company’s Operation as a BDC. The Company will not generally be able to issue and sell its Common Shares at a price below NAV per share. The Company may, however, sell Common Shares, or warrants, options or rights to acquire the Company’s Common Shares, at a price below the then-current NAV per share of the Company’s Common Shares if the Company’s Board determines that such sale is in the Company’s best interests, and if investors approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which the Company’s securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of the Adviser, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If the Company raises additional funds by issuing Common Shares or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, its Common Shares, then the percentage ownership of investors at that time will decrease, and investors may experience dilution.
Investing a Sufficient Portion of Assets in Qualifying Assets. The Company 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 the Company’s total assets are Qualifying Assets.
The Company believes that most of the investments that it may acquire in the future will constitute Qualifying Assets. However, the Company may be precluded from investing in what it believes to be attractive investments if such investments are not Qualifying Assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If the Company does not invest a sufficient portion of its assets in Qualifying Assets, it could violate the 1940 Act provisions applicable to BDCs. As a result of such violation, specific rules under the 1940 Act could prevent the Company, for example, from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of its position) or could require the Company to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to come into compliance with the 1940 Act. If the Company needs to dispose of such investments quickly, it could be difficult to dispose of such investments on favorable terms. The Company may not be able to find a buyer for such investments and, even if a buyer is found, the Company may have to sell the investments at a substantial . Any such outcomes would have a material effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
If the Company does not maintain its status as a BDC, it would be subject to regulation as a registered closed-end management investment company under the 1940 Act. As a registered closed-end management investment company, the Company would be subject to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act which would significantly decrease its operating flexibility.
Costs as a Result of Being an Exchange Act Reporting Company. As a BDC, our shares are registered under the Exchange Act and the Company is subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act. As an Exchange Act reporting company, the Company will 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 of 2002 and other rules implemented by the SEC.
New or Modified Laws or Regulations Governing Our Operations. The Company’s portfolio companies and the Company are subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state, and local levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may 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 may also come into effect. Any such new or changed laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. The effects of such laws and regulations on the financial services industry will depend, in large part, upon the extent to which regulators exercise the authority granted to them and the approaches taken in implementing regulations.
Future legislative and regulatory proposals directed at the financial services industry that are proposed or pending in the U.S. Congress may negatively impact the operations, cash flows or financial condition of the Company or its portfolio companies, impose additional costs on portfolio companies or the Company intensify the regulatory supervision of the Company or its portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect the Company’s business or the business of its portfolio companies. Laws that apply to the Company, either now or in the future, are often highly complex and may include licensing requirements. The licensing process can be lengthy and can be expected to subject the Company to increased regulatory oversight. Failure, even if unintentional, to comply fully with applicable laws may result in sanctions, fines, or limitations on the ability of the Company or the Adviser to do business in the relevant jurisdiction or to procure required licenses in other jurisdictions, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company. In addition, if the Company does not comply with applicable laws and regulations, it could lose any licenses that it then holds for the conduct of its business and may be subject to civil and .
Additionally, changes to the laws and regulations governing Company operations, including those associated with RICs, may cause the Company to alter its investment strategy in order to avail itself of new or different opportunities or result in the imposition of corporate-level taxes on us. Such changes could result in material differences to the Company’s strategies and plans and may shift the Company’s investment focus from the areas of expertise of the Adviser to other types of investments in which the Adviser may have little or no expertise or experience. Any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and the value of an investor’s investment. If the Company invests in commodity interests in the future, the Adviser may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional regulation by the CFTC or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If the Adviser or the Company were to operate subject to CFTC regulation, the Company may incur additional expenses and would be subject to additional regulation.
In addition, certain regulations applicable to debt securitizations implementing credit risk retention requirements that have taken effect in both the U.S. and in Europe may adversely affect or prevent the Company from entering into securitization transactions. These risk retention rules will increase the Company’s cost of funds under, or may prevent the Company from completing, future securitization transactions. In particular, the U.S. Risk Retention Rules require the sponsor (directly or through a majority-owned affiliate) of a debt securitization, such as CLOs, in the absence of an exemption, to retain an economic interest in the credit risk of the assets being securitized in the form of an eligible horizontal residual interest, an eligible vertical interest, or a combination thereof, in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Risk Retention Rules. Given the more attractive financing costs associated with these types of debt securitizations as opposed to other types of financing available (such as traditional senior secured facilities), this increases our financing costs, which increases the financing costs ultimately borne by the Company’s investors. The statements contained in this report regarding compliance with the U.S. Risk Retention Rules are solely based on publicly available information (including the D.C. Circuit Ruling (as defined below)) as of the date of this report.
On February 9, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled (the “ D.C. Circuit Ruling ”) that the federal agencies responsible for the U.S. Risk Retention Rules exceeded their statutory authority under the Dodd-Frank Act in adopting the final rules as applied to asset managers of open-market CLOs. On April 5, 2018, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
entered an order implementing the D.C. Circuit Ruling and thereby vacated the U.S. Risk Retention Rules insofar as they apply to CLO managers of “open market CLOs”. As of the date of hereof, there has been no petition for writ of certiorari filed requesting the case to be heard by the United States Supreme Court. Since there hasn’t been a successful challenge to the D.C. Circuit Ruling and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has issued the above described order implementing the D.C. Circuit Ruling, collateral managers of open market CLOs are no longer required to comply with the U.S. risk retention rules at this time.
Over the last several years, there also has been an increase in regulatory attention to the extension of credit outside of the traditional banking sector, raising the possibility that some portion of the non-bank financial sector will be subject to new regulation. While it cannot be known at this time whether any regulation will be implemented or what form it will take, increased regulation of non-bank credit extension could negatively impact our operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us, intensify the regulatory supervision of the Company or otherwise adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Licensing Requirements. Certain banking and regulatory bodies or agencies in or outside the United States may require the Company, its subsidiaries, the Adviser and/or certain employees of the Adviser to obtain licenses or authorizations to engage in many types of lending activities including the origination of loans. It may take a significant amount of time and expense to obtain such licenses or authorizations and the Company may be required to bear the cost of obtaining such licenses and authorizations. There can be no assurance that any such licenses or authorizations would be granted or, if granted, whether any such licenses or authorizations would impose restrictions on the Company. Such licenses or authorizations may require the disclosure of confidential information about the Company, Company investors or their respective affiliates, including the identity, financial information and/or information regarding the Company investors and their officers and trustees. The Company may not be willing or able to comply with these requirements. Alternatively, the Adviser may be compelled to structure certain potential investments in a manner that would not require such licenses and authorizations, although such transactions may be inefficient or otherwise disadvantageous for the Company and/or any relevant portfolio company, including because of the risk that licensing authorities would not accept such structuring alternatives in lieu of obtaining a license or authorization. The inability of the Company or the Adviser to obtain necessary licenses or authorizations, the structuring of an investment in an or otherwise manner, or changes in licensing regulations, could affect the Company’s ability to implement its investment program and its intended results.
Dodd-Frank Act. The enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act and other financial regulations curtailed certain investment activities of U.S. banks. As a result, alternative providers of capital (such as the Company) were able to access certain investment opportunities on a larger scale. If the restrictions under the Dodd-Frank Act are curtailed or repealed, banks may be subject to fewer restrictions on their investment activities, thereby increasing competition with the Company for potential investment opportunities. As a result, any changes to the Dodd-Frank Act may adversely impact the Company.
The Company is Subject to Risks Relating to Pay-to-Play Laws, Regulations and Policies. Many states, their subdivisions and associated pension plans have adopted so-called “pay-to-play” laws, rules, regulations or policies which prohibit, restrict or require disclosure of payments to, and/or certain contacts with, certain politicians or officials associated with public entities by individuals and entities seeking to do business with related entities, including seeking investments by public retirement funds in collective investment funds such as the Company. The SEC also has adopted rules that, among other things, prohibit an investment adviser from providing advisory services for compensation with respect to a government plan investor for two (2) years after the adviser or certain of its executives or employees makes a contribution to certain elected officials or candidates for certain elected offices. If the Adviser or the Adviser’s respective employees or affiliates violate such pay-to-play laws, rules, regulations or policies, such non-compliance could have an adverse effect on the Company by, for example, providing the basis for the ability of such government-affiliated pension plan investor to cease funding its obligations to the Company or to withdraw from the Company.
Government Policies, Changes in Laws, and International Trade. Governmental regulatory activity, especially that of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, 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. High interest rates, the imposition of credit controls or other restraints on the financing of takeovers or other acquisitions could diminish the number of merger tender offers, exchange offers or other acquisitions, and as a consequence have a materially adverse effect on the activities of the Company. Moreover, changes in U.S. federal, state, and local tax laws, U.S. federal or state securities and bankruptcy laws or in accounting standards may make corporate acquisitions or restructurings less desirable or make risk arbitrage less profitable. Amendments to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other relevant laws could also alter an expected outcome or introduce greater uncertainty regarding the likely outcome of an investment situation.
In addition, governmental policies could create uncertainty for the global financial system and such uncertainty may increase the risks inherent to the Company and its activities. For example, the U.S. has recently sought to enact and proposed to enact significant new tariffs. Additionally, the 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 tariffs and restrictions, as well as other changes in U.S. trade policy, have resulted in, and may continue to trigger, retaliatory actions by affected countries, including imposing trade sanctions on certain U.S. products. A “trade war” of this nature has the potential to increase costs, decrease margins, reduce the competitiveness of products and services offered by current and future portfolio companies and adversely affect the revenues and profitability of companies whose businesses rely on imports and exports. Prospective Company investors should realize that any significant changes in governmental policies (including tariffs and other policies involving international trade) could have a material adverse impact on the Company and its investments.
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, as well as anti-boycott regulations, may also apply to and restrict our activities, our portfolio companies and other issuers of our investments. If an issuer or we were to violate any such laws or regulations, such issuer or we may face significant legal and monetary penalties. Certain private investment firms and the funds that they manage may face increased scrutiny and/or liability under the FCPA with respect to the activities of their underlying portfolio companies. As such, a violation of the FCPA or other applicable regulations by us or an issuer of our portfolio investments could have a material adverse effect on us. We are committed to complying with the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, as well as anti-boycott regulations, to which it is subject. As a result, we may be adversely affected because of its to enter into transactions that any such laws or regulations.
EU General Data Protection Regulation. In Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (“ GDPR ”) was made effective on May 25, 2018, introducing substantial changes to current European privacy laws. It has superseded the existing Data Protection Directive, which is the key European legislation governing the use of personal data relating to living individuals. The GDPR provides enhanced rights to individuals with respect to the privacy of their personal data and applies not only to organizations with a presence in the European Union which use or hold data relating to living individuals, but also to those organizations that offer services to individual European Union investors. In addition, although regulatory behavior and penalties under the GDPR remain an area of considerable scrutiny, it does increase the sanctions for serious breaches to the greater of €20,000,000 or 4% of worldwide revenue, the impact of which could be significant. Compliance with the GDPR may require additional measures, including updating policies and procedures and reviewing relevant IT systems, which may create additional costs and expenses for the Company and therefore the Company investors. The Company may have indemnification obligations in respect of, or be required to pay the expenses relating to, any or action as a result of any of the GDPR. Company investors other than individuals in the European Union may not be afforded the protections of the GDPR.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act. As an SEC-reporting company, we are subject to regulations not applicable to private companies, such as provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the related rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. Efforts to comply with such regulations will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with such regulations may adversely affect us.
Our management is required to report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We are required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in our internal control over financial reporting. As a relatively new company, developing and maintaining an effective system of internal controls may require significant expenditures, which may negatively impact our financial performance and our ability to make distributions. This process also will result in a diversion of our management’s time and attention. We cannot be certain of when our evaluation, testing and remediation actions will be completed or the impact of the same on our operations. In addition, we may be unable to ensure that the process is effective or that our internal controls over financial reporting are or will be effective in a timely manner. In the event that we are unable to develop or maintain an effective system of internal controls and maintain or compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be affected.
We are not required to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including the internal control evaluation and certification requirements of Section 404, and will not be required to comply with all of those requirements until we have been subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for a specified period of time or the date we are no longer an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. Accordingly, our internal controls over financial reporting do not currently meet all of the standards contemplated by Section 404 that we will eventually be required to meet. We are in the process of addressing our internal controls over financial reporting and are establishing formal procedures, policies, processes and practices related to financial reporting and to the identification of key financial reporting risks, assessment of their potential impact and linkage of those risks to specific areas and activities within the Company.
Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until the later of the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC, or the date we are no longer an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. Because we do not currently have comprehensive documentation of our internal controls and have not yet tested our internal controls in accordance with Section 404, we cannot conclude in accordance with Section 404 that we do not have a material weakness in our internal controls or a combination of significant deficiencies that could result in the conclusion that we have a material weakness in our internal controls.
Being an “Emerging Growth Company”. We will be and we will remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act for up to five (5) years, or until the earlier of (a) the last day of the fiscal year (i) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1,235,000,000, or (ii) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Common Shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700,000,000 as of the date of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or (b) the date on which we have issued more than $1,000,000,000 in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. For so long as we remain an “emerging growth company,” we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Shares less attractive because we will rely on some or all of these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Shares and our share price may be more volatile.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the 1933 Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We will take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, which may make it more difficult for investors and securities analysts to evaluate us since our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates and may result in less investor confidence.
Compliance with the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest. Broker-dealers must comply with Rule 151-1 (“ Regulation Best Interest ”) which, among other requirements, enhances the existing standard of conduct for broker-dealers and natural persons who are associated persons of a broker-dealer when recommending to a retail customer any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities to a retail customer. Regulation Best Interest imposes a duty of care for broker-dealers to evaluate reasonably available alternatives in the best interests of their clients. There are likely alternatives to us that are reasonably available to you, through your broker or otherwise, and those alternatives may be less costly or have a lower investment risk. Among other alternatives, listed BDCs may be reasonable alternatives to an investment in our Common Shares, and may feature characteristics like lower cost, less complexity, and lesser or different risks. Investments in listed securities also often involve nominal or zero commissions at the time of initial purchase. The impact of Regulation Best Interest on broker-dealers participating in our offering cannot be determined at this time, but it may negatively impact whether broker-dealers and their associated persons recommend our offering to retail customers. Under Regulation Interest, high cost, high risk and complex products may be subject to by broker-dealers and their salespersons. If Regulation Interest reduces our ability to raise capital in our offering, it would our ability to create a diversified portfolio of investments and our investment objective and would result in our fixed operating costs representing a larger percentage of our gross income.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Risks
RIC Qualification Risks . To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code, we must, among other things, meet annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements. If we do not qualify for or 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.
Paying Required Distributions. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as zero-coupon securities, debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments that were issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. We may also have to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. We anticipate that a portion of our income may constitute original issue discount or other income required to be included in taxable income prior to receipt of cash. Further, we may elect to accrete market discount and include such amounts in our taxable income in the current year, instead of upon disposition.
Because any original issue discount or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of the accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our shareholders in order to satisfy the annual distribution requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the annual
distribution requirement necessary to qualify for and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code. We may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may not qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment and thus may become subject to corporate-level 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.
Corporate-Level Income Tax. The Company may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries that are wholly owned or primarily controlled by the Company and primarily engage in investment activities in securities or other assets. The taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. Furthermore, to the extent the taxable subsidiaries have an unrealized gain or a realized gain for an equity investment, the Company may be required to accrue and/or pay federal and state corporate income taxes related to such unrealized or realized gains. The Company 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).
With respect to any wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, the Company will comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act governing capital structure and leverage on an aggregate basis with such subsidiary. In addition, the Adviser will comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts as an investment adviser to any such subsidiary under Section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act. Any subsidiary will also comply with the provisions relating to affiliated transactions and custody of the 1940 Act. Any subsidiary will have the same custodian as the Company.
Special Tax Issues. The Company expects to invest in debt securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about certain issues related to such investments such as when the Company may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by us, to the extent necessary, to distribute sufficient income to preserve our tax status as a RIC and minimize the extent to which we are subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
We anticipate that we will not qualify in the foreseeable future as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, and therefore, U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts or estates will be taxed as though they received a distribution of some of our expenses. A “publicly offered regulated investment company” is a RIC whose shares are (i) continuously offered pursuant to a public offering, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) held by at least 500 persons at all times during the taxable year of the Company. For each taxable year of the Company for which the Company is not a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” each U.S. shareholder that is an individual, trust or estate will be treated as having received a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes from us in the amount of such U.S. shareholder’s allocable share of the management and incentive fees paid to our investment adviser and certain of our other expenses for the calendar year, and these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions of such U.S. shareholder. Miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are not deductible by a U.S. shareholder that is an individual, trust or estate.
Legislative or Regulatory Tax Changes. 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 new laws, regulations or interpretations may take effect retroactively and could adversely affect the taxation of us or our shareholders. Therefore, changes in tax laws, regulations or administrative interpretations or any amendments thereto could diminish the value of an investment in our Common Shares or the value or the resale potential of our investments.
The foregoing list of risk factors does not purport to be a complete enumeration or explanation of the risks involved in an investment in the Company. Each prospective Company investor should read the Company’s entire private placement memorandum and Declaration of Trust and consult with its advisers before deciding whether to invest in the Company. In addition, as the Company’s investment program develops and changes over time, an investment in the Company may be subject to additional and different risk factors.
