As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12, 2022
File No.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 10
GENERAL FORM FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
AGTB Private BDC
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
| Delaware | 88-6102187 | |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
| 245 Park Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, NY | 10167 | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) | |
(212) 692-2000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
with copies to:
Rajib Chanda
Steven Grigoriou
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
900 G Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 636-5500
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
None
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, par value $0.001 per share
(Title of class)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||
| Emerging growth company | ☒ | |||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
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AGTB Private BDC is filing this registration statement on Form 10 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on a voluntary basis in order to permit it to file an election to be regulated as a business development company (a “BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and to provide current public information to the investment community while conducting a private offering of securities.
Unless indicated otherwise in this Registration Statement or the context requires otherwise, the terms:
| • | the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Fund” refer to AGTB Private BDC; |
| • | “Angelo Gordon” refers collectively to Angelo, Gordon & Co., LP and its subsidiaries and affiliated entities; |
| • | “Advisor” and our “investment adviser” refer to AGTB Fund Manager, LLC, our investment adviser; |
| • | “Administrator” and our “administrator” refer to AGTB Fund Manager, LLC, which is also our investment adviser; and |
| • | “shareholders” refers to holders of our common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Shares”). |
The Fund is an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”) and the Fund will take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
Upon the effective date of this Registration Statement, we will be subject to the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, including the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act, which will require us to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K. We will also be required to comply with all other obligations of the Exchange Act applicable to issuers filing registration statements pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act. Additionally, we will be subject to the proxy rules in Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the Fund, trustees, officers, and principal shareholders will be subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 and 16 of the Exchange Act.
Following the filing of this Registration Statement, we intend to file an election to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. Upon filing of such election, we will become subject to the 1940 Act requirements applicable to BDCs. In addition, we intend to elect to be treated, and expect to qualify annually thereafter, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
Investing in our shares may be considered speculative and involves a high degree of risk, including the following:
| • | An investment in our shares is not suitable for you if you might need access to the money you invest in the foreseeable future. |
| • | You should not expect to be able to sell your shares regardless of how we perform. |
| • | If you are unable to sell your shares, you will be unable to reduce your exposure on any market downturn. |
| • | We do not intend to list our shares on any securities exchange and we do not expect a secondary market in the shares to develop. |
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| • | Our distributions may be funded from unlimited amounts of offering proceeds or borrowings, which may constitute a return of capital and reduce the amount of capital available to us for investment. Any capital returned to you through distributions will be distributed after payment of fees and expenses. |
| • | We will invest 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 difficult to value and are illiquid. |
| • | An investment in the Fund is suitable only for sophisticated investors and requires the financial ability and willingness to accept the high risks and lack of liquidity inherent in an investment in the Fund. |
| • | The Fund intends to invest primarily in privately-held companies for which very little public information exists. Such companies are also generally more vulnerable to economic downturns and may experience substantial variations in operating results. |
As a result, there is a risk of a substantial loss of your investment. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” for more information about these and other risks relating to our shares.
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This Registration Statement contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our company, our current and prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs and our assumptions. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “continue,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “targets,” “projects,” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements, including:
| • | the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and our prospective portfolio companies; including our and their future ability to access capital and liquidity; |
| • | our future operating results; |
| • | changes in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment or conditions affecting the financial and capital markets, including the effect of the current COVID-19 pandemic; |
| • | uncertainty surrounding the financial and political stability of the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and China, including the effect of the current COVID-19 pandemic; |
| • | the Russian invasion of Ukraine may have a material adverse impact on us and our portfolio companies; |
| • | our business prospects and the prospects of the companies in which we may invest; |
| • | expectations regarding a Merger (as defined herein), including potential benefits or consequences, and the impact of a Merger or a failure to merge upon performance and/or liquidity; |
| • | our expected financing arrangements and investments; |
| • | the impact of increased competition; |
| • | our ability to raise sufficient capital to execute our investment strategy; |
| • | the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives; |
| • | changes in interest rates, including the decommissioning of the London InterBank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”); |
| • | the adequacy of our cash resources, financing sources and working capital; |
| • | the timing and amount of cash flows, distributions and dividends, if any, from our portfolio companies; |
| • | our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties; |
| • | actual and potential conflicts of interest with Angelo Gordon, the Advisor and its affiliates, and its Investment Team (as defined below); |
| • | the dependence of our future success on the general economy and its effect on the industries in which we may invest; |
| • | our use of financial leverage; |
| • | our ability to make distributions; |
| • | the ability of the Advisor to locate suitable investments for us and to monitor and administer our investments; |
| • | the ability of the Advisor or its affiliates to attract and retain highly talented professionals; |
| • | the relative and absolute performance of the Advisor; |
| • | our ability to qualify and maintain our qualification as a BDC and as a RIC under the Code; |
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| • | the impact on our business from new or amended legislation or regulation; |
| • | the effect of changes to tax legislation and our tax position; |
| • | the tax status of the enterprises in which we may invest; and |
| • | currency fluctuations, particularly to the extent that we receive payments denominated in currency other than U.S. dollars. |
Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this Registration Statement should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include those described or identified in the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Registration Statement. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this Registration Statement. Moreover, we assume no duty and do not undertake to update the forward-looking statements and projections contained in this Registration Statement that are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act.
| (a) | General Development of Business |
The Fund was formed on January 27, 2022 as a Delaware statutory trust. We expect to enter into separate subscription agreements (each, a “Subscription Agreement”) with a number of investors providing for the private placement of the Fund’s Common Shares (the “Private Offering”). We will also offer Common Shares offshore in reliance on Regulation S of the Securities Act. Each investor will make a capital commitment to purchase our Common Shares pursuant to the Subscription Agreement. Investors will be required to make capital contributions to purchase the Fund’s Common Shares each time the Fund delivers a drawdown notice, which will be delivered at least five days prior to the initial required funding date and 10 days prior to any subsequent required funding date, in an aggregate amount not to exceed their respective capital commitments. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—The Private Offering.” We anticipate commencing our investment activities contemporaneously with the initial closing of the Private Offering, which is expected to occur shortly after the date that we file our election to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act (the “Initial Closing”). See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—The Private Offering.”
We also intend to elect to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a BDC and a RIC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Regulation as a Business Development Company” and “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
The Common Shares described herein have not been registered under the Securities Act, the securities laws of any other state or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction. The Common Shares will be offered and sold under the exemption from registration under the Securities Act under Regulation D and Regulation S. Each purchaser will be required to represent that it is (i) either an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act or, in the case of Common Shares sold outside the United States, not a “U.S. person” in accordance with Regulation S of the Securities Act and (ii) acquiring the Common Shares purchased by it for investment and not with a view to resale or distribution.
We do not intend to list our Common Shares on any securities exchange and our Common Shares will not be publicly traded. It is anticipated that within two years of the Initial Closing, the Fund will merge with and into an affiliated publicly offered, non-traded BDC (the “Non-Traded BDC”) having the same investment adviser, substantially the same investment objectives and policies as the Fund and the same management and advisory fees as the Fund (the “Merger”), and that holders of our Common Shares will receive common shares of the Non-Traded BDC pursuant to the Merger.
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The Merger will be structured with the intent to qualify as a tax-free reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP will deliver an opinion that the Merger should qualify for such treatment.
The Fund generally intends to distribute substantially all of its available earnings annually by paying distributions on a quarterly basis, as determined by the Board in its discretion.
The Fund will generally retain and reinvest investment proceeds from its portfolio, such as proceeds from the disposition of an investment or the repayment of a loan by a portfolio company. However, if the Merger has not been consummated within three years of the date of the Initial Closing (the “Commitment Period”), the Fund will cease retaining or reinvesting such proceeds, and will instead distribute such proceeds to shareholders; provided that the Advisor is permitted to retain such proceeds for Permitted Purposes (as defined below) and to protect existing Fund investments. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a Merger, the Fund will be under no obligation to cease retaining or reinvesting investment proceeds.
Additionally, if the Merger does not occur within six years of the date of the Initial Closing, the Fund’s Board (as defined below) (subject to any necessary shareholder approvals and applicable requirements of the 1940 Act) will, in an orderly manner, begin to wind down and/or liquidate and dissolve the Fund. The Fund does not intend to give investors in-kind distributions of illiquid securities. The Fund also does not intend to create liquidating vehicles after dissolution. There is no step-down in management fees after the expiration of the Commitment Period. The Advisor will continue to collect the same level of fees after the expiration of the Commitment Period through the final dissolution of the Fund. We will only pursue a Merger if the Advisor and the Board believe market conditions are appropriate for the Fund to conduct a Merger. At such time, the Advisor will recommend that our Board approve such Merger. There can be no guarantee that a Merger will take place and investors should not rely on a Merger for liquidity. Prior to the earlier of (i) a Merger, or (ii) the end of the term of the Fund, no investor who participated in the Private Offering will be permitted to sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of its Common Shares or capital commitment unless the Fund provides its prior written consent and the transfer is otherwise made in accordance with applicable law.
| (b) | Financial Information about Industry Segments |
Our operations comprise only a single reportable segment. See “Item 2. Financial Information.”
| (c) | Description of Business |
General
We are a specialty finance company focused on lending to U.S. middle market companies with between $3 million and $50 million in annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”); however, we intend to focus our investing in companies with EBITDA of less than $25 million. Our investment objective is to generate attractive, consistent, total returns, predominantly in the form of current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation, by targeting investment opportunities with favorable risk-adjusted returns. We invest primarily in senior secured debt, while also taking advantage of opportunistic investments in other parts of the capital structure, including senior secured stretch and unitranche facilities, second lien loans, mezzanine and mezzanine-related loans, as well as equity investments. We may utilize “revolvers” or revolving credit lines which allow borrowers to borrow funds, make re-payments and subsequently re-borrow funds during the term of the revolving loan. We may also invest to a lesser extent in common stock and other equity securities, convertible securities and distressed debt. The instruments in which we invest typically are not rated by any rating agency, but our Advisor believes that if such instruments were rated, they would be below investment grade, which is an indication of having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Investments that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as “high yield bonds,” “junk bonds” or “leveraged loans.” Therefore, our investments may result in an above average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal. To a limited extent, we may enter into hedging transactions, which may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. We may also receive or purchase warrants or rights.
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Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Investments.” Leverage is expected to be utilized to help the Fund meet its investment objective. Any such leverage, if incurred, would be expected to increase the total capital available for investment by the Fund.
As a BDC, we must invest at least 70% of our assets in “eligible portfolio companies” – generally, U.S. private operating companies (or small U.S. public operating companies with a market capitalization of less than $250 million). In addition, we may also invest up to 30% of our portfolio opportunistically in “non-qualifying” portfolio investments, such as investments in non-U.S. companies. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Regulation as a Business Development Company—Qualifying Assets.”
Because we intend to be a BDC, and we intend to qualify as a RIC under the Code, our portfolio will also be subject to the diversification and other requirements under the Code. See “Item 1(c) Description of Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
We may borrow money from time to time within the levels permitted by the 1940 Act (which generally allows us to incur leverage for up to a 150% asset coverage). In determining whether to borrow money, we will analyze the maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to our investment outlook. The use of borrowed funds or the proceeds of preferred share offerings to make investments would have its own specific set of benefits and risks, and all of the costs of borrowing funds or issuing preferred shares would be borne by holders of our Common Shares. We do not currently intend to issue preferred shares. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Financing Investments With Borrowed Money.”
We do not currently intend to institute a share repurchase program and any share repurchases that may occur will be effected in limited circumstances in accordance with applicable law. It is expected, however, that following the Merger, at the discretion of our Board of Trustees, the Non-Traded BDC will commence a share repurchase program in which it will intend to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of its common shares outstanding (either by number of shares or aggregate NAV) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. The Non-Traded BDC’s Board of Trustees may amend or suspend the share repurchase program at any time if it deems such action to be in the Non-Traded BDC’s best interest and the best interest of its shareholders.
THE INVESTMENT ADVISER
The Fund’s investment activities will be managed by the Advisor, an investment adviser that is registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Investment Management Agreement”) with the Advisor. Our Advisor will be responsible for originating prospective investments, conducting research and due diligence investigations on potential investments, analyzing investment opportunities, negotiating and structuring our investments and monitoring our investments and portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. More information regarding the Advisor and its business activities can be found on its registration under Form ADV located on the Investment Adviser Registration Depository website of the SEC.
The Advisor has entered into a Resource Sharing Agreement (the “Resource Sharing Agreement”) with Angelo Gordon, pursuant to which Angelo Gordon will provide the Advisor with experienced investment professionals and access to the resources of Angelo Gordon so as to enable the Advisor to fulfill its obligations under the Investment Management Agreement (as described in further detail below). Through the Resource Sharing Agreement, the Advisor intends to capitalize on the significant deal origination, credit underwriting, due diligence, investment structuring, execution, portfolio management and monitoring experience of Angelo Gordon’s investment professionals. There can be no assurance that Angelo Gordon will perform its obligations under the Resource Sharing Agreement. The Resource Sharing Agreement may be terminated by either party on 60 days’ notice, which if terminated may have a material adverse consequence on the Fund’s operations. See “Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence.”
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THE INVESTMENT TEAM
The Angelo Gordon Chicago-based direct lending investment team (the “Investment Team”) provided to our Advisor pursuant to the Resource Sharing Agreement is responsible for identifying investment opportunities, conducting research and due diligence on prospective investments, structuring our investments and monitoring and servicing our investments. As of December 31, 2021, the Investment Team was comprised of over 50 investment professionals, all of whom dedicate a substantial portion of their time to supporting lending to U.S. middle market companies. In addition, the team has 10 dedicated operations professionals, two of whom have over a decade of experience. The team also has a dedicated Chief Financial Officer and dedicated accounting, finance and treasury professionals (in both Chicago and New York). These individuals may have additional responsibilities other than those relating to us, but generally allocate the vast majority of their time in support of our business and our investment objective as a whole, including supporting lending to U.S. middle market companies. In addition, the Advisor believes that it has best-in-class support personnel, including expertise in risk management, legal, accounting, tax, information technology and compliance, among others. We expect to benefit from the support provided by these personnel in our operations.
The Investment Team takes a bottom-up, cash-flow based fundamental research approach to investing and focuses primarily on corporate credit investment opportunities in the United States. The senior team members have been actively involved in the lower middle market for over 20 years and have built strong relationships with the middle market private equity sponsor community, along with most of the capital markets and senior management teams at many of the leading middle market finance companies.
The Advisor has an investment committee comprised of five members that is responsible for approving all of our investments. The extensive experience of the investment professionals serving on our investment committee includes expertise in privately originated and publicly traded leveraged credit, stressed and distressed debt, bankruptcy, mergers and acquisitions and private equity. This diverse skill set provides a range of perspectives in the evaluation of each investment opportunity.
ABOUT ANGELO GORDON
Angelo Gordon is a privately held firm specializing in global alternative (non-traditional) investments with an absolute return orientation. The firm was founded in 1988 by John M. Angelo and Michael L. Gordon and as of December 31, 2021 manages approximately $51 billion. Angelo Gordon has more than 600 employees in offices across the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Angelo Gordon manages capital across four investment categories: (i) corporate credit; (ii) direct lending; (iii) securitized products and (iv) real estate. Funds are managed in single-strategy vehicles or multi-strategy vehicles. The firm believes that a great deal of synergy exists among the investment teams, and their ability to work together has proven to be a key element in the firm’s success. In each discipline, the firm seeks to generate absolute returns, in all market environments and with less volatility than the overall markets, by exploiting market inefficiencies and capitalizing on situations that are not in the mainstream of investment opportunities. The firm is an SEC registered investment adviser.
Angelo Gordon and its affiliates manage a number of pooled investment vehicles that may compete with the Fund for investment opportunities. We may invest alongside investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Angelo Gordon in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with our investment strategy, as well as applicable law and SEC staff interpretations. We, our Advisor and Angelo Gordon have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits us and certain of our controlled affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions, to co-invest with other funds managed by the Advisor and Angelo Gordon in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors.
In addition, in the absence of exemptive relief granted for each investment by the SEC, we will not be permitted to invest in securities of an issuer where entities advised by Angelo Gordon have invested in different securities of that issuer. See “Item 7(a). Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence—Transactions with Related Persons; Review, Approval or Ratification of Transaction with Related Persons.”
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THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board of Trustees (the “Board”). Our Board consists of five members, three of whom are not “interested persons” of the Fund, the Advisor or their respective affiliates as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. We refer to these individuals as our “Independent Trustees.” The Independent Trustees compose a majority of our Board. Our Board elects our officers, who serve at the discretion of our Board. The responsibilities of our Board include quarterly determinations of fair value of our assets, corporate governance activities, oversight of our financing arrangements and oversight of our investment activities.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT; ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
Our investment activities will be managed by our Advisor, which will be responsible for originating prospective investments, conducting research and due diligence investigations on potential investments, analyzing investment opportunities, negotiating and structuring our investments and monitoring our investments and portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. We have entered into the Investment Management Agreement with the Advisor, pursuant to which we have agreed to pay the Advisor a base management fee and an incentive fee for its services. The cost of both the base management fee and the incentive fee will ultimately be borne by our shareholders.
The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of our net assets. For services rendered under the Investment Management Agreement, the base management fee is payable monthly in arrears. The base management fee is calculated based on the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month, and appropriately adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the current calendar month. For the first calendar month in which the Fund has operations, net assets will be measured as of the date of the Fund’s initial close. Base management fees for any partial period will be appropriately pro-rated. For purposes of the Investment Management Agreement, cash equivalents means U.S. government securities and commercial paper instruments maturing within one year of purchase.
We will pay the Advisor an incentive fee. The incentive fee will consist of two parts—an incentive fee based on income and an incentive fee based on capital gains—which are described in more detail below.
Incentive Fee Based on Income
The portion based on the Fund’s income is based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns. “Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns” means, as the context requires, either the dollar value of, or percentage rate of return on the value of the Fund’s net assets at the end of the immediate preceding quarter from, interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees, such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that the Fund receives from portfolio companies) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus the Fund’s operating expenses accrued for the quarter (including the management fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement entered into between the Fund and the Administrator, and any interest expense or fees on any credit facilities or outstanding debt and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred shares, but excluding the incentive fee and any shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees).
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns include, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount (“OID”), debt instruments with payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that the Fund has not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns do not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. The impact of expense support payments and recoupments are also excluded from Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns.
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, expressed as a rate of return on the value of the Fund’s net assets at the end of the immediate preceding quarter, is compared to a “hurdle rate” of return of 1.25% per quarter (5.0% annualized).
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The Fund will pay the Advisor an incentive fee quarterly in arrears with respect to the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in each calendar quarter as follows:
| (a) | No incentive fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in any calendar quarter in which the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns do not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.25% per quarter (5.0% annualized) (the “hurdle rate” or “Hurdle”); |
| (b) | 100% of the dollar amount of the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns with respect to that portion of such Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, if any, that exceeds the Hurdle but is less than a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). The Fund refers to this portion of its Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns (which exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 1.43%) as the “catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide the Advisor with approximately 12.5% of the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns as if a hurdle rate did not apply if this net investment income exceeds 1.43% in any calendar quarter; and |
| (c) | 12.5% of the dollar amount of the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, if any, that exceed a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). This reflects that once the Hurdle is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 12.5% of all Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns thereafter are allocated to the Advisor. |
These calculations are pro-rated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter.
Incentive Fee Based on Capital Gains
The second component of the incentive fee, the capital gains incentive fee, is payable at the end of each calendar year in arrears. The amount payable equals:
| (a) | 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fee on capital gains as calculated in accordance with GAAP. |
Each year, the fee paid for the capital gains incentive fee is net of the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fee for all prior periods. The Fund will accrue, but will not pay, a capital gains incentive fee with respect to unrealized appreciation because a capital gains incentive fee would be owed to the Advisor if the Fund were to sell the relevant investment and realize a capital gain. In no event will the capital gains incentive fee payable pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement be in excess of the amount permitted by the Advisers Act, including Section 205 thereof.
The capital gains incentive fees that are payable under the Investment Management Agreement for any partial period will be appropriately prorated.
Administration Agreement
Under the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Administrator will provide, or oversee the performance of, administrative and compliance services, including, but not limited to, maintaining financial records, overseeing the calculation of NAV, compliance monitoring (including diligence and oversight of our other service providers), preparing reports to shareholders and reports filed with the SEC and other regulators, preparing materials and coordinating meetings of our Board, managing the payment of expenses, the payment and receipt of funds for investments and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered by others and providing office space, equipment and office services. We will reimburse the Administrator for the costs and expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement. Such reimbursement will include the Fund’s allocable portion of compensation, overhead (including rent, office equipment and utilities) and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its administrative obligations under the Administration Agreement, including but not limited to: (i) the Fund’s chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, general
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counsel and their respective staffs; (ii) investor relations, legal, operations and other non-investment professionals at the Administrator that perform duties for the Fund; and (iii) any internal audit group personnel of Angelo Gordon or any of its affiliates, subject to the limitations described in the Investment Management Agreement and Administration Agreement. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Administrator may delegate its obligations under the Administration Agreement to an affiliate or to a third party and we will reimburse the Administrator for any services performed for us by such affiliate or third party. The Administrator may hire a sub-administrator to assist in the provision of administrative services. The sub-administrator will receive compensation for its sub-administrative services under a sub-administration agreement.
The amount of the reimbursement payable to the Administrator will be the lesser of (1) the Administrator’s actual costs incurred in providing such services and (2) the amount that we estimate we would be required to pay alternative service providers for comparable services in the same geographic location. The Administrator will be required to allocate the cost of such services to us based on factors such as assets, revenues, time allocations and/or other reasonable metrics. We will not reimburse the Administrator for any services for which it receives a separate fee, or for rent, depreciation, utilities, capital equipment or other administrative items allocated to a controlling person of the Administrator.
Certain Terms of the Investment Management Agreement and Administration Agreement
Each of the Investment Management Agreement and the Administration Agreement has been approved by the Board. Unless earlier terminated as described below, each of the Investment Management Agreement and the Administration Agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years from the date it first becomes effective and will remain in effect from year-to-year thereafter if approved annually by a majority of the Board or by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities (as defined by the 1940 Act) and, in each case, a majority of the Independent Trustees. We may terminate the Investment Management Agreement or the Administration Agreement, without payment of any penalty, upon 60 days’ written notice. The decision to terminate the Investment Management Agreement may be made by a majority of the Board or the shareholders holding a majority of our outstanding voting securities, which means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities. In addition, without payment of any penalty, the Advisor may terminate the Investment Management Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice and the Administrator may terminate the Administration Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice. The Investment Management Agreement will automatically terminate within the meaning of the 1940 Act and related SEC guidance and interpretations in the event of its assignment.
The Advisor and the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any act or omission or any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Investment Management Agreement and Administration Agreement, respectively, relate, provided that the Advisor and the Administrator shall not be protected against any liability to the Fund or its shareholders to which the Advisor or Administrator would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations (“disabling conduct”). Each of the Investment Management Agreement and the Administration Agreement provide that, absent disabling conduct, each of our Advisor and our Administrator, as applicable, and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) will be entitled to indemnification from us for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of our Advisor’s services under the Investment Management Agreement and our Administrator’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as adviser or administrator for us. The Advisor and the Administrator shall not be liable under their respective agreements with us or otherwise for any loss due to the mistake, action, inaction, negligence, dishonesty, fraud or bad faith of any broker or other agent; provided, that such broker or other agent shall have been selected, engaged or retained by the Advisor or the Administrator in good faith, unless such action or inaction was made by reason of disabling conduct, or in the case of a criminal action or proceeding, where the Advisor or Administrator had reasonable cause to believe its conduct was unlawful. In addition, we will not provide for indemnification of an Indemnified Party for any liability or loss suffered by such Indemnified Party, nor will we provide that an Indemnified Party be held harmless for any loss or liability suffered by us, unless:
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| (1) | we have determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct that caused the loss or liability was in our best interest; |
| (2) | the Indemnified Party was acting on our behalf or performing services for us; |
| (3) | such liability or loss was not the result of negligence or misconduct, in the case that the Indemnified Party is the Advisor or Administrator, as applicable, an affiliate of the Advisor or Administrator or one of our officers; and |
| (4) | the indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of our net assets and not from our shareholders. |
Payment of Our Expenses Under the Investment Management and Administration Agreements
Except as specifically provided below, all investment professionals and staff of the Advisor, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Advisor. We will bear all other costs and expenses of our operations, administration and transactions, including, but not limited to:
1. investment advisory fees, including management fees and incentive fees, to the Advisor, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement;
2. the Fund’s allocable portion of compensation, overhead and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its administrative obligations under the Administration Agreement, including but not limited to: (i) the Fund’s chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, general counsel and their respective staffs; (ii) investor relations, legal, operations and other non-investment professionals at the Administrator that perform duties for the Fund; and (iii) any internal audit group personnel of Angelo Gordon or any of its affiliates, subject to the limitations described in the Investment Management Agreement and Administration Agreement; and
3. all other expenses of the Fund’s operations and transactions, including initial organization and offering costs up to a maximum of $1.25 million and those listed in “Fees and Expenses”.
From time to time, the Advisor, the Administrator or their affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse the Advisor, the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf. From time to time, the Advisor or the Administrator may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses. All of the foregoing expenses will ultimately be borne by our shareholders.
Costs and expenses of the Administrator and the Advisor that are eligible for reimbursement by the Fund will be reasonably allocated to the Fund on the basis of time spent, assets under management, usage rates, proportionate holdings, a combination thereof or other reasonable methods determined by the Administrator.
INVESTMENT APPROACH
Our investment objective is to generate attractive, consistent, total returns, predominantly in the form of current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation, by targeting investment opportunities with favorable risk-adjusted returns. It is our intention to invest primarily in senior secured debt, while also taking advantage of opportunistic investments in other parts of the capital structure, including senior secured stretch and unitranche facilities, second lien loans, mezzanine and mezzanine-related loans, as well as equity investments and select other subordinated investments. We may utilize “revolvers” or revolving credit lines which allow borrowers to borrow funds, make re-payments and subsequently re-borrow funds during the term of the revolving loan.
Our Advisor’s detailed underwriting process begins with an initial screen of a new investment opportunity. Should a potential investment pass the initial screen the next step includes engaging underwriting resources for a due diligence review—this review will typically include an on-site meeting with executive management and a thorough review of all diligence material. If the information attained during the review provides support for the transaction, then a transaction summary of the opportunity is presented to the investment committee. Initial screening may be conducted by a subset of the investment committee. Upon approval of an opportunity through the transaction
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summary review process, a term sheet is issued to the private equity group(s) involved in the auction process. Once the private equity group(s) sign off on the term sheet terms, then the due diligence team proceeds to a full underwriting review – this review will include third-party accounting and insurance reviews, as well as environmental reviews where relevant – and executive background checks (other documentation such as third-party market studies might also be requested). This third-party information will be reviewed, and follow up meetings with management will take place to answer any additional diligence questions raised by review of the third-party sources. Once the diligence process is complete, an underwriting approval document is created to highlight what was learned during diligence and to request approval or request changes to the transaction from what was originally approved in the transaction summary. After the underwriting document has received majority approval from the investment committee, a commitment letter will typically be issued to the private equity group(s) that have the target company under letter of intent to purchase. At this stage, if both the Investment Team and the prospective client agree upon the specifics in the commitment letter, the deal team will commence the legal documentation and transaction closing process.
Given this very rigorous underwriting process, only a small percentage of the transactions that are screened are expected to be approved and closed. From the build out of the initial Investment Team from October 2014 through December 31, 2021, the team had screened over 8,900 deals from over 774 private equity sponsors and closed on 300 transactions. This represents less than 4% of total deals screened; the Investment Team anticipates remaining highly selective in terms of transactions going forward.
After a successful closing, our Advisor’s back office personnel will collaborate on interest billing, covenant compliance and loan syndicate management. Our Advisor expects to perform on-going continual credit analysis and quarterly valuations (the Advisor may utilize an administrator or a third-party valuation agent).
The Investment Team is integrated with the Angelo Gordon infrastructure, support and risk management teams and expects to spend a considerable amount of time in direct consultation with other senior Angelo Gordon investment professionals.
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
The Fund will seek to invest principally in privately originated senior secured loans to U.S. middle market companies, which we believe have consistent capital needs and have not only been underserved in recent years by traditional providers of capital, such as banks and the public debt markets, but also for a variety of reasons may prefer working with experienced non-bank lenders. Our origination strategy focuses on the middle market private equity community. This financing is expected to be utilized for a variety of purposes, including to fund organic growth, acquisitions, recapitalizations, management buyouts and leveraged buyouts for companies with revenue generally under $500 million. In describing our business, we generally use the term “middle market” to refer to companies with EBITDA of between $3 million and $50 million annually; however, we intend to focus our investing in companies with EBITDA of less than $25 million. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Advisor may determine whether companies qualify as “middle market” in its sole discretion, and we may from time to time invest in larger or smaller companies.
By investing predominantly in senior secured debt, we expect to reduce our risk of principal loss and deliver more stable returns over time as compared with investments in bonds, unsecured loans, mezzanine investments and public, private and project equity. However, the Fund may also invest opportunistically in other parts of the capital structure, including senior secured stretch and unitranche facilities, second lien loans, mezzanine and mezzanine-related loans, and equity investments, as well as select other subordinated instruments either directly or through acquisitions in the secondary market.
The level of our investment activity depends on many factors, including the amount of debt and equity capital available to prospective portfolio companies, the level of merger, acquisition and refinancing activity for such companies, the availability of credit to finance transactions, the general economic environment and the competitive environment for the types of investments we make, all of which have been, and may continue to be, impacted by COVID-19.
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As a BDC, we must invest at least 70% of our assets in “eligible portfolio companies” – generally, U.S. private operating companies (or small U.S. public operating companies with a market capitalization of less than $250 million). As a BDC, we may also invest up to 30% of our portfolio in non-eligible portfolio company investments, such as investments in non-U.S. companies.
We intend to employ leverage within the limitations of the applicable laws and regulations for BDCs, although we do not currently have any borrowing arrangements in place. Any decision on our part to use leverage will depend upon our assessment of the attractiveness of available investment opportunities in relation to the costs and perceived risks of such leverage. We may, directly or indirectly through one or more subsidiaries, obtain one or more credit facilities and/or subscription facilities to meet our capital needs (each, a “Credit Facility”) and such Credit Facilities may be secured by a pledge by us or our subsidiaries of all or some of our assets. The amount of borrowings and leverage will depend on market conditions and investment opportunities, as well as the types of investments held by us and the liquidity and value of the investments.
TYPES OF INVESTMENTS
We seek to create a portfolio that includes primarily direct originations of senior secured debt, as well as opportunistic investments in other parts of the capital structure, including senior secured stretch and unitranche facilities, second lien loans, mezzanine and mezzanine-related loans, and equity investments, as well as select other subordinated instruments acquired either directly or through acquisitions in the secondary market. We may utilize “revolvers” or revolving credit lines which allow borrowers to borrow funds, make re-payments and subsequently re-borrow funds during the term of the revolving loan. We currently do not expect to limit our focus to any specific industry. Our investments are typically expected to have maturities between three and five years. If we are successful in achieving our investment objective, we believe that we will be able to provide our shareholders with consistent dividend distributions and attractive risk adjusted total returns.
In addition to investments in U.S. middle market companies, we may invest a portion of our capital in opportunistic investments, such as in large U.S. companies, foreign companies, stressed or distressed debt, structured products or private equity in order to enhance our risk-adjusted returns to shareholders.
We, our Advisor and Angelo Gordon have received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits us and certain of our controlled affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions, to co-invest with other funds managed by the Advisor and Angelo Gordon in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Additionally, if the Advisor or Angelo Gordon forms other funds in the future, we may co-invest on a concurrent basis with such other funds, subject to compliance with applicable regulations and regulatory guidance, as well as applicable allocation procedures.
INVESTMENT STRUCTURE
Once we determine that a prospective portfolio company is suitable for investment, we work with the management of that company and its other capital providers, most notable the equity capital provider, to structure an investment. We negotiate among these parties to create a capital structure that we believe aligns with our investment objectives, as well as that of the private equity sponsor. In general, our allocations will consist of both funded and unfunded commitments.
We generally obtain security interests in the assets of our portfolio companies that will serve as collateral in support of the repayment of this debt. This collateral may take the form of first or second priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company.
We may selectively originate or invest in unitranche loans, which are loans that combine features of first-lien, second-lien and mezzanine debt, generally in a first-lien position. There may be limited circumstances in which a lender other than the Fund is in a first-lien position.
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In the case of our secured debt and unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt investments, we seek to tailor the terms of the investments to the facts and circumstances of the transactions and the prospective portfolio companies, negotiating a structure that protects our rights and manages our risk while creating incentives for the portfolio companies to achieve their business plan and improve their profitability. For example, in addition to seeking a senior position in the capital structure of our portfolio companies, we seek to limit the downside potential of our investments by:
| • | requiring a total return on our investments (including both interest and fees) that compensates us for credit risk; and |
| • | negotiating covenants in connection with our investments that afford our portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their businesses as possible, consistent with preservation of our capital. Such restrictions may include affirmative and negative covenants, default penalties, lien protection, change of control provisions and board rights, including either observation or participation rights. |
Our investments may include equity features, such as direct investments in the equity in a portfolio company.
We intend to use a buy-and-hold strategy and expect to hold most of our investments to maturity or repayment.
ORIGINATION
Our Advisor anticipates that the majority of our investments will be sourced via Angelo Gordon’s direct origination strategy of sourcing through private equity sponsors as this is expected to result in investments with more attractive economics and lower credit risk. For example, our Advisor believes the key benefits to a direct origination platform include superior due diligence given greater access to the borrower, preferred allocations, equity investment opportunities, the ability to negotiate stronger credit terms (and therefore more meaningful lender protection and rights) and the opportunity to generate higher fees.
Our Advisor believes that the Investment Team’s involvement in a long list of successfully completed transactions positions us well to benefit from deal dialogue with sponsors with whom they have previously worked. We believe the Investment Team’s longstanding relationships and reputation with private equity sponsors, companies and intermediaries will allow us to establish a multi-channel origination strategy designed to uncover a broad and diversified set of attractive investment opportunities.
Over time our Advisor has developed both a generalist as well as a targeted industry marketing program. All originators are expected to cover a core group of generalist private equity firms that focus on a broad base of industry sectors within the middle market lending arena, including, but not limited to, manufacturing, distribution, services, consumer products, aerospace and defense, and technology services. We also actively pursue investment opportunities in both the healthcare as well as the insurance and financial services industries, where we have existing specialized origination and underwriting capabilities. The Investment Team has significant experience in these sectors and previously helped design, build and manage two of the leading middle market finance specialty groups within each of these sectors.
ALLOCATION OF INVESTMENTS
Angelo Gordon currently manages a BDC and a number of private investment funds and managed accounts with investment strategies similar to that of the Fund. In addition, Angelo Gordon or an affiliate serves (and may in the future serve) as general partner or investment adviser for a number of collective investment vehicles and separate accounts, offering investment management services in a diverse range of investment strategies, including some funds and accounts that include investments of the type contemplated herein as part of their investment programs.
To the extent that a particular investment opportunity is suitable for both the Fund and other investment accounts of Angelo Gordon, such investment opportunity will typically be allocated among the Fund and the other accounts pursuant to the overarching Angelo Gordon allocation policies in a manner it considers to be fair and equitable over time which does not favor one client or group of clients taking into consideration such factors as legal, regulatory and tax considerations, availability of capital for investment by the account, liquidity concerns and such other factors as Angelo Gordon deems under the particular circumstances to be relevant in making its investment allocation determination.
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When the Advisor and Angelo Gordon determine that it would be appropriate for the Fund and one or more other investment accounts, respectively, to participate in an investment opportunity, they will generally seek to have all accounts participate on an equitable basis. Situations may occur where we could be disadvantaged because of the investment activities conducted by Angelo Gordon, the Advisor and their affiliates for other investment accounts.
FEES AND EXPENSES
Except as specifically provided below, all investment professionals and staff of the Advisor, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Advisor. We will bear all other costs and expenses of our operations, administration and transactions, including, but not limited to:
1) investment advisory fees, including management fees and incentive fees, to the Advisor, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement;
2) the Fund’s allocable portion of compensation, overhead (including rent, office equipment and utilities) and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its administrative obligations under the Administration Agreement, including but not limited to: (i) the Fund’s chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, general counsel and their respective staffs; (ii) investor relations, legal, operations and other non-investment professionals at the Administrator that perform duties for the Fund; and (iii) any personnel of Angelo Gordon or any of its affiliates providing non-investment related services to the Fund; and
3) all other expenses of the Fund’s operations, administrations and transactions including, without limitation, those relating to:
(i) organization and offering expenses associated with this offering up to a maximum of $1.25 million (including legal, accounting, printing, mailing, subscription processing and filing fees and expenses and other offering expenses, including costs associated with technology integration between the Fund’s systems and those of participating intermediaries, reasonable bona fide due diligence expenses of participating intermediaries supported by detailed and itemized invoices, costs in connection with preparing sales materials and other marketing expenses, design and website expenses, fees and expenses of the Fund’s transfer agent, fees to attend retail seminars sponsored by participating intermediaries and costs, expenses and reimbursements for travel, meals, accommodations, entertainment and other similar expenses related to meetings or events with prospective investors, intermediaries, registered investment advisors or financial or other advisors, but excluding the shareholder servicing fee);
(ii) all taxes, fees, costs, and expenses, retainers and/or other payments of accountants, legal counsel, advisors (including tax advisors), administrators and sub-administrators, auditors (including with respect to any additional auditing required under The Directive 2011/61/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on Alternative Investment Fund Managers and any applicable legislation implemented by an EEA Member state in connection with such Directive (the “AIFMD”), investment bankers, administrative agents, paying agents, depositaries, custodians, trustees, sub-custodians, consultants (including individuals consulted through expert network consulting firms), engineers, senior advisors, industry experts, operating partners, deal sourcers (including personnel dedicated to but not employed by Angelo Gordon), and other professionals (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the costs and charges allocable with respect to the provision of internal legal, tax, accounting, technology or other services and professionals related thereto (including secondees and temporary personnel or consultants that may be engaged on short- or long-term arrangements) as deemed appropriate by the Administrator, with the oversight of the Board, where such internal personnel perform services that would be paid by the Fund if outside service providers provided the same services); fees, costs, and expenses herein include (x) costs, expenses and fees for hours spent by its in-
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house attorneys and tax advisors that provide legal advice and/or services to the Fund or its portfolio companies on matters related to potential or actual investments and transactions and the ongoing operations of the Fund and (y) expenses and fees to provide administrative and accounting services to the Fund or its portfolio companies, and expenses, charges and/or related costs incurred directly by the Fund or affiliates in connection such services (including overhead related thereto), in each case, (I) that are specifically charged or specifically allocated or attributed by the Administrator, with the oversight of the Board, to the Fund or its portfolio companies and (II) provided that any such amounts shall not be greater than what would be paid to an unaffiliated third party for substantially similar advice and/or services of the same skill and expertise);
(iii) the cost of calculating the Fund’s net asset value, including the cost of any third-party valuation services;
(iv) the cost of effecting any sales and repurchases of the Common Shares and other securities;
(v) fees and expenses payable under any intermediary manager and selected intermediary agreements, if any;
(vi) interest and fees and expenses arising out of all borrowings, guarantees and other financings or derivative transactions (including interest, fees and related legal expenses) made or entered into by the Fund, including, but not limited to, the arranging thereof and related legal expenses;
(vii) all fees, costs and expenses of any loan servicers and other service providers and of any custodians, lenders, investment banks and other financing sources;
(viii) costs incurred in connection with the formation or maintenance of entities or vehicles to hold the Fund’s assets for tax or other purposes;
(ix) costs of derivatives and hedging;
(x) expenses, including travel, entertainment, lodging and meal expenses, incurred by the Advisor, or members of its investment team, or payable to third parties, in evaluating, developing, negotiating, structuring and performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies, including such expenses related to potential investments that were not consummated, and, if necessary, enforcing the Fund’s rights;
(xi) expenses (including the allocable portions of compensation and out-of-pocket expenses such as travel expenses) or an appropriate portion thereof of employees of the Advisor to the extent such expenses relate to attendance at meetings of the Board or any committees thereof;
(xii) all fees, costs and expenses, if any, incurred by or on behalf of the Fund in developing, negotiating and structuring prospective or potential investments that are not ultimately made, including, without limitation any legal, tax, administrative, accounting, travel, meals, accommodations and entertainment, advisory, consulting and printing expenses, reverse termination fees and any liquidated damages, commitment fees that become payable in connection with any proposed investment that is not ultimately made, forfeited deposits or similar payments;
(xiii) the allocated costs incurred by the Advisor and the Administrator in providing managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request it;
(xiv) all brokerage costs, hedging costs, prime brokerage fees, custodial expenses, agent bank and other bank service fees; private placement fees, commissions, appraisal fees, commitment fees and underwriting costs; costs and expenses of any lenders, investment banks and other financing sources, and other investment costs, fees and expenses actually incurred in connection with evaluating, making, holding, settling, clearing, monitoring or disposing of actual investments (including, without limitation, travel, meals, accommodations and entertainment expenses and any expenses related to attending trade association and/or industry meetings, conferences or similar meetings, any costs or expenses relating to currency conversion in the case of investments denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars) and expenses arising out of trade settlements (including any delayed compensation expenses);
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(xv) investment costs, including all fees, costs and expenses incurred in sourcing, evaluating, developing, negotiating, structuring, trading (including trading errors), settling, monitoring and holding prospective or actual investments or investment strategies including, without limitation, any financing, legal, filing, auditing, tax, accounting, compliance, loan administration, travel, meals, accommodations and entertainment, advisory, consulting, engineering, data-related and other professional fees, costs and expenses in connection therewith (to the extent the Advisor is not reimbursed by a prospective or actual issuer of the applicable investment or other third parties or capitalized as part of the acquisition price of the transaction) and any fees, costs and expenses related to the organization or maintenance of any vehicle through which the Fund directly or indirectly participates in the acquisition, holding and/or disposition of investments or which otherwise facilitate the Fund’s investment activities, including without limitation any travel and accommodations expenses related to such vehicle and the salary and benefits of any personnel (including personnel of Advisor or its affiliates) reasonably necessary and/or advisable for the maintenance and operation of such vehicle, or other overhead expenses (including any fees, costs and expenses associated with the leasing of office space (which may be made with one or more affiliates of Angelo Gordon as lessor in connection therewith));
(xvi) transfer agent, dividend agent and custodial fees;
(xvii) fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts;
(xviii) federal and state registration fees, franchise fees, any stock exchange listing fees and fees payable to rating agencies;
(xix) independent trustees’ fees and expenses including reasonable travel, entertainment, lodging and meal expenses, and any legal counsel or other advisors retained by, or at the discretion or for the benefit of, the independent trustees;
(xx) costs of preparing financial statements and maintaining books and records, costs of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 compliance and attestation and costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents with the SEC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and other regulatory bodies and other reporting and compliance costs, including registration and exchange listing and the costs associated with reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and any other applicable federal and state securities laws, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing;
(xxi) all fees, costs and expenses associated with the preparation and issuance of the Fund’s periodic reports and related statements (e.g., financial statements and tax returns) and other internal and third-party printing (including a flat service fee), publishing (including time spent performing such printing and publishing services) and reporting-related expenses (including other notices and communications) in respect of the Fund and its activities (including internal expenses, charges and/or related costs incurred, charged or specifically attributed or allocated by the Fund or the Advisor or its affiliates in connection with such provision of services thereby);
(xxii) the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to shareholders (including printing and mailing costs) and the costs of any shareholder or Trustee meetings;
(xxiii) proxy voting expenses;
(xxiv) costs associated with an exchange listing;
(xxv) costs of registration rights granted to certain investors;
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(xxvi) any taxes and/or tax-related interest, fees or other governmental charges (including any penalties incurred where the Advisor lacks sufficient information from third parties to file a timely and complete tax return) levied against the Fund and all expenses incurred in connection with any tax audit, investigation, litigation, settlement or review of the Fund and the amount of any judgments, fines, remediation or settlements paid in connection therewith;
(xxvii) all fees, costs and expenses of any litigation, arbitration or audit involving the Fund any vehicle or its portfolio companies and the amount of any judgments, assessments fines, remediations or settlements paid in connection therewith, Trustees and officers, liability or other insurance (including costs of title insurance) and indemnification (including advancement of any fees, costs or expenses to persons entitled to indemnification) or extraordinary expense or liability relating to the affairs of the Fund;
(xxviii) all fees, costs and expenses associated with the Fund’s information, obtaining and maintaining technology (including the costs of any professional service providers), hardware/software, data-related communication, market data and research (including news and quotation equipment and services and including costs allocated by the Advisor’s or its affiliates’ internal and third-party research group (which are generally based on time spent, assets under management, usage rates, proportionate holdings or a combination thereof or other reasonable methods determined by the Administrator) and expenses and fees (including compensation costs) charged or specifically attributed or allocated by Advisor and/or its affiliates for data-related services provided to the Fund and/or its portfolio companies (including in connection with prospective investments), each including expenses, charges, fees and/or related costs of an internal nature; provided, that any such expenses, charges or related costs shall not be greater than what would be paid to an unaffiliated third party for substantially similar services) reporting costs (which includes notices and other communications and internally allocated charges), and dues and expenses incurred in connection with membership in industry or trade organizations;
(xxix) the costs of specialty and custom software for monitoring risk, compliance and the overall portfolio, including any development costs incurred prior to the filing of the Fund’s election to be treated as a BDC;
(xxx) costs associated with individual or group shareholders;
(xxxi) fidelity bond, trustees and officers errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums;
(xxxii) direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying and secretarial and other staff;
(xxxiii) all fees, costs and expenses of winding up and liquidating the Fund’s assets;
(xxxiv) extraordinary expenses (such as litigation or indemnification);
(xxxv) all fees, costs and expenses related to compliance-related matters (such as developing and implementing specific policies and procedures in order to comply with certain regulatory requirements) and regulatory filings; notices or disclosures related to the Fund’s activities (including, without limitation, expenses relating to the preparation and filing of filings required under the Securities Act, TIC Form SLT filings, Internal Revenue Service filings under FATCA and FBAR reporting requirements applicable to the Fund or reports to be filed with the CFTC, reports, disclosures, filings and notifications prepared in connection with the laws and/or regulations of jurisdictions in which the Fund engages in activities, including any notices, reports and/or filings required under the AIFMD, European Securities and Markets Authority and any related regulations, and other regulatory filings, notices or disclosures of the Advisor relating to the Fund and its affiliates relating to the Fund, and their activities) and/or other regulatory filings, notices or disclosures of the Advisor and its affiliates relating to the Fund including those pursuant to applicable disclosure laws and expenses relating to FOIA requests, but excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any expenses incurred for general compliance and regulatory matters that are not related to the Fund and its activities;
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(xxxvi) costs and expenses (including travel) in connection with the diligence and oversight of the Fund’s service providers;
(xxxvii) costs and expenses, including travel, meals, accommodations, entertainment and other similar expenses, incurred by the Advisor or its affiliates for meetings with existing investors and any intermediaries, registered investment advisors, financial and other advisors representing such existing investors; and
(xxxiii) all other expenses incurred by the Administrator in connection with administering the Fund’s business.
With respect to (i) above, the Advisor has agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf through the initial Drawdown Purchase, as defined below. Unless the Advisor elects to cover such expenses pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement we have entered into with the Advisor, we will be obligated to reimburse the Advisor for such advanced expenses upon the initial Drawdown Purchase. See “—Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.” Any reimbursements will not exceed actual expenses incurred by the Advisor and its affiliates.
From time to time, the Advisor, the Administrator or their affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse the Advisor, the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf. From time to time, the Advisor or the Administrator may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses. All of the foregoing expenses will ultimately be borne by our shareholders, subject to the cap on organization and offering expenses described in (i) above.
Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement
We have entered into an Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement (the “Expense Support Agreement”) with the Advisor. The Advisor may elect to pay certain of our expenses on our behalf (each, an “Expense Payment”), provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees of the Fund. Any Expense Payment that the Advisor has committed to pay must be paid by the Advisor to us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than 45 days after such commitment was made in writing, and/or offset against amounts due from us to the Advisor or its affiliates.
Following any calendar month or quarter, as applicable, in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Fund’s shareholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as “Excess Operating Funds”), we shall pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to the Advisor until such time as all Expense Payments made by the Advisor to the Fund within three years prior to the last business day of such calendar month have been reimbursed. Any payments required to be made by the Fund shall be referred to herein as a “Reimbursement Payment.” Available Operating Funds means the sum of (i) our net investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains reduced by net long-term capital losses), (ii) our net capital gains (including the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) and (iii) dividends and other distributions paid to us on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (iii) are not included under clauses (i) and (ii) above).
No Reimbursement Payment for any month will be made if: (1) the “Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share” (as defined below) declared by us at the time of such Reimbursement Payment is less than the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates, or (2) our “Operating Expense Ratio” (as defined below) at the time of such Reimbursement Payment is greater than the Operating Expense Ratio at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, “Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share” means the annualized rate (based on a 365 day year) of regular cash distributions per share exclusive of returns of capital, distribution rate reductions due to distribution and shareholder fees, and declared special dividends or special distributions, if any. The “Operating Expense Ratio” is calculated by dividing Operating Expenses, less organizational and offering expenses, base management and incentive fees owed to Advisor, and interest expense, by our net assets.
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The Fund’s obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment shall automatically become a liability of the Fund on the last business day of the applicable calendar month, except to the extent the Advisor has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable month.
CAPITAL RESOURCES AND BORROWINGS
We anticipate cash to be generated from the Private Offering and other future offerings of securities, and cash flows from operations, including interest earned from the temporary investment of cash in cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. Additionally, we will be permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of shares senior to our Common Shares if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 150% immediately after each such issuance. Furthermore, while any indebtedness and senior securities remain outstanding, we must make provisions to prohibit any 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 distribution or repurchase. In connection with borrowings, our lenders may require us to pledge assets, investor commitments to fund capital calls and/or the proceeds of those capital calls. In addition, the lenders may ask us to comply with positive or negative covenants that could have an effect on our operations.
We expect to enter into one or more agreements for a credit facility and/or subscription facility (each, a “Credit Facility”). Each Credit Facility will provide for borrowings to make additional investments and for other general corporate purposes. It is anticipated that a Credit Facility will bear interest at floating rates at to be determined spreads over a floating interest rate, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) or an alternate base rate, and will be secured by the Fund’s assets, and/or the Fund may be required to pledge capital commitments to the lender. We cannot assure shareholders that we will be able to enter into a Credit Facility. Our shareholders will indirectly bear the costs associated with any borrowings under a Credit Facility or otherwise, including increased management fees payable to the Advisor as a result of such borrowings.
DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLAN
The Fund plans to adopt a distribution reinvestment plan, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash dividends declared by the Board on behalf of our shareholders who do not elect to receive their dividends in cash as provided below. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or other distribution, then our shareholders who have not opted out of our distribution reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares as described below, rather than receiving the cash dividend or other distribution. Distributions on fractional shares will be credited to each participating shareholder’s account to three decimal places. Shareholders who receive distributions in the form of shares will generally be subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as if they received cash distributions; however, since their cash distributions will be reinvested, those shareholders will not receive cash with which to pay any applicable taxes. The Fund intends to use newly issued shares to implement the plan. Shares issued under the distribution reinvestment plan will not reduce outstanding capital commitments and are subject to the same legal and other restrictions on resale as our Common Shares.
REPURCHASE OFFERS
We do not currently intend to institute a share repurchase program and any share repurchases that may occur will be conducted at the discretion of the Board and effected in limited circumstances in accordance with applicable law. We will conduct any repurchase offers in accordance with Section 23(c) of the 1940 Act and Rule 13e-4 under the Exchange Act.
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It is expected, however, that following the Merger, at the discretion of its Board of Trustees, the Non-Traded BDC will commence a share repurchase program in which it will intend to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of its common shares outstanding (either by number of shares or aggregate NAV) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. The Non-Traded BDC’s Board of Trustees may amend or suspend the share repurchase program at any time if it deems such action to be in the Non-Traded BDC’s best interest and the best interest of its shareholders.
ADMINISTRATION
We do not have any employees. Each officer of the Fund will also be an employee of the Advisor or its affiliates. See “Item 5. Trustees and Executive Officers.”
Our day-to-day investment operations will be managed by the Advisor. Pursuant to its Resource Sharing Agreement with Angelo Gordon, the Advisor will have access to Angelo Gordon’s team of experienced investment professionals. The Advisor may hire additional investment professionals to provide services to us, based upon its needs. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—General—Investment Management Agreement; Administration Agreement.”
The Private Offering
We expect to enter into separate Subscription Agreements with a number of investors for the Private Offering. Each investor will make a capital commitment to purchase our Common Shares pursuant to the Subscription Agreement. Investors will be required to make capital contributions to purchase the Fund’s Common Shares (a “Drawdown Purchase”), each time the Fund delivers a drawdown notice, which will be delivered at least 5 days prior to the Initial Closing and 10 days prior to any subsequent required funding date, in an aggregate amount not to exceed their respective capital commitments. Drawdown Purchases will generally be made pro rata, in accordance with the investors’ capital commitments. However, the Subscription Agreements provide that we retain the right at our discretion to call Drawdown Purchases on a non-pro rata basis so that the assets of the Fund will not be considered “plan assets” under ERISA or the Plan Asset Regulations (each as defined below), or as otherwise necessary or desirable in order to comply with ERISA or any other applicable legal, regulatory, tax or similar regimes, including potential affiliation concerns under the 1940 Act. Each Drawdown Purchase will be made at a per-share price as determined by the Board (including any committee thereof) as of the end of the most recent calendar quarter or such other date determined by the Board, provided that the purchase price is subject to adjustment to the extent required by Section 23 of the 1940 Act (which generally prohibits the Fund from selling shares at a price below the then-current NAV per share as determined within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, of such issuance, subject to certain exceptions). The offering price per-share at the initial drawdown date will be $25. Following the initial drawdown date, the per-share price shall be at least equal to the net asset value (“NAV”) per share, as calculated within no more than 48 hours of share issuance, in accordance with the limitations under Section 23 of the 1940 Act. The Board may set the per-share price above the NAV per share based on a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the total amount of the Fund’s organizational and other expenses. Upon the earlier to occur of (i) a Merger, and (ii) the three year anniversary of the Initial Closing, investors will be released from any further obligation to purchase additional shares, subject to certain exceptions contained herein and in the Subscription Agreement. No investor who participated in the Private Offering will be permitted to sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of its shares or capital commitment unless the Fund provides its prior written consent and the transfer is otherwise made in accordance with applicable law.
The Initial Closing is expected to occur shortly after we elect to be treated as a BDC. Additional closings of the Private Offering (each, a “Closing”) may occur from time to time as determined by the Fund until (and including) the 12-month anniversary date of the Initial Closing (the “Final Closing Date”). The Fund reserves the right to hold Closings at any time up to the Final Closing Date without limitation. Investors in any Closing will be released from any further obligation to purchase additional Common Shares upon the earlier to occur of (i) a Merger, and (ii) the three-year anniversary of the Initial Closing, subject to certain exceptions contained below and in the Subscription Agreement. In the event that the Fund enters into a Subscription Agreement with one or more investors after the initial Drawdown Purchase in which the proceeds are used to make investments (the “Effective Date”), each such investor will be required to make purchases of Common Shares (each, a “Catch-up Purchase”) on a date to be determined by the Fund that occurs no later than the next succeeding Drawdown Purchase date (the “Catch-up Date”). The aggregate purchase price of the Catch-up Purchases will be equal to an amount necessary to ensure that, upon payment of the aggregate purchase price, such investor will have contributed the same percentage of its capital commitment to the Fund as all investors whose subscriptions were accepted at previous closings. Catch-up
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Purchases will be made at a per-share price as determined by the Fund’s Board (including any committee thereof) as of the end of the most recent calendar quarter or such other date as determined by the Board prior to the date of the applicable drawdown notice. The per-share price shall be at least equal to the NAV per share (adjusted to appropriately reflect revenues and expenses accrued as of the Catch-up Date and such investor’s pro rata portion of the Fund’s initial organizational expenses), as calculated within no more than 48 hours of share issuance, of the Fund’s Common Shares in accordance with the limitations under Section 23 of the 1940 Act. The Board may set the per-share price above the NAV per share based on a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the total amount of the Fund’s organizational and other expenses.
Angelo Gordon has advised the Fund that it intends to make a capital commitment equal to the lesser of: (i) 1% of the aggregate third-party investor capital commitments or (ii) $4 million.
In addition to all legal remedies available to the Fund, failure by an investor to purchase additional Common Shares when requested by the Fund will (following a cure period of 10 business days) result in that investor being subject to certain default provisions set forth in that investor’s Subscription Agreement. Defaulting investors may also forfeit their right to participate in purchasing additional shares on any future drawdown date or otherwise participate in any future investments in the Fund, and may be required to sell their Common Shares to the Fund.
Except as provided below, after the termination of the Commitment Period, investors in the Private Offering will be released from any further obligation to purchase additional Common Shares, except to the extent necessary to (a) pay Fund expenses, including management fees, any amounts that may become due under any borrowings or other financings or similar obligations and any other liabilities, contingent or otherwise, in each case to the extent they relate to the Commitment Period, (b) complete transactions that, at the end of the Commitment Period, are committed or otherwise with respect to which the Advisor has made an affirmative determination that the Fund should participate, subject to completion of “due diligence” procedures and negotiation of acceptable price and other terms (and which, for the avoidance of doubt, includes funding any revolving credit facility or delayed draw-term facility that has not been fully drawn at the end of the Commitment Period), (c) satisfy any outstanding obligations pursuant to any credit facility or other lending arrangement, guaranty or other similar obligation, (d) fund follow-on investments made in existing portfolio companies (and not new investments) that, in the aggregate, do not exceed 10% of total commitments, (e) fund obligations under any Fund guarantee or indemnity made during the Commitment Period, (f) hedge currency, interest rate, market or other risk with respect to existing investments and/or (g) fund any defaulted commitments (the “Permitted Purposes”). The Commitment Period shall terminate earlier upon a Merger and investors will be released from any further obligation to purchase additional shares of our Common Shares. For the avoidance of doubt, we intend to call all capital prior to a Merger.
Under normal market conditions, given the anticipated high volume of potential investments, including potential co-investment transactions under our exemptive relief, the Fund expects that all or substantially all capital will be drawn during the earlier part of the Commitment Period.
The Fund will generally retain and reinvest investment proceeds from its portfolio, such as proceeds from the disposition of an investment or the repayment of a loan by a portfolio company. However, following the end of the Commitment Period and if no Merger has occurred, the Fund will cease retaining or reinvesting such proceeds, and will instead distribute such proceeds to shareholders; provided that the Advisor is permitted to retain such proceeds for Permitted Purposes and to protect existing Fund investments. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a Merger, the Fund will be under no obligation to cease retaining or reinvesting investment proceeds.
Additionally, if the Merger does not occur within six years of the date of the Initial Closing, the Fund’s Board (subject to any necessary shareholder approvals and applicable requirements of the 1940 Act) will, in an orderly manner, begin to wind down and/or liquidate and dissolve the Fund. The Fund does not intend to give investors in-kind distributions of illiquid securities. The Fund also does not intend to create liquidating vehicles after dissolution. There is no step-down in management fees after the expiration of the Commitment Period. The Advisor will continue to collect the same level of fees after the expiration of the Commitment Period through the final dissolution of the Fund. We will only pursue a Merger if the Advisor and the Board believe market conditions are appropriate for the Fund to conduct a Merger. At such time, the Advisor will recommend that our Board approve such Merger. There can be no guarantee that a Merger will take place and investors should not rely on a Merger for liquidity. Prior to the earlier of (i) a Merger, or (ii) the end of the term of the Fund, no investor who participated in the Private Offering will be permitted to sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of its Common Shares or capital commitment unless the Fund provides its prior written consent and the transfer is otherwise made in accordance with applicable law.
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As part of certain Credit Facilities, the right to make capital calls of shareholders may be pledged as collateral to the lender, which will be able to call for capital contributions upon the occurrence of an event of default under such Credit Facility. To the extent such an event of default does occur, shareholders could therefore be required to fund any shortfall up to their remaining capital commitments, without regard to the underlying value of their investment. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Potential Limits Under a Credit Facility or Any Other Future Borrowing Facility.”
Regulation as a Business Development Company
The following discussion is a general summary of the material prohibitions and descriptions governing BDCs generally. It does not purport to be a complete description of all of the laws and regulations affecting BDCs.
Qualifying Assets. Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as “Qualifying Assets,” unless, at the time the acquisition is made, Qualifying Assets represent at least 70% of the Fund’s total assets. The principal categories of Qualifying Assets relevant to our business are any of the following:
| (1) | Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an Eligible Portfolio Company (as defined below), or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an Eligible Portfolio Company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An “Eligible Portfolio Company” is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which: |
| (a) | is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States; |
| (b) | is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the BDC) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and |
| (c) | satisfies any of the following: |
| (i) | does not have any class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange; |
| (ii) | has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange, but has an aggregate market value of outstanding voting and non-voting common equity of less than $250 million; |
| (iii) | is controlled by a BDC or a group of companies, including a BDC and the BDC has an affiliated person who is a director of the Eligible Portfolio Company; or |
| (iv) | is a small and solvent company having total assets of not more than $4.0 million and capital and surplus of not less than $2.0 million. |
| (2) | Securities of any Eligible Portfolio Company controlled by the Fund. |
| (3) | Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities, was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements. |
| (4) | Securities of an Eligible Portfolio Company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and the Fund already owns 60% of the outstanding equity of the Eligible Portfolio Company. |
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| (5) | Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities. |
| (6) | Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment. |
In addition, a BDC must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) above.
Significant Managerial Assistance. A BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described above. However, in order to count portfolio securities as Qualifying Assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance; except that, where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group makes available such managerial assistance. Making available significant managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company through monitoring of portfolio company operations, selective participation in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising a portfolio company’s officers or other organizational or financial guidance.
Temporary Investments. Pending investment in other types of Qualifying Assets, as described above, our investments may 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 we refer to, collectively, as “temporary investments,” so that 70% of our assets would be Qualifying Assets. We may also invest in U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase agreements, provided that such agreements are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price which is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, if more than 25% of our gross assets constitute repurchase agreements from a single counterparty, we generally would not meet the diversification tests in order to qualify as a RIC. Thus, we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit. Our Advisor will monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into repurchase agreement transactions.
Warrants. Under the 1940 Act, a BDC is subject to restrictions on the issuance, terms and amount of warrants, options or rights to purchase shares that it may have outstanding at any time. In particular, the amount of shares that would result from the conversion or exercise of all outstanding warrants, options or rights to purchase shares cannot exceed 25% of the BDC’s total outstanding shares.
Leverage and Senior Securities. The Fund is permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of shares senior to Common Shares if the Fund’s asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, would at least equal 150% immediately after each such issuance. On March 17, 2022, our sole initial shareholder approved the adoption of this 150% threshold pursuant to Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, the Fund will be required to make provisions to prohibit any dividend distribution to shareholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless the Fund meets the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the dividend distribution or repurchase. The Fund will also be permitted to borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of its total assets for temporary or emergency purposes, which borrowings would not be considered senior securities.
The Fund expects to employ leverage and otherwise incur indebtedness with respect to its portfolio including entry (directly or indirectly) into one or more credit facilities, including asset-based loan facilities, and/or enter into other financing arrangements to facilitate investments, the timely payment of expenses and other purposes. The Fund cannot assure investors that it will be able to enter into a credit facility. Investors will indirectly bear the costs associated with the establishment of a credit facility and with any borrowings under a credit facility or otherwise. In
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connection with a credit facility or other borrowings, lenders may require the Fund to pledge assets and may ask the Fund to comply with positive or negative covenants that could have an effect on Fund operations. The Fund may pledge and may grant a security interest in all of its assets under the terms of any debt instruments that it enters into with lenders. In addition, from time to time, the Fund’s losses on investments may result in the liquidation of other investments held by the Fund.
Code of Ethics. Prior to acceptance of any subscriptions in this offering, we and the Advisor will each adopt a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, respectively, that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to the code are permitted to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are permitted and made in accordance with the code’s requirements.
Compliance Policies and Procedures. Prior to acceptance of any subscriptions in this offering, we and our Advisor will have adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent violation of the federal securities laws and will be required to review these compliance policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation and designate a Chief Compliance Officer to be responsible for administering the policies and procedures. Adam Freedman currently serves as our Chief Compliance Officer.
Affiliated Transactions. The 1940 Act generally prohibits BDCs from entering into negotiated co-investments with affiliates absent an order from the SEC. Angelo Gordon has applied for and been granted an exemptive order from the SEC in order to permit us to enter into certain negotiated co-investment transactions alongside other funds managed by Angelo Gordon or its affiliates (“Affiliated Funds”) in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, subject to compliance with certain conditions (the “Order”). As Angelo Gordon has been granted such Order, which the Fund and the Advisor may rely upon, we are permitted to co-invest with our affiliates if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our eligible trustees make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transactions, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our shareholders and do not involve overreaching in respect of us or our shareholders on the part of any person concerned, and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our shareholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies.
Reporting Obligations. The Fund will furnish to shareholders as soon as practicable after the end of each calendar year such information as is necessary for them to complete U.S. federal and state income tax or information returns, along with any other tax information required by law. The Fund will send to shareholders three quarterly financial reports and investor statements, an annual report and a quarterly statement providing material information regarding the shareholder’s participation in the distribution reinvestment plan and an annual statement providing tax information with respect to income earned on shares under the distribution reinvestment plan for the calendar year.
Depending on legal requirements, the Fund may provide this information to shareholders via U.S. mail or other courier, electronic delivery, or some combination of the foregoing. Information about the Fund will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Emerging Growth Company. We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined by the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting and disclosure requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:
| • | have an auditor attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which may increase the risk that material weaknesses or other deficiencies in the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting go undetected; |
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| • | submit certain executive compensation matters to shareholder advisory votes pursuant to the “say on frequency” and “say on pay” provisions (requiring a non-binding shareholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the “say on golden parachute” provisions (requiring a non-binding shareholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010; or |
| • | disclose certain executive compensation related items, such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. |
In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies. This means that an emerging growth company can delay adopting certain accounting standards until such standards are otherwise applicable to private companies.
We are and we will remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act until the earlier of (a) the last day of the fiscal year (i) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the Initial Closing, (ii) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (iii) 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 million as of the prior June 30th, and (b) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
We do not believe that being an emerging growth company will have a significant impact on our business or our public or private offering of shares. As stated above, we have elected to opt in to the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards available to emerging growth companies. Also, because we are not a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer under Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and will not be for so long as our Common Shares are not traded on a securities exchange, we will not be subject to auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act even once we are no longer an emerging growth company.
Other. We will be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act, and be subject to the periodic reporting and related requirements of the Exchange Act. We are also required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any trustee or officer against any liability to our shareholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.
We are also required to designate a chief compliance officer and to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws and to review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation.
We are not permitted to change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding voting securities. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of such company’s shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company.
ERISA. The Fund intends to conduct affairs so that its assets should not be deemed to constitute “plan assets” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) and 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 as the Common Shares are considered “publicly-offered securities” within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations, the Fund intends to limit investment in Common Shares by “benefit plan investors” to less than 25% of the total value of the Common Shares, within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations.
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In addition, each prospective investor that is, or is acting on behalf of any (i) “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) whether or not subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) “plan” described in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code whether or not subject to Section 4975 of the Code (including, for example, an individual retirement account and a “Keogh” plan), (iii) plan, account or other arrangement that is subject to the provisions of any other federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of ERISA or the Code (collectively, “Similar Laws”), or (iv) entity whose underlying assets are considered to include the assets of any of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), pursuant to ERISA or otherwise (each of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) referred to as a “Plan”), must independently determine that the Common Shares are an appropriate investment for the Plan, taking into account its obligations under ERISA, the Code and applicable Similar Laws, and the facts and circumstances of each investing Plan.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
We will delegate our proxy voting responsibility to our Advisor. As a fiduciary, the Advisor has a duty to monitor corporate events and to vote proxies, as well as a duty to cast votes in the best interest of the Fund and not to subrogate Fund interests to its own interests. To meet its fiduciary obligations, the Advisor seeks to ensure that it votes proxies in the best interest of the Fund, and addresses how the Advisor will resolve any conflict of interest that may arise when voting proxies. The Advisor’s proxy voting policy attempts to generalize a complex subject and the Advisor may, from time to time, determine that it is in the best interests of the Fund to depart from specific policies described therein.
The Advisor is responsible for processing all proxy notifications received by the Advisor. All proxy voting requests received are forwarded to the Advisor who is responsible for monitoring the issuer and for making the proxy voting decision. The Advisor utilizes ProxyEdge to vote on domestic proxies. The Advisor shall keep a record of its proxy voting policies and procedures, proxy statements received and votes cast, in accordance with its record keeping policies. The trade operations department is responsible for maintaining records with respect to proxy voting.
PRIVACY PRINCIPLES
The Fund looks to protect non-public personal data and provides a copy of its privacy policy to shareholders regardless of whether they are natural persons. The Fund’s privacy policy summarized below is intended to be compliant with the federal and state regulations as applied to the Fund.
From time to time non-public personal information of our shareholders may be collected as required for legitimate business purposes. The following are sources of information collected:
| 1. | Subscription Agreements, investor questionnaires and other forms, which may include a shareholder’s name, address, social security number and personally identifiable financial information; |
| 2. | Account history, including information about a shareholder’s shares, such as capital contributions, share purchases and sales and distributions from the Fund; |
| 3. | Transactions with the Fund, including information the Fund receives and maintains relating to securities transactions with and through the Fund; and |
| 4. | Correspondence, written, telephonic or electronic, between shareholders and the Fund, the Advisor, any of the Advisor’s affiliates or any of the Fund’s service providers. |
In addition to the sources listed above, the Fund and the Advisor and its affiliates may also collect this information from their respective internet web sites, if applicable.
The Fund may share all of the information that we collect, as described above, with our Advisor and its affiliates in order to service shareholder accounts or provide shareholders with information about other products and services offered by the Fund or the Advisor or its affiliates that may be of interest to them.
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In addition, the Fund may disclose all of the information that the Advisor collects about shareholders to certain third parties who are not affiliated with the Fund or the Advisor or its affiliates under one or more of the following circumstances:
| 1. | As Authorized—if a shareholder requests or authorizes disclosure of the information. |
| 2. | As Required by Law—for example, to cooperate with regulators or law enforcement authorities. |
| 3. | As Permitted by Law—for example, sharing information with companies that maintain, process or service Fund or shareholder accounts or financial products and services or who effect, administer or enforce Fund or shareholder transactions is permitted. Among other activities, the Fund and its Advisor and its affiliates may share information with persons acting in a representative or fiduciary capacity on the Fund’s or a shareholder’s behalf. The Fund believes that sharing of information for these purposes is essential to providing shareholders with necessary or useful services with respect to their accounts. |
The Fund and the Advisor and its affiliates restrict access to non-public personal information about shareholders internally to those of their respective employees and agents who need to know the information to enable them to provide services to the shareholders. The Fund and the Advisor and its affiliates maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to guard shareholder’s non-public personal information.
CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion is a general summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us and the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Common Shares. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to shareholders in light of their particular circumstances. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion applies only to U.S. shareholders that hold our Common Shares as capital assets. A U.S. shareholder is a shareholder who is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a U.S. corporation, (iii) a trust if it (a) is subject to the primary supervision of a court in the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (b) has made a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person, or (iv) any estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source. This discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change, or differing interpretations (possibly with retroactive effect). This discussion does not represent a detailed description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to special classes of taxpayers including, without limitation, financial institutions, insurance companies, investors in pass-through entities, U.S. shareholders whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar, tax-exempt organizations, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities or commodities that elect mark to market treatment, or persons that will hold our Common Shares as a position in a “straddle,” “hedge” or as part of a “constructive sale” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, this discussion does not address the application of the Medicare tax on net investment income or the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax, any U.S. federal estate or gift tax consequences or any tax consequences attributable to persons being required to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to our Common Shares as a result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of our Common Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country or other taxing jurisdiction.
Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company
The Fund intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify each taxable year thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.
To qualify for the favorable tax treatment accorded to RICs under Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund must, among other things:
| 1) | have an election in effect to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year; |
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| 2) | have filed with its return for the taxable year an election to be a RIC or have made such election for a previous taxable year; |
| 3) | derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (a) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies; and (b) net income derived from an interest in certain publicly-traded partnerships that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that derive less than 90% of their gross income from the items described in (a) above (each, a “Qualified Publicly-Traded Partnership”); and |
| 4) | diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year of the Fund (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities and securities of other RICs, and other securities for purposes of this calculation limited, in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of (I) any one issuer, (II) any two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or (III) any one or more Qualified Publicly-Traded Partnerships (described in 3(b) above). |
As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes in each taxable year to its shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income and its net tax-exempt income for such taxable year. Generally, the Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gains, if any.
Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax. To prevent imposition of the excise tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year and (iii) any ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years. For these purposes, the Fund will be deemed to have distributed any income or gains on which it paid U.S. federal income tax.
A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of any calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions will be taxable to shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.
If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC or failed to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on its taxable income (including distributions of net capital gain), even if such income were distributed to its shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to shareholders as ordinary dividend income. Such distributions generally would be eligible (i) to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of individual and other non-corporate shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions (which could be subject to interest charges) before requalifying for taxation as a RIC.
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Distributions
Distributions by the Fund to shareholders of ordinary income (including “market discount” realized by the Fund on the sale of debt securities), and of net short-term capital gains, if any, realized by the Fund will generally be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent such distributions are paid out of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions, if any, of net capital gains properly reported as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the shareholder has owned our Common Shares. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) will be treated by a shareholder as a return of capital which will be applied against and reduce the shareholder’s basis in its Common Shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the shareholder’s basis in its Common Shares, the excess will be treated by the shareholder as gain from a sale or exchange of the Common Shares. Distributions paid by the Fund generally will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations or for the reduced rates applicable to certain qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders.
Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional Common Shares pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan. Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional Common Shares of the Fund will generally be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of cash that they would have received if they had elected to receive the distribution in cash. The additional Common Shares received by a shareholder pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the Common Shares were credited to the shareholder’s account.
The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain or a portion thereof for investment and be taxed at corporate rates on the amount retained. In such case, the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders, who will be treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will (i) be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, (ii) receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain and (iii) increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) currently requires that a RIC that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income and capital gains) based upon the percentage of total dividends paid to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, if the Fund issues preferred shares, the Fund intends to allocate capital gain dividends, if any, between its Common Shares and preferred shares in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class with respect to such tax year. Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of distributions.
A “publicly offered regulated investment company” or “publicly offered RIC” is a RIC whose shares are either (i) continuously offered pursuant to a public offering within the meaning of Section 4 of the Securities Act, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) held by at least 500 persons at all times during the taxable year. While the Fund generally expects to qualify as a RIC, the Fund anticipates that it will not qualify as a publicly offered RIC prior to the Merger. If the Fund is a RIC that is not a publicly offered RIC for any period, a non-corporate shareholder’s allocable portion of its affected expenses, including management fees, will be treated as an additional distribution to the shareholder and will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions that are deductible only to the extent permitted by applicable law. Under current law, such expenses will not be deductible by any such shareholder for tax years that begin prior to January 1, 2026 and are deductible subject to limitation thereafter.
Sale or Exchange of Common Shares
Upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of our Common Shares (except pursuant to a repurchase by the Fund, as described below), a shareholder will generally realize a capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the Common Shares. Such gain or loss will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder’s holding period for the Common Shares. Generally, a shareholder’s gain or loss will be a long-term gain or loss if the Common Shares have been held for more than one year. For non-corporate taxpayers, long-term capital gains are currently eligible for reduced rates of taxation.
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No loss will be allowed on the sale, exchange or other disposition of Common Shares if the shareholder acquires (including pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan) or enters into a contract or option to acquire securities that are substantially identical to such Common Shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the securities acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Losses realized by a shareholder on the sale, exchange or other disposition of Common Shares held for six months or less are treated as long-term capital losses to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gain received (or amounts designated as undistributed capital gains) with respect to such Common Shares.
From time to time, the Fund may offer to repurchase its outstanding Common Shares. Shareholders who tender all Common Shares of the Fund held, or considered to be held, by them generally will be treated as having sold their Common Shares and generally will realize a capital gain or loss. If a shareholder tenders fewer than all of its Common Shares or fewer than all Common Shares tendered are repurchased, such shareholder may be treated as having received a taxable dividend upon the tender of its Common Shares. In such a case, there is a risk that non-tendering shareholders, and shareholders who tender some but not all of their Common Shares or fewer than all of whose Common Shares are repurchased, in each case whose percentage interests in the Fund increase as a result of such tender, will be treated as having received a taxable distribution from the Fund. The extent of such risk will vary depending upon the particular circumstances of the tender offer, and in particular whether such offer is a single and isolated event or is part of a plan for periodically redeeming Common Shares of the Fund.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to Common Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Nature of the Fund’s Investments
Certain of the Fund’s hedging and derivatives transactions are subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things:
| i. | disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, |
| ii. | convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, |
| iii. | convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), |
| iv. | cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, |
| v. | adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, |
| vi. | adversely alter the intended characterization of certain complex financial transactions and |
| vii. | produce income that will not be treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above. |
These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders and the Fund’s status as a RIC. The Fund will monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these provisions.
Below Investment Grade Instruments
The Fund 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 for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund 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 the Fund, to the extent necessary, to preserve its status as a RIC and to distribute sufficient income to not become subject to U.S. federal income tax.
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Original Issue Discount
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. Because any original issue discount 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 become subject to corporate-level income tax.
Market Discount
In general, the Fund will be treated as having acquired a debt instrument with market discount if its stated redemption price at maturity (or, in the case of a debt instrument issued with original issue discount, its revised issue price) exceeds the Fund’s initial tax basis in the debt instrument by more than a statutory de minimis amount. The Fund will be required to treat any principal payments on, or any gain derived from the disposition of, any debt instruments acquired with market discount as ordinary income to the extent of the accrued market discount, unless the Fund makes an election to accrue market discount on a current basis. If this election is not made, all or a portion of any deduction for interest expense incurred to purchase or carry a market discount debt instrument may be deferred until the Fund sells or otherwise disposes of such debt instrument.
Currency Fluctuations
Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or receivables or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, certain foreign currency options or futures contracts and the disposition of debt securities denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss.
Foreign Taxes
The Fund’s investment in non-U.S. securities may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes. In that case, the Fund’s yield on those securities would be decreased. Shareholders will generally not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the Fund.
Preferred Shares or Borrowings
If the Fund utilizes leverage through the issuance of preferred shares or borrowings, it may be restricted by certain covenants with respect to the declaration of, and payment of, dividends on Common Shares in certain circumstances. Limits on the Fund’s payments of dividends on Common Shares may prevent the Fund from meeting the distribution requirements described above, and may, therefore, jeopardize the Fund’s qualification for taxation as a RIC and possibly subject the Fund to the 4% excise tax. The Fund will endeavor to avoid restrictions on its ability to make dividend payments.
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Backup Withholding
The Fund may be required to withhold from all distributions and redemption proceeds payable to U.S. shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification numbers or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Foreign Shareholders
U.S. taxation of a shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign trust or estate or a foreign corporation, as defined for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a “foreign shareholder”), depends on whether the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the shareholder.
If the income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder, distributions of investment company taxable income will be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate), which tax is generally withheld from such distributions. However, dividends paid by the Fund that are “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” will generally be exempt from such withholding, in each case to the extent the Fund properly reports such dividends to shareholders. For these purposes, interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally represent distributions of interest or short-term capital gains that would not have been subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at the source if they had been received directly by a foreign shareholder, and that satisfy certain other requirements. A foreign shareholder whose income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax on capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund that are designated as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of Common Shares. However, a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual and is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements will nevertheless be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% on such capital gain dividends, undistributed capital gains and gains realized upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of Common Shares.
If the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then distributions of investment company taxable income, any capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund that are designated as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of Common Shares will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents or domestic corporations. Foreign corporate shareholders may also be subject to the branch profits tax imposed by the Code.
Very generally, special tax rules would apply if the Fund holds “United States real property interests” (“USRPIs”) (or if the Fund holds assets that would be treated as USRPIs but for certain exceptions applicable to RICs) the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the Fund’s USRPIs, interests in real property located outside the United States, and other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. Such rules could result in U.S. tax withholding from certain distributions to foreign shareholders. Furthermore, such shareholders may be required to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax on such distributions—and, in certain cases, gain realized on sale of Common Shares—at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. The Fund does not expect to invest in a significant percentage of USRPIs, so these special tax rules are not likely to apply.
The Fund may be required to withhold from distributions that are otherwise exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate) unless the foreign shareholder certifies its foreign status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption.
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The tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein. Foreign shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
Additional Withholding Requirements
Under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as “FATCA”), a 30% U.S. federal withholding tax may apply to any dividends that the Fund pays to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined in the Code), whether such foreign financial institution is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its “United States account” holders (as specifically defined in the Code) and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity, whether such nonfinancial foreign entity is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such entity provides a certification that the beneficial owner of the payment does not have any substantial United States owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such substantial United States owner and certain other specified requirements are met. In certain cases, the relevant foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity may qualify for an exemption from, or be deemed to be in compliance with, these rules. In addition, foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. You should consult your own tax advisor regarding FATCA and whether it may be relevant to your ownership and disposition of our Common Shares.
Tax Considerations Regarding the Merger
Assuming the Merger qualifies as a tax-free reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, then, as a general matter (and subject to certain exceptions):
| • | no gain or loss will be recognized by the Fund, the Non-Traded BDC or their respective shareholders as a result of the Merger; |
| • | the holding period and adjusted tax basis of the common shares of the Non-Traded BDC received by a holder of Common Shares of the Fund will be the same as the holding period and adjusted tax basis of such holder’s Common Shares of the Fund immediately prior to the Merger; and |
| • | the Non-Traded BDC will have a holding period and adjusted tax basis in each asset that is transferred to it by the Fund pursuant to the Merger that is equal to the Fund’s holding period and adjusted tax basis in such asset immediately prior to the Merger. |
Other Taxation
Shareholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their distributions from the Fund. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.
Risk Factor Summary
The following is only a summary of the principal risks that may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The following should be read in conjunction with the complete discussion of risk factors we face, which are set forth below under “-Risk Factors.”
Risks Related to Our Business and Structure
| • | We are a new company and have no operating history. |
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| • | We cannot guarantee that we will be able to replicate the historical results achieved by other Angelo Gordon products. |
| • | Our Board may change our operating policies and strategies without prior notice or shareholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse to our results of operations and financial condition. |
Risks Related to Our Investments
| • | Our investments in prospective portfolio companies may be risky, and we could lose all or part of our investment. |
| • | As of the date hereof, none of the Fund’s investments have been identified, committed to, settled or traded and there are risks associated with such unspecified transactions, including, but not limited to, there being no assurance of investment returns related to our investments. |
| • | Price declines in the medium-sized U.S. corporate debt market may adversely affect the fair value of our portfolio, reducing our NAV through increased net unrealized depreciation. |
Risks Related to the Advisor and Its Affiliates; Conflicts of Interest
| • | The Advisor and its affiliates, including our officers and some of our Trustees, face conflicts of interest caused by compensation arrangements with us and our affiliates, which could result in actions that are not in the best interests of our shareholders. |
| • | We may be obligated to pay the Advisor incentive compensation even if we incur a net loss due to a decline in the value of our portfolio. |
| • | There may be conflicts of interest related to Angelo Gordon and the Advisor’s allocation of investment opportunities. |
Risks Related to Business Development Companies
| • | The requirement that we invest a sufficient portion of our assets in Qualifying Assets could preclude us from investing in accordance with our current business strategy; conversely, the failure to invest a sufficient portion of our assets in Qualifying Assets could result in our failure to maintain our status as a BDC. |
| • | Failure to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility. |
| • | Regulations governing our operating as a BDC an RIC will affect our ability to raise, and the way in which we raise, additional capital or borrow for investment purposes, which may have a negative impact on our growth. |
Risks Related to Debt Financing
| • | When we borrow money, the potential for loss on amounts invested in us will be magnified and may increase the risk of investing in us. Borrowed money may also adversely affect the return on our assets, reduce cash available for distribution to our shareholders and result in losses. |
| • | We may default under our credit facilities. |
| • | Provisions in a credit facility may limit our investment discretion. |
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Federal Income Tax Risks
| • | We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code or to satisfy RIC distribution requirements. |
| • | We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income. |
| • | Some of our investments may be subject to corporate-level income tax. |
Risks Relating to an Investment in the Common Shares
| • | If we are unable to raise substantial funds, then we will be more limited in the number and type of investments we may make, our expenses may be higher relative to our total assets, and the value of your investment in us may be reduced in the event our assets under-perform. |
| • | We may have difficulty sourcing investment opportunities. |
| • | We may face severe economic consequence as a result of potential defaulting shareholders. |
| • | No guarantee that the Merger will occur. |
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 prospectus, 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. 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.
Risks Related to Our Business and Structure
We are a new company and have no operating history.
The Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that will elect to be regulated as a BDC with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no 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 objective and the value of a shareholder’s investment could decline substantially or become worthless. Further, the Advisor and the Investment Team have limited experience managing a business development company. While we believe that the past professional experiences of the Advisor and the Investment Team, including investment and financial experience of the Advisor’s senior management, will increase the likelihood that the Advisor will be able to manage the Fund successfully, there can be no assurance that this will be the case.
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to replicate the historical results achieved by other Angelo Gordon products.
Our primary focus in making investments may differ from those of existing investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles that are or have been managed by Angelo Gordon. We may consider co-investing in portfolio investments with other investment funds, accounts or investment vehicles managed by Angelo Gordon. Any such investments will be subject to regulatory limitations and approvals by Independent Trustees. We can offer no assurance, however, that we will be able to obtain such approvals or develop opportunities that comply with such
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limitations. There can be no guarantee that we will replicate the historical results achieved by similar strategies managed by Angelo Gordon, and we caution you that our investment returns could be substantially lower than the returns achieved by them in prior periods. Additionally, all or a portion of the prior results may have been achieved in particular market conditions which may never be repeated. Moreover, current or future market volatility and regulatory uncertainty may have an adverse impact on our future performance.
Our Board may change our operating policies and strategies without prior notice or shareholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse to our results of operations and financial condition.
Our Board has the authority to modify or waive our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies without prior notice and without shareholder approval. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies would have on our business, NAV, operating results and value of our shares. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay you distributions and cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Moreover, we have significant flexibility in investing the net proceeds from the Private Offering and may use the net proceeds from the Private Offering in ways with which investors may not agree or for purposes other than those contemplated in this Registration Statement.
Our Board may amend our Declaration of Trust without prior shareholder 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. Shareholders will have the right to vote only on the following matters: (i) on any amendment which would eliminate the right to vote granted in the Declaration of Trust, (ii) on any amendment to the amendment section of the Declaration of Trust, and (iii) on any amendment submitted to shareholders by the Board.
Our ability to achieve our investment objective depends on the ability of the Advisor to manage and support our investment process. If the Advisor or Angelo Gordon were to lose any members of their respective senior management teams, our ability to achieve our investment objective could be significantly harmed.
Since we have no employees, we depend on the investment expertise, skill and network of business contacts of the broader networks of Angelo Gordon, the Advisor and its affiliates. The Advisor evaluates, negotiates, structures, executes, monitors and services our investments. Our future success depends to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination of Angelo Gordon and its senior management team. The departure of any members of Angelo Gordon’s senior management team could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective. Additionally, while the Advisor anticipates that the various Angelo Gordon teams will communicate frequently and assist each other in market intelligence and investment analysis, from time to time communications among the teams may be limited due to the possession of confidential or material non-public information. In such circumstances where the Advisor’s investment professionals are in possession of confidential or material non-public information, the Fund may not be in a position to benefit from any such information, and may be restricted from effecting certain securities transactions for the Fund that otherwise may have been effected.
Our ability to achieve our investment objective depends on the Advisor’s ability to identify and analyze, and to invest in, finance and monitor companies that meet our investment criteria. The Advisor’s capabilities in structuring the investment process, providing competent, attentive and efficient services to us, and facilitating access to financing on acceptable terms depend on the employment of investment professionals in an adequate number and of adequate sophistication to match the corresponding flow of transactions. To achieve our investment objective, the Advisor may need to hire, train, supervise and manage new investment professionals to participate in our investment selection and monitoring process. The Advisor may not be able to find investment professionals in a timely manner or at all. Failure to support our investment process could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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While the Advisor has entered into the Resource Sharing Agreement with Angelo Gordon, pursuant to which Angelo Gordon will provide the Advisor with experienced investment professionals and access to the resources of Angelo Gordon so as to enable the Advisor to fulfill its obligations under the Investment Management Agreement, there can be no assurance that Angelo Gordon will perform its obligations under the Resource Sharing Agreement. In addition, the Resource Sharing Agreement may be terminated by either party on 60 days’ notice, which if terminated may have a material adverse consequence on the Fund’s operations.
The Investment Management Agreement has been approved pursuant to Section 15 of the 1940 Act. In addition, the Investment Management Agreement has termination provisions that allow the parties to terminate the agreement. The Investment Management Agreement may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by us upon 60 days’ written notice or by the Advisor upon 120 days’ written notice. If the Investment Management Agreement is terminated, it may adversely affect the quality of our investment opportunities. In addition, in the event the Investment Management Agreement is terminated, it may be difficult for us to replace the Advisor.
Because our business model depends to a significant extent upon relationships with private equity sponsors, investment banks and commercial banks, the inability of the Advisor to maintain or develop these relationships, or the failure of these relationships to generate investment opportunities, could adversely affect our business.
The Advisor depends on the broader Angelo Gordon relationships with private equity sponsors, investment banks and commercial banks, and we rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If the Advisor or its organizations fail to maintain their existing relationships or develop new relationships with other sponsors or sources of investment opportunities, we may not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom the Advisor or its broader organizations have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for us.
We may face increasing competition for investment opportunities, which could delay deployment of our capital, reduce returns and result in losses.
We will compete for investments with other BDCs and investment funds (including private equity funds, mezzanine funds, performing and other credit funds, and funds that invest in CLOs, structured notes, derivatives and other types of collateralized securities and structured products), as well as traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of funding. These other BDCs and investment funds might be reasonable investment alternatives to us and may be less costly or complex with fewer and/or different risks than we have. Moreover, alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, have begun to invest in areas in which they have not traditionally invested, including making investments in private U.S. companies. As a result of these new entrants, competition for investment opportunities in middle market companies may intensify. Some of our competitors are more experienced, substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than we have. Furthermore, certain of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC and that the Code imposes on us as a RIC. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we are able to do. We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms or structure. If we are forced to match our competitors’ pricing, terms or structure, we may not be able to achieve acceptable returns on our investments or may bear substantial risk of capital loss. As a result of operating in such a competitive environment, we may make investments that are on less favorable terms than what we may have originally anticipated, which may impact our return on these investments.
As required by the 1940 Act, a significant portion of our investment portfolio is and will be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith and, as a result, there is and will be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.
Under the 1940 Act, we are required to carry our portfolio investments at market value or, if there is no readily available market value, at fair value as determined pursuant to policies adopted by, and subject to the oversight of, our Board. There is not a public market for the securities of the privately-held companies in which we invest. Most of our investments will not be publicly-traded or actively traded on a secondary market. As a result, we value these securities quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith as required by the 1940 Act. In connection with striking a NAV as of the last day of a month that is not also the last day of a calendar quarter, the Fund will consider whether there has been a material change to such investments as to affect their fair value, but such analysis will be more limited than the quarter end process.
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As part of our valuation process, we will take into account relevant factors in determining the fair value of the Fund’s investments without market quotations. Such factors that the Board may take into account 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, its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business and other relevant factors. Our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these non-traded securities existed. Due to this uncertainty, our fair value determinations may cause our NAV on a given date to materially differ from the value that we may ultimately realize upon the sale of one or more of our investments.
The amount of any distributions we may make is uncertain and there is a risk that investors in our shares may not receive distributions or that our distributions may decrease over time. Our distributions may exceed our earnings, particularly during the period before we have substantially invested the net proceeds from our offering. Therefore, portions of the distributions that we make may represent a return of capital to you that will reduce the amount of funds we have for investment in targeted assets.
We may fund our cash distributions to shareholders from any sources of funds available to us, including offering proceeds, borrowings, net investment income from operations, capital gains proceeds from the sale of assets, non-capital gains proceeds from the sale of assets, dividends or other distributions paid to us on account of preferred and common equity investments in portfolio companies and fee and expense reimbursement waivers from the Advisor or the Administrator, if any. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by, among other things, the impact of one or more of the risk factors described in this registration statement, including but not limited to the risk that we may not achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified or stable level of cash distributions and our distributions may decrease over time. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC may limit our ability to pay distributions. All distributions are and will be paid at the discretion of our Board and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that we will continue to pay distributions to our shareholders in the future. In the event that we encounter delays in locating suitable investment opportunities, we may pay all or a substantial portion of our distributions from borrowings or sources other than cash flow from operations in anticipation of future cash flow, which may constitute a return of your capital. A return of capital is a return of your investment, rather than a return of earnings or gains derived from our investment activities.
Our distributions to shareholders may be funded from expense reimbursements or waivers of investment advisory fees that are subject to repayment pursuant to our Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.
Substantial portions of our distributions may be funded through the reimbursement of certain expenses by our Advisor and its affiliates. Any such distributions funded through expense reimbursements or waivers of advisory fees will not be based on our investment performance, and can only be sustained if we achieve positive investment performance in future periods and/or our Advisor and its affiliates continue to make such reimbursements or waive such fees. Our future repayments of amounts reimbursed or waived by our Advisor or its affiliates will reduce the distributions that shareholders would otherwise receive in the future. There can be no assurance that we will achieve the performance necessary to be able to pay distributions at a specific rate or at all.
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We have not established any limit on the amount of funds we may use from available sources, such as borrowings, if any, or proceeds from this offering, to fund distributions (which may reduce the amount of capital we ultimately invest in assets).
We intend to generally fund distributions from operating cash flow in the ordinary course. However, shareholders should understand that we may make distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations or relying on fee or expense reimbursement waivers, if any, from the Advisor or the Administrator and that such distributions are not based on our investment performance, and can only be sustained if we achieve positive investment performance in future periods and/or the Advisor or the Administrator continues to makes such expense reimbursements, if any. The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments. To the extent that we borrow to fund distributions, the payment of interest on such borrowings will decrease the Fund’s NAV, which would also cause the price per share in this offering to decrease. Shareholders should also understand that any amounts we use to pay distributions to shareholders from sources other than cash flow from operations may be required to be repaid in the future and that our future repayments of such amounts to the Advisor or any lender will reduce the amount of the future distributions. There can be no assurance that we will achieve such performance in order to sustain these distributions, or be able to pay distributions at all. The Advisor and the Administrator have no obligation to waive fees or receipt of expense reimbursements, if any.
As a public company, we are subject to regulations not applicable to private companies, such as provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Efforts to comply with such regulations will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with such regulations may adversely affect us.
As a public company, we are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the related rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. 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 achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be adversely affected.
Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until there is a public market for our shares, which is not expected to occur.
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.
We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including our ability or inability to make investments in companies that meet our investment criteria, the interest rate payable on the loans or other debt securities we originate or acquire, the level of our expenses (including our borrowing costs), variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any previous period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.
General economic conditions could adversely affect the performance of our investments.
The global growth cycle is in a mature phase and signs of slowdown are evident in certain regions around the world, although most economists continue to expect moderate economic growth in the near term, with limited signals of an imminent recession in the U.S. as consumer and government spending remain healthy. Although the broader outlook remains constructive and progress was made on trade, including a phase one deal with China and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, geopolitical instability, including but not limited to the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, continues to pose risk. In particular, the recent outbreaks of COVID-19 and COVID-19 variants, such as the Delta and, more recently, Omicron variants, in many countries, which is a rapidly evolving situation, has disrupted global travel and supply chains, and has adversely impacted global commercial activity and a number of industries, such as transportation, hospitality, healthcare and entertainment. The rapid development and fluidity of this situation precludes any prediction as to the ultimate adverse impact of COVID-19, or any future pandemics that may arise, which may have a continued adverse impact on economic and market conditions, and may lead to significant declines in corporate earnings or loan performance, and the ability of corporate borrowers to service their debt, any of which could trigger a period of global economic slowdown, and have an adverse impact on the performance and financial results of the Fund and the value of the shares.
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Implementation of our investment strategy may be impacted by general economic conditions.
The success of the Fund’s investment strategy and our investment activities could be affected by, and will depend, in part, upon general economic and market conditions in Europe and in the rest of the world, as well as by changes in applicable laws and regulations (including laws relating to taxation of our investments), trade barriers, currency exchange controls, rate of inflation, currency depreciation, asset re-investment, resource self-sufficiency and national and international political and socioeconomic circumstances in respect of the European and other non-U.S. countries in which we may invest. These factors will affect the level and volatility of securities prices and the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, which could impair our profitability or result in losses. General fluctuations in the market prices of securities and interest rates may affect our investment opportunities and the value of our investments and prolonged disruption may prevent the Fund from advantageously realizing on or disposing of its investments. We may maintain substantial trading positions that can be adversely affected by the level of volatility in the financial markets; the larger the positions, the greater the potential for loss. Declines in the performance of national economies or the credit markets in certain jurisdictions have had a negative impact on general economic and market conditions globally, and as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Advisor’s financial condition may be adversely affected by a significant general economic downturn and it may be subject to legal, regulatory, reputational and other unforeseen risks that could have a material adverse effect on the Advisor’s businesses and operations (including those of the Fund). A recession, slowdown and/or sustained downturn in the global economy (or any particular segment thereof) could have a pronounced impact on the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s profitability, impede the ability of the Fund’s portfolio companies to perform under or refinance their existing obligations and impair the Fund’s ability to effectively deploy its capital or realize its investments on favorable terms.
In addition, economic problems in a single country are increasingly affecting other markets and economies. A continuation of this trend could adversely affect global economic conditions and world markets and, in turn, could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Any of the foregoing events could result in substantial or total losses to the Fund in respect of certain investments, which losses will likely be exacerbated by the presence of leverage in a portfolio company’s capital structure.
It may be difficult to bring suit or foreclosure in non-U.S. countries.
Because the effectiveness of the judicial systems in the countries in which the Fund may invest varies, the Fund (or any portfolio company) may have difficulty in foreclosing or successfully pursuing claims in the courts of such countries, as compared to the United States or other countries. Further, to the extent the Fund or a portfolio company may obtain a judgment but is required to seek its enforcement in the courts of one of these countries in which the Fund invests, there can be no assurance that such courts will enforce such judgment. The laws of other countries often lack the sophistication and consistency found in the United States with respect to foreclosure, bankruptcy, corporate reorganization or creditors’ rights.
The nature of bankruptcy proceedings may impact the value of the Fund’s investments.
A portfolio company may become involved in a reorganization, bankruptcy or other proceeding. In any such event, the Fund may lose its entire investment, may be required to accept cash or securities or assets with a value less than the Fund’s original investment and/or may be required to accept payment over an extended period of time.
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In the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of an obligor, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to the Fund’s investments would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before the Fund receives any distributions in respect of its investments. After repaying the senior creditors, such obligor may not have any remaining assets to repay its obligations to the Fund. In the case of debt ranking equally with the loans or debt securities in which the Fund invests, the Fund would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant investee company. Each jurisdiction in which the Fund invests has its own insolvency laws. As a result, investments in similarly situated investee companies in different jurisdictions may well confer different rights in the event of insolvency.
A portfolio company that becomes distressed or any distressed asset received by the Fund in a restructuring would require active monitoring. Involvement by the Advisor in a company’s reorganization proceedings could result in the imposition of restrictions limiting the Fund’s ability to liquidate its position therein. Bankruptcy proceedings involve a number of significant risks. Many of the events within a bankruptcy litigation are adversarial and often beyond the control of the creditors. While creditors generally are afforded an opportunity to object to significant actions, there can be no assurance that a bankruptcy court would not approve actions which may be contrary to the interests of the Fund, particularly in those jurisdictions which give a comparatively high priority to preserving the debtor company as a going concern, or to protecting the interests of either creditors with higher ranking claims in bankruptcy or of other stakeholders, such as employees.
Generally, the duration of a bankruptcy case can only be roughly estimated. The reorganization of a company usually involves the development and negotiation of a plan of reorganization, plan approval by creditors and confirmation by the bankruptcy court. This process can involve substantial legal, professional and administrative costs to the company and the Fund; it is subject to unpredictable and lengthy delays, particularly in jurisdictions which do not have specialized insolvency courts or judges and/or may have a higher risk of political interference in insolvency proceedings, all of which may have adverse consequences for the Fund. During such process, the company’s competitive position may erode, key management may depart and the company may not be able to invest adequately. In some cases, the company may not be able to reorganize and may be required to liquidate assets. Although the Fund will invest primarily in debt, the debt of companies in financial reorganization will, in most cases, not pay current interest, may not accrue interest during reorganization and may be adversely affected by an erosion of the issuer’s fundamental values. Such investments can result in a total loss of principal.
One of the protections offered in certain jurisdictions in bankruptcy proceedings is a stay on required payments by the borrower on loans or other securities. When a portfolio company or other issuer seeks relief under the bankruptcy laws of a particular jurisdiction (or has a petition filed against it), an automatic stay prevents all entities, including creditors, from foreclosing or taking other actions to enforce claims, perfect liens or reach collateral securing such claims. Creditors who have claims against the issuer prior to the date of the bankruptcy filing must generally petition the court to permit them to take any action to protect or enforce their claims or their rights in any collateral. Such creditors may be prohibited from doing so if the court concludes that the value of the property in which the creditor has an interest will be “adequately protected” during the proceedings. If the bankruptcy court’s assessment of adequate protection is inaccurate, a creditor’s collateral may be wasted without the creditor being afforded the opportunity to preserve it. Thus, even if the Fund holds a secured claim, it may be prevented from collecting the liquidation value of the collateral securing its debt, unless relief from the automatic stay is granted by the court. If relief from the stay is not granted, the Fund may not realize a distribution on account of its secured claim until a plan of reorganization or liquidation for the debtor is confirmed. Bankruptcy proceedings are inherently litigious, time consuming, highly complex and driven extensively by facts and circumstances, which can result in challenges in predicting outcomes. The equitable power of bankruptcy judges also can result in uncertainty as to the ultimate resolution of claims. A stay on payments to be made on the assets of the Fund could adversely affect the value of those assets and the Fund itself. Other protections in such proceedings may include forgiveness of debt, the ability to create super-priority liens in favor of certain creditors of the debtor and certain well-defined claims procedures. Additionally, the numerous risks inherent in the insolvency process create a potential risk of loss by the Fund of its entire investment in any particular issuer. Insolvency laws may, in certain jurisdictions, result in a restructuring of the debt without the Fund’s consent under the “cramdown” provisions of applicable insolvency laws and may also result in a discharge of all or part of the debt without payment to the Fund.
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Security interests held by creditors are closely scrutinized and frequently challenged in bankruptcy proceedings and may be invalidated for a variety of reasons. For example, security interests may be set aside because, as a technical matter, they have not been perfected properly under applicable law. If a security interest is invalidated, the secured creditor loses the value of the collateral and because loss of the secured status causes the claim to be treated as an unsecured claim, the holder of such claim will be more likely to experience a significant loss of its investment. There can be no assurance that the security interests securing the Fund’s claims will not be challenged vigorously and found defective in some respect, or that the Fund will be able to prevail against the challenge. As such, investments in issuers involved in such proceedings could subject the Fund to certain additional potential liabilities that may exceed the value of the Fund’s original investment therein.
Moreover, under applicable bankruptcy law, debt may be disallowed or subordinated to the claims of other creditors if the creditor is found guilty of certain inequitable conduct resulting in harm to other parties with respect to the affairs of a company or other issuer filing for protection from creditors. In addition, creditors’ claims may be treated as equity if they are deemed to be contributions to capital, or if a creditor attempts to control the outcome of the business affairs of an issuer prior to its filing under such laws. If a creditor is found to have interfered with an issuer’s affairs to the detriment of other creditors or shareholders, the creditor may be held liable for damages to injured parties. There can be no assurance that claims for equitable subordination or creditor liability will not be asserted with respect to the Fund’s portfolio investments.
While the challenges to liens and debt normally occur in a bankruptcy proceeding, the conditions or conduct that would lead to an attack in a bankruptcy proceeding could in certain circumstances result in actions brought by other creditors of the debtor, shareholders of the debtor or even the debtor itself in other U.S. state or U.S. federal proceedings, including pursuant to state fraudulent transfer laws. As is the case in a bankruptcy proceeding, there can be no assurance that such claims will not be asserted or that the Fund will be able successfully to defend against them. To the extent that the Fund assumes an active role in any legal proceeding involving the debtor, the Fund may be prevented from disposing of securities issued by the debtor due to the Fund’s possession of material, non-public information concerning the debtor.
U.S. bankruptcy law permits the classification of “substantially similar” claims in determining the classification of claims in a reorganization for purpose of voting on a plan of reorganization. Because the standard for classification is vague, there exists a significant risk that the Fund’s influence with respect to a class of claims can be lost by the inflation of the number and the amount of claims in, or other gerrymandering of, the class. In addition, certain administrative costs and claims that have priority by law over the claims of certain creditors (for example, claims for taxes) may be quite high.
The insolvency of a portfolio company and related proceedings may have a materially adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.
If a court in a lawsuit brought by a creditor or representative of creditors (such as a trustee in bankruptcy) of a portfolio company were to find that:
| (a) | the portfolio company did not receive fair consideration or reasonably equivalent value for incurring the indebtedness evidenced by the securities that the company issued to the Fund and |
| (b) | after giving effect to such indebtedness and the use of the proceeds thereof, the portfolio company |
| (i) | was insolvent, |
| (ii) | was engaged in a business for which its remaining assets constituted unreasonably small capital or |
| (iii) | intended to incur, or believed that it would incur, debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature, such court could |
| 1. | invalidate, in whole or in part, such indebtedness as a fraudulent conveyance, |
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| 2. | subordinate such indebtedness to existing or future creditors of the obligor or |
| 3. | recover amounts previously paid by the portfolio company to the Fund and/or proceeds with respect to such securities previously applied by the Fund, in each case, in satisfaction of such indebtedness. |
In addition, upon the insolvency of a portfolio company, payments that such portfolio company made to the Fund may be subject to avoidance, cancellation and/or clawback as a “preference” if made within a certain period of time (which may be as long as two years) before insolvency. There can be no assurance as to what standard a court would apply in order to determine whether the company was “insolvent” or that, regardless of the method of valuation, a court would not determine that the company was “insolvent,” in each case, after giving effect to the indebtedness evidenced by the securities held by the Fund and the use of the proceeds thereof.
In general, if payments are voidable, whether as fraudulent conveyances, extortionate transactions or preferences, such payments may be recaptured either from the initial recipient (such as the Fund) or from subsequent transferees of such payments, including the shareholders. To the extent that any such amounts are recaptured from the Fund, there may be a materially adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.
The above discussion is based upon U.S. federal and state laws. Insofar as investments that are obligations of non-U.S. obligors are concerned, the laws of non-U.S. jurisdictions may provide for avoidance remedies under factual circumstances similar to those described above, with consequences that may or may not be analogous to those described above under U.S. federal and state laws.
The Fund may invest in portfolio companies whose capital structures may have significant leverage, which may impair these companies’ ability to finance their future operations and capital needs.
While investments in leveraged companies offer the potential opportunity for capital appreciation, such investments also involve a higher degree of risk as a result of recessions, operating problems and other general business and economic risks that may have a more pronounced effect on the profitability or survival of such companies. Such investments are inherently more sensitive to declines in revenues, competitive pressures and increases in expenses. Moreover, rising interest rates may significantly increase portfolio companies’ interest expense, causing losses and/or the inability to service debt levels. Leverage magnifies gains and losses attributable to other investment policies and practices, such as investing in below investment grade instruments. If a portfolio company cannot generate adequate cash flow to meet debt obligations, the portfolio company may default on its loan agreements or be forced into bankruptcy resulting in a restructuring of the company’s capital structure or liquidation of the company, and the Fund may suffer a partial or total loss of capital invested in the portfolio company. Furthermore, to the extent companies in which the Fund has invested become insolvent, the Fund may determine, in cooperation with other debt holders or on its own, to engage, at the Fund’s expense in whole or in part, counsel and other advisors in connection therewith. In addition to leverage in the capital structure of portfolio companies, the Fund may incur leverage.
We are an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our shares less attractive to investors.
We will be and we will remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act until the earlier of:
| (a) | the last day of the fiscal year (i) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering, (ii) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (iii) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the date of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and |
| (b) | the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. |
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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 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares less attractive because we will rely on some or all of these exemptions.
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 Securities 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.
Any unrealized losses we experience on our portfolio may be an indication of future realized losses, which could reduce our income available for distribution.
As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at the fair value as determined in good faith by our Board. Decreases in the market value or fair value of our investments relative to amortized cost will be recorded as unrealized depreciation. Any unrealized losses in our portfolio could be an indication of a portfolio company’s inability to meet its repayment obligations to us with respect to the affected loans. This could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of our income available for distribution in future periods. In addition, decreases in the market value or fair value of our investments will reduce our NAV.
Terrorist attacks, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may adversely affect our operations.
Terrorist acts, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may disrupt our operations, as well as the operations of the businesses in which we invest. Such acts have created, and continue to create, economic and political uncertainties and have contributed to recent global economic instability. Future terrorist activities, military or security operations, global health emergencies or natural disasters could further weaken the domestic/global economies and create additional uncertainties, which may negatively impact the businesses in which we invest directly or indirectly and, in turn, could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. Losses from terrorist attacks, global health emergencies or natural disasters are generally uninsurable.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine may have a material adverse impact on us and our portfolio companies.
Commencing in 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military to begin massing thousands of military personnel and equipment near its border with Ukraine and in Crimea, representing the largest mobilization since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. President Putin has initiated troop movements into the eastern portion of Ukraine and continues to threaten an all-out invasion of Ukraine. On February 22, 2022, the United States and several European nations announced sanctions against Russia in response to Russia’s actions. On February 24, 2022, President Putin commenced a full-scale invasion of Russia’s pre-positioned forces into Ukraine, which could have a negative impact on the economy and business activity globally (including in the countries in which the Fund may invest), and therefore could adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments. Furthermore, the conflict between the two nations and the varying involvement of the United States and other NATO countries could preclude prediction as to their ultimate adverse impact on global economic and market conditions, and, as a result, presents material uncertainty and risk with respect to the Fund and the performance of its investments or operations, and the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objectives. Additionally, to the extent that third parties, investors, or related customer bases have material operations or assets in Russia or Ukraine, they may have adverse consequences related to the ongoing conflict.
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Force Majeure events may adversely affect our operations.
The Fund may be affected by force majeure events (e.g., acts of God, fire, flood, earthquakes, outbreaks of an infectious disease, pandemic or any other serious public health concern, war, terrorism, nationalization of industry and labor strikes). Force majeure events could adversely affect the ability of the Fund or a counterparty to perform its obligations. The liability and cost arising out of a failure to perform obligations as a result of a force majeure event could be considerable and could be borne by the Fund. Certain force majeure events, such as war or an outbreak of an infectious disease, could have a broader negative impact on the global or local economy, thereby affecting the Fund. Additionally, a major governmental intervention into industry, including the nationalization of an industry or the assertion of control, could result in a loss to the Fund if an investment is affected, and any compensation provided by the relevant government may not be adequate.
The current outbreak of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, has caused severe disruptions in the U.S. and global economy and is expected to have a materially adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Beginning December 2019 into the first quarter of 2020, there was a global outbreak of COVID-19, which has spread to over 100 countries, including the United States, and has spread to every state in the United States. On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization designated COVID-19 as a pandemic, and on March 13, 2020 the United States declared a national emergency with respect to COVID-19. The global impact of the outbreak has been rapidly evolving, and as cases and variants of COVID-19 have continued to be identified in additional countries, many countries have reacted by instituting quarantines, restrictions on travel, closing financial markets and/or restricting trading, and limiting hours of operations of non-essential businesses. Such actions are creating disruption in global supply chains, and adversely impacting a number of industries, including industries in which our portfolio companies operate. The outbreak could have a continued adverse impact on economic and market conditions and has triggered a period of global economic slowdown.
The outbreak and continued spread of COVID-19 and related effects could have a material adverse impact on our NAV, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, and the businesses of our portfolio companies, among other factors. Negative impacts to our business as a result of the pandemic could exacerbate other risks described in this prospectus, including:
| • | weakening financial conditions of or the bankruptcy or insolvency of portfolio companies, which may result in the inability of such portfolio companies to meet debt obligations, delays in collecting accounts receivable, defaults, or forgiveness or deferral of interest payments from such portfolio companies; |
| • | significant volatility in the markets for syndicated loans, which could cause rapid and large fluctuations in the values of such investments and adverse effects on the liquidity of any such investments; |
| • | deteriorations in credit and financing market conditions, which may adversely impact our ability to access financing for our investments on favorable terms or at all; |
| • | operational impacts on our Advisor, Administrator and our other third-party advisors, service providers, vendors and counterparties, including independent valuation firms, our lenders and other providers of financing, brokers and other counterparties that we purchase and sell assets to and from, derivative counterparties, and legal and diligence professionals that we rely on for acquiring our investments; |
| • | limitations on our ability to ensure business continuity in the event our, or our third-party advisors’ and service providers’ continuity of operations plan is not effective or improperly implemented or deployed during a disruption; |
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| • | the availability of key personnel of the Advisor, Administrator and our other service providers as they face changed circumstances and potential illness during the pandemic; |
| • | difficulty in valuing our assets in light of significant changes in the financial markets, including difficulty in forecasting discount rates and making market comparisons, and circumstances affecting the Advisor’s, Administrator’s and our service providers’ personnel during the pandemic; |
| • | limitations on our ability to raise capital in the Private Offering; |
| • | significant changes to the valuations of pending investments; |
| • | limitations on our ability to make distributions to our shareholders due to material adverse impacts on our cash flows from operations or liquidity; and |
| • | our ability to effectuate the Merger as intended. |
The rapid development and fluidity of this situation precludes any prediction as to the ultimate adverse impact of the novel coronavirus on economic and market conditions, and, as a result, present material uncertainty and risk with respect to us and the performance of our investments. The full extent of the impact and effects of COVID-19 will depend on future developments, including, among other factors, the duration and spread of the outbreak, along with the emergence of further strains and variants of COVID-19, related travel advisories, quarantines and restrictions, the recovery time of the disrupted supply chains and industries, the impact of labor market interruptions, the impact of government interventions, and uncertainty with respect to the duration of the global economic slowdown. COVID-19 and the current financial, economic and capital markets environment, and future developments in these and other areas present uncertainty and risk with respect to our performance, financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay distributions.
Inflation may adversely affect our business and operations and those of our portfolio companies.
Economic activity has continued to accelerate across sectors and regions. Nevertheless, due to global supply chain issues, a rise in energy prices and strong consumer demand as economies continue to reopen, inflation is showing signs of acceleration in the U.S. and globally. Inflation is likely to continue in the near to medium-term, particularly in the U.S., with the possibility that monetary policy may tighten in response. Certain of our portfolio companies may be impacted by inflation and persistent inflationary pressures could negatively affect our portfolio companies profit margins.
The capital markets are currently in a period of disruption and economic uncertainty. Such market conditions have materially and adversely affected debt and equity capital markets may have a negative impact on our business and operations.
The U.S. capital markets have experienced extreme volatility and disruption following the global outbreak of COVID-19 that began in December 2019, as evidenced by the volatility in global stock markets as a result of, among other things, uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the fluctuating price of commodities such as oil. Despite actions of the U.S. federal government and foreign governments, these events have contributed to unpredictable general economic conditions that are materially and adversely impacting the broader financial and credit markets and reducing the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole. These conditions could continue for a prolonged period of time or worsen in the future.
Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the circumstances, it is difficult to predict the full impact of COVID-19 on our business. The extent of such impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain, including when the coronavirus and associated variants can be controlled and abated and whether there will be additional economic shutdowns. As the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related adverse local and national economic consequences, we could be subject to any of the following risks, any of which could have a material, adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations:
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| • | Current market conditions may make it difficult to raise equity capital because, subject to some limited exceptions, as a BDC, we are generally not able to issue additional Common Shares at a price less than our current NAV per share without first obtaining approval for such issuance from our shareholders and our Independent Trustees. In addition, these market conditions may make it difficult to access or obtain new indebtedness with attractive terms. |
| • | Significant changes or volatility in the capital markets may also have a negative effect on the valuations of our prospective investments. While we expect that most of our investments will not be publicly traded, applicable accounting standards will require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan on holding an investment through its maturity). |
| • | Significant changes in the capital markets, such as the ongoing disruption in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, may adversely affect the pace of our investment activity and economic activity generally. Additionally, the recent disruption in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have a negative effect on the potential for liquidity events involving our prospective investments. The illiquidity of our prospective investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments to access capital if required, and as a result, we could realize significantly less than the value at which we will record our investments if we were required to sell them for liquidity purposes. An inability to raise or access capital, and any required sale of all or a portion of our investments as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. |
The current period of capital markets disruption and economic uncertainty may make it difficult to obtain indebtedness and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Current market conditions may make it difficult to obtain indebtedness and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business. The debt capital that will be available to us in the future, if at all, may be at a higher cost and on less favorable terms and conditions than what we currently expect to experience, including being at a higher cost in rising rate environments. If we are unable to raise debt, then our equity investors may not benefit from the potential for increased returns on equity resulting from leverage and we may be limited in our ability to make commitments. An inability to obtain indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We may face a breach of our cyber security, which could result in adverse consequences to our operations and exposure of confidential information.
Cyber security incidents and cyber-attacks have been occurring globally at a more frequent and severe level and will likely continue to increase in frequency in the future. Angelo Gordon and its affiliates and portfolio companies’ and service providers’ information and technology systems may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from cyber security breaches, computer viruses or other malicious code, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and other security breaches, or usage errors by their respective professionals or service providers. If unauthorized parties gain access to such information and technology systems, they may be able to steal, publish, delete or modify private and sensitive information, including non-public personal information related to shareholders (and their beneficial owners) and material non-public information. Although Angelo Gordon has implemented, and portfolio companies and service providers may implement, various measures to manage risks relating to these types of events, such systems could prove to be inadequate and, if compromised, could become inoperable for extended periods of time, cease to function properly or fail to adequately secure private information. Angelo Gordon does not control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to Angelo Gordon, its affiliates, the Fund, the shareholders and/or a portfolio company, each of which could be negatively impacted as a result. Breaches such as those involving covertly introduced malware, impersonation of authorized users and industrial or other espionage may not be identified even with sophisticated prevention and detection systems, potentially resulting in further harm and preventing them from being addressed appropriately. The failure of these systems and/or of disaster recovery plans for any reason could cause significant interruptions in
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Angelo Gordon’s, its affiliates’, the Fund’s and/or a portfolio company’s operations and result in a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data, including personal information relating to shareholders (and their beneficial owners), material non-public information and the intellectual property and trade secrets and other sensitive information of Angelo Gordon and/or portfolio companies. Angelo Gordon, the Fund and/or a portfolio company could be required to make a significant investment to remedy the effects of any such failures, harm to their reputations, legal claims that they and their respective affiliates may be subjected to, regulatory action or enforcement arising out of applicable privacy and other laws, adverse publicity, and other events that may affect their business and financial performance.
We may not be able to obtain all required state licenses or in any other jurisdiction where they may be required in the future.
We may be required to obtain various state licenses in order to, among other things, originate commercial loans, and may be required to obtain similar licenses from other authorities, including outside of the United States, in the future in connection with one or more investments. Applying for and obtaining required licenses can be costly and take several months. There is no assurance that we will obtain all of the licenses that we need on a timely basis. Furthermore, we will be subject to various information and other requirements in order to obtain and maintain these licenses, and there is no assurance that we will satisfy those requirements. Our failure to obtain or maintain licenses might restrict investment options and have other adverse consequences.
The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union may create significant risks and uncertainty for global markets and the Fund’s investments.
The United Kingdom (the “UK”) formally left the European Union (the “EU”) on January 31, 2020 (commonly known as “Brexit”). The UK-EU trade relationship as it previously existed expired on December 31, 2020. On December 24, 2020, the UK and the EU announced that they had struck a new trade and cooperation deal (the “EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement” or the “TCA”) governing the future relationship between the UK and the EU, which was formally approved by the member states of the EU on December 29, 2020. The TCA was formally approved by the UK parliament on December 30, 2020, was formally ratified by the EU parliament in April 2021 and, on May 1, 2021, the TCA, became effective. The TCA provides the United Kingdom and EU members with preferential access to each other’s markets, without tariffs or quotas on imported products between the jurisdictions, provided that certain rules of origin requirements are complied with. However, economic relations between the United Kingdom and the EU will now be on more restricted terms than existed prior to Brexit. The long-term effects of Brexit are expected to depend on, among other things, any agreements the UK has made, or makes to retain access to EU markets. Brexit could adversely affect European or worldwide economic or market conditions and could contribute to instability in global financial and real estate markets. In addition, Brexit could lead to legal uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations as the UK determines which EU laws to replace or replicate. Any of these effects of Brexit, and others we cannot anticipate, could adversely affect our business, business opportunities, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Likewise, similar actions taken by other European and other countries in which we operate could have a similar or even more profound impact.
Since the June 2016 referendum in the UK, global financial markets have experienced significant volatility due to the uncertainty around Brexit. There will likely continue to be considerable uncertainty as to the UK’s post-withdrawal and post-transition framework, in particular as to the arrangements which will apply to its relationships with the EU and with other countries. This process and/or the uncertainty associated with it may adversely affect the return on investments economically tied to the UK (and consequently the Fund). This may be due to, among other things:
| (i) | increased uncertainty and volatility in UK, EU and other financial markets; |
| (ii) | fluctuations in asset values; |
| (iii) | fluctuations in exchange rates; |
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| (iv) | increased illiquidity of investments located, listed or traded within the UK, the EU or elsewhere; |
| (v) | changes in the willingness or ability of financial and other counterparties to enter into transactions, or the price at which and terms on which they are prepared to transact; and/or |
| (vi) | changes in legal and regulatory regimes to which the Fund’s investments are or become subject. |
We are subject to risks related to corporate social responsibility.
Our business faces increasing public scrutiny related to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) activities. We risk damage to our brand and reputation if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas, such as environmental stewardship, corporate governance and transparency and considering ESG factors in our investment processes. Adverse incidents with respect to ESG activities could impact the value of our brand, the cost of our operations and relationships with investors, all of which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Additionally, new regulatory initiatives related to ESG could adversely affect our business.
Risks Related to Our Investments
Our investments in prospective portfolio companies may be risky, and we could lose all or part of our investment.
Our investments may be risky and there is no limit on the amount of any such investments in which we may invest. In addition, investment analyses and decisions by the Fund and the Advisor will often be undertaken on an expedited basis in order for the Fund to take advantage of investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available to the Fund and the Advisor at the time of an investment decision may be limited, and the Fund and the Advisor may not have access to the detailed information necessary for a full evaluation of the investment opportunity. In addition, the financial information available to the Fund and the Advisor may not be accurate or provided based upon accepted accounting methods. The Fund and the Advisor will rely upon independent consultants or advisors in connection with the evaluation of proposed investments. There can be no assurance that these consultants or advisors will accurately evaluate such investments.
As of the date hereof, none of the Fund’s investments have been identified, committed to, settled or traded and there are risks associated with such unspecified transactions, including but not limited to there being no assurance of investment returns related to our investments.
As of the date hereof, none of the Fund’s investments have been identified, committed to, settled or traded. Investors will be relying on the ability of the Advisor to source, negotiate, consummate and syndicate Fund originated loans (each, a “loan” and, together with other portfolio investments, the “portfolio investments”) using the investments of shareholders, and there is no assurance that the Advisor will find a sufficient number of attractive opportunities to meet the Fund’s investment objectives or that the Fund will be able to make and realize its investment objective. The realizable value of a highly illiquid investment, at any given time, may be less than its intrinsic value. In addition, certain types of investments held by the Fund may require a substantial length of time to liquidate. Furthermore, to the extent the investment strategy of the Fund relies upon a certain set of market and economic conditions and such conditions do not materialize for an extended period of time, the Fund may not be able to invest a significant portion of the proceeds. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to generate returns for its investors or that the returns will be commensurate with the risks of investing in the type of portfolio investments and transactions described herein.
Any information included in any of the Fund’s marketing materials regarding targeted returns for the Fund is provided as an indicator as to how the Fund will be managed and is not intended to be viewed as an indicator of likely performance returns to investors in the Fund. Any targeted return information is based upon projections, estimates and assumptions that a potential investment will yield a return equal to or greater than the target. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s projections, estimates or assumptions will be realized or that the Advisor will be successful in finding investment opportunities that meet these anticipated return parameters.
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Debt Instruments Generally. The Fund will invest in debt and credit-related instruments. Such debt may be unsecured and structurally or contractually subordinated to substantial amounts of senior indebtedness, all or a significant portion of which may be secured. Moreover, such debt investments may not be protected by financial covenants or limitations upon additional indebtedness and there is no minimum credit rating for such debt investments. Other factors may materially and adversely affect the market price and yield of such debt investments, including investor demand, changes in the financial condition of the applicable issuer, government fiscal policy and domestic or worldwide economic conditions. Certain debt instruments in which the Fund may invest may have speculative characteristics.
Generally, speculative investments securities offer a higher return potential than higher-rated securities, but involve greater volatility of price and greater risk of loss of income and principal. The issuers of such instruments (including sovereign issuers) may face significant ongoing uncertainties and exposure to adverse conditions that may undermine the issuer’s ability to make timely payment of interest and principal. Such instruments are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligations and involve major risk exposure to adverse conditions. In addition, an economic recession could severely disrupt the market for most of these instruments and may have an adverse impact on the value of such instruments. It also is likely that any such economic downturn could adversely affect the ability of the issuers of such instruments to repay principal and pay interest thereon and increase the incidence of default for such instruments.
Loans Risk. The loans that the Fund may invest in include loans that are first lien, second lien or that are unsecured. In addition, the loans the Fund will invest in will usually be rated below investment grade or may also be unrated. Loans are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this prospectus, including credit risk, liquidity risk, below investment grade instruments risk and management risk.
Although certain loans in which the Fund may invest will be secured by collateral, there can be no assurance that such collateral could be readily liquidated or that the liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a loan. In the event of a decline in the value of the already pledged collateral, if the terms of a loan do not require the borrower to pledge additional collateral, the Fund will be exposed to the risk that the value of the collateral will not at all times equal or exceed the amount of the borrower’s obligations under the loans. To the extent that a loan is collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose some or all of its value in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the borrower. Those loans that are under-collateralized involve a greater risk of loss.
Further, there is a risk that any collateral pledged by portfolio companies in which the Fund has taken a security interest may decrease in value over time or lose its entire value, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of the portfolio company to raise additional capital. To the extent the Fund’s debt investment is collateralized by the securities of a portfolio company’s subsidiaries, such securities may lose some or all of their value in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the portfolio company. Also, in some circumstances, the Fund’s security interest may be contractually or structurally subordinated to claims of other creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio company’s financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the debt. Secured debt that is under-collateralized involves a greater risk of loss. In addition, second lien debt is granted a second priority security interest in collateral, which means that any realization of collateral will generally be applied to pay senior secured debt in full before second lien debt is paid. Consequently, the fact that debt is secured does not guarantee that the Fund will receive principal and interest payments according to the debt’s terms, or at all, or that the Fund will be able to collect on the debt should it be forced to enforce remedies.
Loans are not registered with the SEC, or any state securities commission, and are not listed on any national securities exchange. There is less readily available or reliable information about most loans than is the case for many other types of securities, including securities issued in transactions registered under the Securities Act or registered under the Exchange Act. No active trading market may exist for some loans, and some loans may be subject to restrictions on resale. A secondary market may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask
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spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may impair the ability to realize full value and thus cause a material decline in the Fund’s NAV. In addition, the Fund may not be able to readily dispose of its loans at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such loans if they were more widely-traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. During periods of limited supply and liquidity of loans, the Fund’s yield may be lower.
Some loans are subject to the risk that a court, pursuant to fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws, could subordinate the loans to presently existing or future indebtedness of the borrower or take other action detrimental to lenders, including the Fund. Such court action could under certain circumstances include invalidation of loans.
If legislation of state or federal regulations impose additional requirements or restrictions on the ability of financial institutions to make loans, the availability of loans for investment by the Fund may be adversely affected. In addition, such requirements or restrictions could reduce or eliminate sources of financing for certain borrowers. This would increase the risk of default.
If legislation or federal or state regulations require financial institutions to increase their capital requirements this may cause financial institutions to dispose of loans that are considered highly levered transactions. Such sales could result in prices that, in the opinion of the Advisor, do not represent fair value.
If the Fund attempts to sell a loan at a time when a financial institution is engaging in such a sale, the price the Fund could get for the loan may be adversely affected.
The Fund may acquire loans through assignments or participations. The Fund will typically acquire loans through assignment. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser’s rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral.
A participation typically results in a contractual relationship only with the institution selling the participation interest, not with the borrower. Sellers of participations typically include banks, broker-dealers, other financial institutions and lending institutions. Certain participation agreements also include the option to convert the participation to a full assignment under agreed upon circumstances.
In purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation. Further, in purchasing participations in lending syndicates, the Fund will not be able to conduct the due diligence on the borrower or the quality of the loan with respect to which it is buying a participation that the Fund would otherwise conduct if it were investing directly in the loan, which may result in the Fund being exposed to greater credit or fraud risk with respect to the borrower or the loan than the Fund expected when initially purchasing the participation.
The Fund also may originate loans or acquire loans by participating in the initial issuance of the loan as part of a syndicate of banks and financial institutions, or receive its interest in a loan directly from the borrower.
Loan Origination. The Advisor will originate loans on behalf of the Fund. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies, particularly companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties, is high. There can be no assurance that the Advisor and the Fund will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing these loans or the prospects for successful repayment or a successful reorganization or similar action.
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In accordance with Angelo Gordon’s co-investment exemptive order, the Fund’s ability to acquire loans could be dependent on the existence and performance of Angelo Gordon’s origination platform, which includes other fund’s managed by Angelo Gordon and enables Angelo Gordon to commit in size to multiple deals. Therefore, a decrease in Angelo Gordon’s origination platform or its inability to acquire investments suitable for the Fund could reduce or possibly eliminate the ability of the Fund to participate in certain loans within the Fund’s investment objective and would have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s performance. Other Angelo Gordon funds could be subject to certain restrictions on the types of investments they can make, and such restrictions may in effect limit the types of investments the Fund could make to the extent that the Fund is dependent on Angelo Gordon’s origination platform.
Loan origination involves a number of particular risks that may not exist in the case of secondary debt purchases. Angelo Gordon may have to rely more on its own resources to conduct due diligence of the borrower, and such borrower may in some circumstances present a higher credit risk and/or could not obtain debt financing in the syndicated markets. As a result, the diligence is likely to be more limited than the diligence conducted for a broadly syndicated transaction involving an underwriter. Loan origination may also involve additional regulatory risks given licensing requirements for certain types of lending in some jurisdictions, and the scope of these regulatory requirements (and certain permitted exemptions) may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and may change from time to time. In addition, in originating loans, the Fund will compete with a broad spectrum of lenders, some of which may have greater financial resources than the Fund, and some of which may be willing to lend money on better terms (from a borrower’s standpoint) than the Fund. Increased competition for, or a diminution in the available supply of, qualifying loans may result in lower yields on such loans, which could reduce returns to the Fund. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies, particularly companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. There is no assurance that the Advisor will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing these loans or the prospects for successful repayment or a successful reorganization or similar action.
Given that the Fund intends to engage in originating, lending and/or servicing loans, the Fund may therefore also be subject to state and federal regulation, borrower disclosure requirements, limits on fees and interest rates on some loans, state lender licensing requirements and other regulatory requirements in the conduct of its business as they pertain to such transactions. The Fund may also be subject to consumer disclosures and substantive requirements on consumer loan terms and other federal regulatory requirements applicable to consumer lending that are administered by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other applicable regulatory authorities. These state and federal regulatory programs are designed to protect borrowers.
Senior Loans. The investment objective of the Fund includes investing in senior secured loans. As such, the assets of the Fund may include first lien senior secured debt and may also include selected second lien senior secured debt, the latter of which involves a higher degree of risk of a loss of capital.
The factors affecting an issuer’s first and second lien loans, and its overall capital structure, are complex. Some first lien loans may not necessarily have priority over all other unsecured debt of an issuer. For example, some first lien loans may permit other secured obligations (such as overdrafts, swaps or other derivatives made available by members of the syndicate to the company), or involve first liens only on specified assets of an issuer (e.g., excluding real estate). Issuers of first lien loans may have multiple tranches of first lien debt outstanding, each with first liens on separate collateral, or may share first liens on the same collateral. Furthermore, liens with respect to primarily U.S. financings generally only cover U.S. assets, and non-U.S. assets are not included (other than, for example, where a borrower pledges a portion of the stock of first-tier non-U.S. subsidiaries). In the event of Chapter 11 filing by an issuer, the U.S. Bankruptcy Code authorizes the issuer to use a creditor’s collateral and to obtain additional credit by grant of a prior lien on its property, senior even to liens that were first in priority prior to the filing, as long as the issuer provides what the presiding bankruptcy judge considers to be “adequate protection,” which may, but need not always, consist of the grant of replacement or additional liens or the making of cash payments to the affected secured creditor. The imposition of prior liens on the Fund’s collateral would adversely affect the priority of the liens and claims held by the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s recovery on its leveraged loans.
Any secured debt is secured only to the extent of its lien and only to the extent of the value of underlying assets or incremental proceeds on already secured assets. Moreover, underlying assets are subject to credit, liquidity, and interest rate risk. Although the amount and characteristics of the underlying assets selected as collateral may allow the Fund to withstand certain assumed deficiencies in payments occasioned by the borrower’s default, if any deficiencies exceed such assumed levels or if underlying assets are sold, it is possible that the proceeds of such sale or disposition will not be sufficient to satisfy the amount of principal and interest owing to the Fund in respect of its investment.
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Senior secured credit facilities are generally syndicated to a number of different financial market participants. The documentation governing such facilities typically requires either a majority consent or, in certain cases, unanimous approval for certain actions in respect of the credit, such as waivers, amendments, or the exercise of remedies. In addition, voting to accept or reject the terms of a restructuring of a credit pursuant to a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization is done on a class basis. As a result of these voting regimes, the Fund may not have the ability to control any decision in respect of any amendment, waiver, exercise of remedies, restructuring or reorganization of debts owed to the Fund.
Senior secured loans are also subject to other risks, including:
| (i) | the possible invalidation of a debt or lien as a “fraudulent conveyance”; |
| (ii) | the recovery as a “preference” of liens perfected or payments made on account of a debt in the 90 days before a bankruptcy filing; |
| (iii) | equitable subordination claims by other creditors; |
| (iv) | “lender liability” claims by the portfolio company of the obligations; and |
| (v) | environmental and/or other liabilities that may arise with respect to collateral securing the obligations. |
Decisions in bankruptcy cases have held that a secondary loan market assignee can be denied a recovery from the debtor in a bankruptcy if a prior holder of the loans either received and does not return a preference or fraudulent conveyance, or if such prior holder engaged in conduct that would qualify for equitable subordination.
The Fund’s investments may be subject to early redemption features, refinancing options, pre-payment options or similar provisions that, in each case, could result in the portfolio company repaying the principal on an obligation held by the Fund earlier than expected. As a consequence, the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective may be adversely affected.
These risks are magnified for stretch senior loans. Stretch senior loans are senior loans that have a greater loan-to-value ratio than traditional senior loans and typically carry a higher interest rate to compensate for the additional risk. Because stretch senior loans have a greater loan-to-value ratio, there is potentially less over-collateralization available to cover the entire principal of the stretch senior loan.
Equity Investments. We may make investments in common and other equity securities. Although common stock has historically generated higher average total returns than fixed income securities over the long term, common stock also has experienced significantly more volatility in those returns. The equity securities we acquire may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless, and our ability to recover our investment will depend on our portfolio company’s success. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks. While there are many types of equity securities, prices of all equity securities will fluctuate. Any equity investment we make in a portfolio company could be subject to further dilution as a result of the issuance of additional equity interests and to serious risks as a junior security that will be subordinate to all indebtedness (including trade creditors) or other senior securities in the event that the issuer is unable to meet its obligations or becomes subject to a bankruptcy process. To the extent that the portfolio company requires additional capital and is unable to obtain it, we may not recover our investment. In some cases, equity securities in which we invest will not pay current dividends, and our ability to realize a return on our investment, as well as to recover our investment, will be dependent on the success of the portfolio company.
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We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the equity securities of investment funds that are operating pursuant to the exceptions set forth in Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act and, to the extent we so invest, will bear our ratable share of any such company’s expenses, including management and performance fees. We will also remain obligated to pay the management fee and incentive fee to the Advisor with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of such companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of our common shareholders will bear his or her share of the management fee and incentive fee due to the Advisor as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any such investment funds or advisers.
Preferred Securities. Investments in preferred securities involve certain risks. Certain preferred securities contain provisions that allow an issuer under certain conditions to skip or defer distributions. If the Fund owns a preferred security that is deferring its distribution, the Fund may be required to include the amount of the deferred distribution in its taxable income for tax purposes although it does not currently receive such amount in cash. In order to receive the special treatment accorded to RICs and their shareholders under the Code and to avoid U.S. federal income and/or excise taxes at the Fund level, the Fund may be required to distribute this income to shareholders in the tax year in which the income is recognized (without a corresponding receipt of cash). Therefore, the Fund may be required to pay out as an income distribution in any such tax year an amount greater than the total amount of cash income the Fund actually received, and to sell portfolio securities, including at potentially disadvantageous times or prices, to obtain cash needed for these income distributions. Preferred securities often are subject to legal provisions that allow for redemption in the event of certain tax or legal changes or at the issuer’s call. In the event of redemption, the Fund may not be able to reinvest the proceeds at comparable rates of return. Preferred securities are subordinated to bonds and other debt securities in an issuer’s capital structure in terms of priority for corporate income and liquidation payments, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt securities. Preferred securities may trade less frequently and in a more limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than many other securities, such as common stocks, corporate debt securities and U.S. government securities.
Non-U.S. Securities. We may invest in non-U.S. securities, which may include securities denominated in U.S. dollars or in non-U.S. currencies, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Because evidence of ownership of such securities usually is held outside the United States, we would be subject to additional risks if we invested in non-U.S. securities, which include possible adverse political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits and adoption of governmental restrictions, which might adversely affect or restrict the payment of principal and interest on the non-U.S. securities to shareholders located outside the country of the issuer, whether from currency blockage or otherwise. Because non-U.S. securities may be purchased with and payable in foreign currencies, the value of these assets as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected unfavorably by changes in currency rates and exchange control regulations.
Subordinated Debt. Our subordinated debt investments will generally rank junior in priority of payment to senior debt and will generally be unsecured. This may result in a heightened level of risk and volatility or a loss of principal, which could lead to the loss of the entire investment. These investments may involve additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns. To the extent interest payments associated with such debt are deferred, such debt may be subject to greater fluctuations in valuations, and such debt could subject us and our shareholders to non-cash income. Because we will not receive any principal repayments prior to the maturity of some of our subordinated debt investments, such investments will be of greater risk than amortizing loans.
Below Investment Grade Risk. In addition, we intend to invest 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 difficult to value and illiquid. The major risks of below investment grade securities include:
| • | Below investment grade securities may be issued by less creditworthy issuers. Issuers of below investment grade securities may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade securities. In the event of an issuer’s bankruptcy, claims of other creditors may have priority over the claims of holders of below investment grade securities, leaving few or no assets available to repay holders of below investment grade securities. |
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| • | Prices of below investment grade securities are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Adverse changes in an issuer’s industry and general economic conditions may have a greater impact on the prices of below investment grade securities than on other higher-rated fixed-income securities. |
| • | Issuers of below investment grade securities may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments or the unavailability of additional financing. |
| • | Below investment grade securities frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from us before it matures. If the issuer redeems below investment grade securities, we may have to invest the proceeds in securities with lower yields and may lose income. |
| • | Below investment grade securities may be less liquid than higher-rated fixed-income securities, even under normal economic conditions. There are fewer dealers in the below investment grade securities market, and there may be significant differences in the prices quoted by the dealers. Judgment may play a greater role in valuing these securities and we may be unable to sell these securities at an advantageous time or price. |
| • | We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer. |
The credit rating of a high-yield security does not necessarily address its market value risk. Ratings and market value may change from time to time, positively or negatively, to reflect new developments regarding the issuer.
LIBOR Risk. Changes in the method of determining LIBOR, or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate, may adversely affect our credit arrangements.
On December 31, 2021, GBP, CHF, EUR and JPY LIBOR, as well as 1-week and 2-month tenors of USD LIBOR were discontinued. The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates LIBOR, has noted in a March 5, 2021 announcement that June 30, 2023 is the cessation date for the other five tenors (overnight, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month). The FCA also plans to publish “synthetic” 1-month, 3-month and 6-month rates for GBP and JPY LIBOR for a limited time. New York State legislation was signed into law to aid “tough legacy” LIBOR contracts. Other legislative solutions are being pursued at the Federal level in the U.S., however, there continues to be uncertainty regarding the scope and timing of such legislation. To accelerate the transition away from LIBOR, the Federal Reserve Board (the U.S. Federal Reserve System or the “FRS”), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued joint supervisory guidance to cease entering into new contracts referencing USD LIBOR after December 31, 2021 (note there are limited exceptions related to derivative product use)
As an alternative to LIBOR, the FRS, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, has recommended replacing U.S.-dollar LIBOR with the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), a new index calculated by short-term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities. Abandonment of or modifications to LIBOR could have adverse impacts on newly issued financial instruments and our existing financial instruments which reference LIBOR. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments may have such provisions and there is significant uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of any such alternative methodologies. Abandonment of or modifications to LIBOR could lead to significant short-term and long-term uncertainty and market instability. We and our portfolio companies may need to amend or restructure our existing LIBOR-based debt instruments and any related hedging arrangements that extend beyond December 31, 2021, or June 30, 2023, depending on the applicable LIBOR tenor and the existing contractual provisions (i.e., fallback language). Such amendments and restructurings may be difficult, costly and time consuming. In addition, from time to time we invest in floating rate loans and investment securities whose interest rates are indexed to LIBOR. Uncertainty as to the nature of alternative reference rates and as to potential changes or other reforms to LIBOR, or any changes announced with respect to such reforms, may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in the reported LIBOR rates and the value of LIBOR-based loans and securities, including those of other issuers we or our funds currently own or may in the future own. It remains uncertain how such changes would be implemented and the effects such changes would have on us, issuers of instruments in which we invest and financial markets generally.
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The expected discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant impact on our business. There could be significant operational challenges for the transition away from LIBOR including, but not limited to, amending loan agreements with borrowers on investments that may have not been modified with fallback language and adding effective fallback language to new agreements in the event that LIBOR is discontinued before maturity. Beyond these challenges, we anticipate there may be additional risks to our current processes and information systems that will need to be identified and evaluated by us. Due to the uncertainty of the replacement for LIBOR, the potential effect of any such event on our cost of capital and net investment income cannot yet be determined. In addition, the cessation of LIBOR could:
| • | Adversely impact the pricing, liquidity, value of, return on and trading for a broad array of financial products, including any LIBOR-linked securities, loans and derivatives that may be included in our assets and liabilities; |
| • | Require extensive changes to documentation that governs or references LIBOR or LIBOR-based products, including, for example, pursuant to time-consuming renegotiations of documentation to modify the terms of investments; |
| • | Result in inquiries or other actions from regulators in respect of our preparation and readiness for the replacement of LIBOR with one or more alternative reference rates; |
| • | Result in disputes, litigation or other actions with portfolio companies, or other counterparties, regarding the interpretation and enforceability of provisions in our LIBOR-based investments, such as fallback language or other related provisions, including, in the case of fallbacks to the alternative reference rates, any economic, legal, operational or other impact resulting from the fundamental differences between LIBOR and the various alternative reference rates; |
| • | Require the transition and/or development of appropriate systems and analytics to effectively transition our risk management processes from LIBOR-based products to those based on one or more alternative reference rates, which may prove challenging given the limited history of the proposed alternative reference rates; and |
| • | Cause us to incur additional costs in relation to any of the above factors. |
There is no guarantee that a transition from LIBOR to an alternative will not result in financial market disruptions, significant increases in benchmark rates, or borrowing costs to borrowers, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, result of operations, financial condition, and unit price. In addition, the transition to a successor rate could potentially cause (i) increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments that currently rely on LIBOR, (ii) a reduction in the value of certain instruments held by the Fund, or (iii) reduced effectiveness of related Fund transactions, such as hedging. It remains uncertain how such changes would be implemented and the effects such changes would have on the Fund, issuers of instruments in which the Fund invests and financial markets generally.
Junior, Unsecured Securities. Our strategy may entail acquiring securities that are junior or unsecured instruments. While this approach can facilitate obtaining control and then adding value through active management, it also means that certain of the Fund’s investments may be unsecured. If a portfolio company becomes financially distressed or insolvent and does not successfully reorganize, we will have no assurance (compared to those distressed securities investors that acquire only fully collateralized positions) that we will recover any of the principal that we have invested. Similarly, investments in “last out” pieces of unitranche loans will be similar to second lien loans in that such investments will be junior in priority to the “first out” piece of the same unitranche loan with respect to payment of principal, interest and other amounts. Consequently, the fact that debt is secured does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the debt’s terms, or at all, or that we will be able to collect on the debt should it be forced to enforce its remedies.
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While such junior or unsecured investments may benefit from the same or similar financial and other covenants as those enjoyed by the indebtedness ranking more senior to such investments and may benefit from cross-default provisions and security over the issuer’s assets, some or all of such terms may not be part of particular investments. Moreover, our ability to influence an issuer’s affairs, especially during periods of financial distress or following insolvency, is likely to be substantially less than that of senior creditors. For example, under typical subordination terms, senior creditors are able to block the acceleration of the junior debt or the exercise by junior debt holders of other rights they may have as creditors. Accordingly, we may not be able to take steps to protect investments in a timely manner or at all, and there can be no assurance that our rate of return objectives or any particular investment will be achieved. In addition, the debt securities in which we will invest may not be protected by financial covenants or limitations upon additional indebtedness, may have limited liquidity and are not expected to be rated by a credit rating agency.
Early repayments of our investments may have a material adverse effect on our investment objectives. In addition, depending on fluctuations of the equity markets and other factors, warrants and other equity investments may become worthless.
There can be no assurance that attempts to provide downside protection through contractual or structural terms with respect to our investments will achieve their desired effect and potential investors should regard an investment in us as being speculative and having a high degree of risk. Furthermore, we have limited flexibility to negotiate terms when purchasing newly issued investments in connection with a syndication of mezzanine or certain other junior or subordinated investments or in the secondary market.
“Covenant-lite” Obligations. We may invest in, or obtain exposure to, obligations that may be “covenant-lite,” which means such obligations lack certain financial maintenance covenants. 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 satisfied on a routine basis as is required under a covenant-heavy loan agreement. Should a loan we hold begin to deteriorate in quality, our ability to negotiate with the borrower may be delayed under a covenant-lite loan compared to a loan with full maintenance covenants. This may in turn delay our ability to seek to recover its investment.
Bridge Financings. From time to time, we may lend to portfolio companies on a short-term, unsecured basis or otherwise invest on an interim basis in portfolio companies in anticipation of a future issuance of equity or long-term debt securities or other refinancing or syndication. Such bridge loans would typically be convertible into a more permanent, long-term security; however, for reasons not always in the Fund’s control, such long-term securities issuance or other refinancing or syndication may not occur and such bridge loans and interim investments may remain outstanding. In such event, the interest rate on such loans or the terms of such interim investments may not adequately reflect the risk associated with the position taken by the Fund.
Distressed Investments; Restructurings. The Fund may make investments in companies that subsequently become distressed (e.g., defaulted, out-of-favor or distressed bank loans and debt securities). Certain of the Fund’s investments may, therefore, include specific investments in companies that become highly leveraged with significant burdens on cash flow, and, therefore, involve a high degree of financial risk. Portfolio companies may be facing liquidity challenges due to debt maturities, covenant violations, cyclical challenges or imminent bankruptcy, or they need financing in order to exit bankruptcy. The Fund’s investments may be considered speculative and subject to a high degree of risk, and the ability of the relevant portfolio companies to pay their debts on schedule could be adversely affected by interest rate movements, changes in the general economic climate or the economic factors affecting a particular industry, or specific developments within such companies. Investments in companies operating in workout or bankruptcy modes also present additional legal risks, including fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference and equitable subordination risks. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful investment in companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. There is no assurance that the Advisor will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Fund’s loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action.
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Distressed/Defaulted Securities. The Fund may invest in the securities of companies that subsequently become involved in bankruptcy proceedings, reorganizations or financial restructurings, and that may face pending covenant violations or significant debt maturities. In such a case, the Fund may have a more active participation in the affairs of such portfolio companies than is generally assumed by an investor. Such investments could, in certain circumstances, subject the Fund to certain additional potential liabilities, which may exceed the value of the Fund’s original investment therein. For example, under certain circumstances, a lender who has inappropriately exercised control over the management and policies of a debtor may have its claims subordinated or disallowed or may be found liable for damages suffered by parties as a result of such actions. Furthermore, such investments could also subject the Fund to litigation risks or prevent the Fund from disposing of securities. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a portfolio company or an investment, the Fund may lose its entire investment, may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than the Fund’s original investment and/or may be required to accept payment over an extended period of time. In addition, under certain circumstances, payments to the Fund and the related distributions by the Fund to the shareholders may be reclaimed if any such payment or distribution is later determined to have been a fraudulent conveyance, preferential payment, or similar transaction under applicable bankruptcy and insolvency laws. As more fully discussed below, in a bankruptcy or other proceeding, the Fund as a creditor may be unable to enforce its rights in any collateral or may have its security interest in any collateral challenged or disallowed, and its claims may be subordinated to the claims of other creditors.
The market for distressed securities is expected to be less liquid than the market for securities of companies that are not distressed. A substantial length of time may be required to liquidate investments in securities that become distressed. Furthermore, at times, a major portion of an issue of distressed securities may be held by relatively few investors, and the market may be limited to a narrow range of potential counterparties, such as other financial institutions. Under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the portfolio companies, the Fund may find it more difficult to sell such securities when the Advisor believes it advisable to do so or may only be able to sell such securities at a loss. The Fund may also find it more difficult to determine the fair market value of distressed securities for the purpose of computing the Fund’s net asset value. In some cases, the Fund may be prohibited by contract from selling investments for a period of time.
Non-Performing Debt. Certain debt instruments that the Fund may invest in may be or become non-performing and possibly in default. The obligor or relevant guarantor may also be in or enter bankruptcy or liquidation. There can be no assurance as to the amount and timing of payments, if any, with respect to any such debt instruments.
Loans may become non-performing for a variety of reasons and borrowers on loans constituting the Fund’s assets may seek the protection afforded by bankruptcy, insolvency and other debtor relief laws. Upon a bankruptcy filing in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court by an issuer of debt, the U.S. Bankruptcy Code imposes an automatic stay on payments of such issuer’s pre-petition debt. A stay on payments to be made on the assets of the Fund could adversely affect the value of those assets and the Fund itself. Other protections in such proceedings may include forgiveness of debt, the ability to create super-priority liens in favor of certain creditors of the debtor and certain well-defined claims procedures. Non-performing debt obligations may require substantial workout negotiations, restructuring or bankruptcy filings that may entail a substantial reduction in the interest rate, deferral of payments and/or a substantial write-down of the principal of a loan or conversion of some or all of the debt to equity. Insolvency laws may, in certain jurisdictions, result in a restructuring of the debt without the Fund’s consent under the “cramdown” provisions of applicable insolvency laws and may also result in a discharge of all or part of the debt without payment to the Fund. If a portfolio company were to file for Chapter 11 reorganization, the U.S. Bankruptcy Code authorizes the issuer to restructure the terms of repayment of a class of debt, even if the class fails to accept the restructuring, as long as the restructured terms are “fair and equitable” to the class and certain other conditions are met.
Such non-performing instruments or loans may also require a substantial amount of workout negotiations or restructuring, which may entail, among other things, a substantial reduction in the interest rate and a substantial writedown of principal. It is possible that the Fund may find it necessary or desirable to foreclose on collateral securing one or more loans purchased by the Fund. The foreclosure process varies jurisdiction by jurisdiction and can be lengthy and expensive. Borrowers often resist foreclosure actions, which often prolongs and complicates an already difficult and time-consuming process. In some states or other jurisdictions, foreclosure actions can take up to
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several years or more to conclude. During the foreclosure proceedings, a borrower may have the ability to file for bankruptcy, potentially staying the foreclosure action and further delaying the foreclosure process. Foreclosure litigation tends to create a negative public image of the collateral assets and may result in disrupting ongoing management of the company. There can be no assurance as to the amount and timing of payments, if any, with respect to any such debt instruments.
Nature of Mezzanine Debt and Other Junior Unsecured Securities. The Fund’s strategy may include acquiring mezzanine debt, which generally will be unrated or have ratings or implied or imputed ratings below investment grade, as well as loans or securities that are junior, unsecured, equity or quasi-equity instruments. Mezzanine debt or securities are generally unsecured and/or subordinated to other obligations of the portfolio company, and tend to have greater credit and liquidity risk than that typically associated with investment grade corporate obligations. The risks associated with mezzanine debt or equity investments include a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of the obligor or in general economic conditions may adversely affect the obligor’s ability to pay principal and interest on its debt. Many obligors on mezzanine debt or equity investments are highly leveraged. As such, specific developments affecting such obligors, such as reduced cash flow from operations or the inability to refinance debt at maturity, may also adversely affect such obligors’ ability to meet debt service obligations. Mezzanine debt or equity instruments are often issued in connection with leveraged acquisitions or recapitalizations in which the portfolio companies incur a substantially higher amount of indebtedness than the level at which they had previously operated.
Default rates for mezzanine debt and other junior unsecured securities have historically been higher than such rates for investment grade securities. If the Fund makes an investment that is not secured by collateral and if the portfolio company in question does not successfully reorganize, the Fund will have no assurance (as compared to those distressed securities investors that acquire only fully collateralized positions) that it will recover any of the principal that it has invested. While junior, unsecured, equity or quasi-equity investments may benefit from the same or similar financial and other covenants as those enjoyed by the indebtedness ranking more senior to such investments and may benefit from cross-default provisions and security over the portfolio company’s assets, some or all of such terms may not be part of the particular investments. Moreover, the ability of the Fund to influence a portfolio company’s affairs, especially during periods of financial distress or following insolvency, is likely to be substantially less than that of senior creditors. For example, under typical subordination terms, senior creditors are able to block the acceleration of the junior debt or the exercise by junior debt holders of other rights they may have as creditors. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to take steps to protect its investments in a timely manner or at all and there can be no assurance that the return objectives of the Fund or any particular investment will be achieved. In addition, the debt securities in which the Fund may invest may not be protected by financial covenants or limitations upon additional indebtedness, may have limited liquidity and are not expected to be rated by a credit rating agency.
Convertible Securities. Convertible securities 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 portfolio company 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. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally (i) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities, (ii) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying common stock due to their fixed-income characteristics and (iii) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.
The value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its “conversion value” (the security’s worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock). The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the portfolio company and other factors may also have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. 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.
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A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the portfolio company at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the portfolio company 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 adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Price declines in the medium-sized U.S. corporate debt market may adversely affect the fair value of our portfolio, reducing our NAV through increased net unrealized depreciation.
Conditions in the medium-sized U.S. corporate debt market may deteriorate, as seen during the recent financial crisis related to COVID-19, which may cause pricing levels to similarly decline or be volatile. As a result, our NAV could decline through an increase in unrealized depreciation and incurrence of realized losses in connection with the sale of our investments, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.
Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may entitle the holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments with respect to the debt instruments in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any proceeds. After repaying such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt instruments in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company and our portfolio company may not have sufficient assets to pay all equally ranking credit even if we hold senior, first-lien debt.
There could be circumstances in which the Fund may not be able to control the modification, waiver or amendment of the terms and conditions of a loan agreement if a sufficient number of the other lenders act contrary to the Fund’s preferences.
The terms and conditions of loan agreements and related assignments may be amended, modified or waived only by the agreement of the lenders. Generally, any such agreement must include a majority or a supermajority (measured by outstanding loans or commitments) or, in certain circumstances, a unanimous vote of the lenders. The Fund and the Advisor would be expected to have the authority to negotiate any amendments or modifications to the applicable agreements related to our loan investments, but even where they do not have any such authority, they may have the authority to give or withhold consent to amendments or modifications initiated and negotiated by portfolio companies or other lenders. Consequently, there could be circumstances in which the Fund may not be able to control the modification, waiver or amendment of the terms and conditions of a loan agreement if a sufficient number of the other lenders act contrary to the Fund’s preferences. If the Fund invests or holds an investment through participation interests or derivative securities rather than directly, it is possible that the Fund may not be entitled to vote on any such adjustment of terms of such agreements.
The exercise of remedies may also be subject to the vote of a specified percentage of the lenders thereunder. The Advisor will have the authority to cause the Fund to consent to certain amendments, waivers or modifications to the investments requested by obligors or the lead agents for loan syndication agreements. The Fund may, in accordance with its investment objectives and policies, extend or defer the maturity, adjust the outstanding balance of any investment, reduce or forgive interest or fees, release material collateral or guarantees, or otherwise amend, modify or waive the terms of any related loan agreement, including the payment terms thereunder. The Fund will make such determinations in accordance with its investment objectives and policies. Any amendment, waiver or modification of an investment could adversely impact the Fund’s investment returns.
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There may be circumstances where our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims.
If one of our portfolio companies were to file for bankruptcy, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize our debt investment and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. We may also be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by us with respect to a borrower’s business or instances where we exercise control over the borrower.
In recent years, a number of judicial decisions in the United States have upheld the right of borrowers to sue lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories (collectively termed “lender liability”). Generally, lender liability is founded upon the premise that an institutional lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith and fair dealing owed to a borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower resulting in a creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or shareholders. Because of the nature of certain of the Fund’s investments, the Fund could be subject to allegations of lender liability.
In addition, under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender liability claims, if a lender or bondholder:
| (i) | intentionally takes an action that results in the undercapitalization of a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower, |
| (ii) | engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other creditors, |
| (iii) | engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors, or |
| (iv) | uses its influence as a stockholder to dominate or control a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower, a court may elect to subordinate the claim of the offending lender or bondholder to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors, a remedy called “equitable subordination.” |
The Fund does not intend to engage in conduct that would form the basis for a successful cause of action based upon the equitable subordination doctrine. However, because of the nature of certain of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be subject to claims from creditors of an obligor that debt obligations of which are held by the Fund should be equitably subordinated.
The preceding discussion regarding lender liability is based upon principles of U.S. federal and state laws. With respect to the Fund’s investments outside the United States, the laws of certain non-U.S. jurisdictions may also impose liability upon lenders or bondholders under factual circumstances similar to those described above, with consequences that may or may not be analogous to those described above under U.S. federal and state laws.
We generally will not control our portfolio companies and, due to the illiquid nature of our holdings in our portfolio companies, we may not be able to dispose of our interests in our portfolio companies.
We do not expect to control most of our portfolio companies, even though we may have board representation or board observation rights, and our debt agreements with such portfolio companies may contain certain restrictive covenants. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of the portfolio company’s common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as debt investors. Due to the lack of liquidity for our investments, we may not be able to dispose of our interests in portfolio companies as readily as we would like or at an appropriate valuation. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our portfolio holdings.
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We will be exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.
General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments and investment opportunities and, accordingly, may have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective and the targeted rate of return on invested capital. Because we may borrow money to make investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we may borrow funds and the rate at which we may invest these funds. As a result, there can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.
Our debt investments may be based on floating interest rates, such as LIBOR, the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (“EURIBOR”), the Federal Funds Rate or the Prime Rate, that reset on a periodic basis, and that many of our investments will be subject to interest rate floors. A reduction in the interest rates on new investments relative to interest rates on current investments could have an adverse impact on our net investment income, which also could be negatively impacted by our borrowers making prepayments on their loans. On the other hand, an increase in interest rates could increase the interest repayment obligations of our borrowers and result in challenges to their financial performance and ability to repay their obligations. In addition, our cost of funds likely will increase because the interest rates on the majority of amounts we may borrow are likely to be floating, which could reduce our net investment income to the extent any debt investments have fixed interest rates, and the interest rate on investments with an interest rate floor will not increase until interest rates exceed the applicable floor.
Trading prices for debt that pays a fixed rate of return tend to fall as interest rates rise. Trading prices tend to fluctuate more for fixed-rate securities that have longer maturities. Moreover, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make investment in our Common Shares less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our Common Shares. Federal Reserve policy, including with respect to certain interest rates and the decision to end its quantitative easing policy, may also adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend- and interest-paying securities. Market volatility, rising interest rates and/or a return to unfavorable economic conditions could adversely affect our business.
We may enter into certain hedging transactions, such as interest rate swap agreements, in an effort to mitigate our exposure to adverse fluctuations in interest rates and we may increase our floating rate investments to position the portfolio for rate increases. However, we cannot assure you that such transactions will be successful in mitigating our exposure to interest rate risk or if we will enter into such interest rate hedges. Hedging transactions may also limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio investments. See “Risks Factors—Risks Related to Our Investments—We may acquire various financial instruments for purposes of “hedging” or reducing our risks, which may be costly and ineffective and could reduce our cash available for distribution to our shareholders.”
While we typically expect our investments to have maturities between three and five years, we do not have a policy governing the maturities of our investments. This means that, if the maturities of our investments vary from our general expectation, we may be subject to greater risk (other things being equal) than a fund invested solely in shorter-term securities. A decline in the prices of the debt we own could adversely affect our net asset value.
To the extent that we make floating rate debt investments, a rise in the general level of interest rates would lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates may result in an increase in the amount of the incentive fee payable to the Advisor.
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Any inaccuracy, incompleteness or breach of covenants by a portfolio company may adversely affect the valuation of the collateral underlying the loans or the ability of the lenders to perfect or effectuate a lien on the collateral securing the loan or the Fund’s ability to otherwise realize on or avoid losses in respect of the investment.
The Fund will seek to make or acquire portfolio investments having structural, covenant and other contractual terms providing adequate downside protection, but there can be no assurance that such attempts to provide downside protection with respect to its investments will achieve their desired effect, and, accordingly, potential investors should regard an investment in the Fund as being speculative and having a high degree of risk. For example, there is the possibility, in making or acquiring a loan or other investment, of material misrepresentation or omission on the part of the portfolio investment seller, the portfolio company, a borrower or other credit support providers, or breach of covenant by any such parties. Such inaccuracy or incompleteness or breach of covenants may adversely affect the valuation of the collateral underlying the loans or the ability of the lenders or the Fund to perfect or effectuate a lien on the collateral securing the loan or the Fund’s ability to otherwise realize on or avoid losses in respect of the investment. The Fund will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of representations made by any such parties to the extent reasonable, but cannot guarantee such accuracy or completeness.
Under certain circumstances, payments to the Fund may be reclaimed if any such payment or distribution is later determined to have been a fraudulent conveyance or a preferential payment.
Second priority liens on collateral securing debt investments that we make to our portfolio companies may be subject to control by senior creditors with first priority liens. If there is a default, the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to repay in full both the first priority creditors and us.
Certain debt investments that we make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing first priority debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the debt obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the debt obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the company’s remaining assets, if any.
The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the debt investments we make to our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens: the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral; the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings; the approval of amendments to collateral documents; releases of liens on the collateral; and waivers of past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights are adversely affected.
We may also make unsecured debt investments in portfolio companies, meaning that such investments will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such companies. Liens on such portfolio companies’ collateral, if any, will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under its outstanding secured debt and may secure certain future debt that is permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under its secured debt 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 we are so entitled. 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. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of such collateral would be sufficient to satisfy its unsecured debt obligations after payment in full of all secured debt obligations. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay the outstanding secured debt obligations, then its unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors’ claims against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.
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The portfolio investments in which the Fund invests and Angelo Gordon’s portfolio companies will be subject to various laws for the protection of creditors in the jurisdictions of the portfolio companies concerned.
Differences in law may adversely affect the rights of the Fund as a lender with respect to other creditors. Additionally, the Fund, as a creditor, may experience less favorable treatment under different insolvency regimes than those that apply in the United States, including in cases where the Fund seeks to enforce any security it may hold as a creditor.
Limited amortization requirements may extend the expected weighted average life of the investment.
The Fund may invest in loans that have limited mandatory amortization requirements. While these loans may obligate a portfolio company to repay the loan out of asset sale proceeds or with annual excess cash flow, repayment requirements may be subject to substantial limitations that would allow a portfolio company to retain such asset sale 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 the portfolio company will not be able to repay or refinance the loans held by the Fund when it matures.
Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and adversely affect our operating results.
The companies in which we intend to invest may be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay our debt investments during these periods. The global outbreak of COVID-19 has disrupted economic markets and the prolonged economic impact is uncertain. Some economists and major investment banks have expressed concern that the continued spread of the virus globally could lead to a world-wide economic downturn. In the past, instability in the global capital markets resulted in disruptions in liquidity in the debt capital markets, significant write-offs in the financial services sector, the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated credit market and the failure of major domestic and international financial institutions. In particular, in past periods of instability, the financial services sector was negatively impacted by significant write-offs as the value of the assets held by financial firms declined, impairing their capital positions and abilities to lend and invest. In addition, continued uncertainty surrounding the implementation of trade deals between Britain and the European Union following Brexit and uncertainty between the United States and other countries, including China, with respect to trade policies, treaties, and tariffs, among other factors, have caused disruption in the global markets. There can be no assurance that market conditions will not worsen in the future.
In an economic downturn, we may have non-performing assets or non-performing assets are likely to increase, and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during these periods. Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of any collateral securing our senior secured debt. A prolonged recession may further decrease the value of such collateral and result in losses of value in our portfolio and a decrease in our revenues, net income and NAV. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us on terms we deem acceptable. These events could prevent us from making or increasing investments and adversely affect our operating results.
Our ability to successfully implement the Fund’s strategy is dependent in part on the extent of market dislocation impacting the global credit markets.
Implementation of the Fund’s investment strategy will depend, in part, on the extent to which the global credit markets continue to experience disruption, liquidity shortages and financial instability. Prolonged disruption may prevent the Fund from advantageously realizing on or disposing of its investments. A further economic down-turn could adversely affect the financial resources and credit quality of the underlying portfolio companies of any debt instruments in which the Fund may invest and result in the inability of such borrowers to make principal and interest payments on, or refinance, outstanding debt when due. In the event of such defaults, the Fund may suffer a
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partial or total loss of capital invested in such companies, which would, in turn, have an adverse effect on the Fund’s returns. Any such defaults may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investments. Such marketplace events also may restrict the ability of the Fund to sell or liquidate investments at favorable times or for favorable prices (although such marketplace events may not foreclose the Fund’s ability to hold such investments until maturity). Further, the Fund’s investment strategy may be impacted in part by changes in the conditions in the global financial markets generally and credit markets specifically. In the event of a further market deterioration, the value of the Fund’s investments may not appreciate as projected or may suffer a loss.
A covenant breach or other default by our portfolio companies may adversely affect our operating results.
A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity securities that we hold. We 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 portfolio company. In addition, lenders in certain cases can be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by them when they become too involved in the borrower’s business or exercise control over a borrower. It is possible that we could become subject to a lender’s liability claim, including as a result of actions taken if we render significant managerial assistance to the borrower. Furthermore, if one of our portfolio companies were to file for bankruptcy protection, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize our debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to claims of other creditors, even though we may have structured our investment as senior secured debt. The likelihood of such a re-characterization would depend on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company.
Our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged.
Some of our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, which may have adverse consequences to these companies and to us as an investor. These companies may be subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants and the leverage may impair these companies’ ability to finance their future operations and capital needs. As a result, these companies’ flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to take advantage of business opportunities may be limited. Further, 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.
Risks related to potential failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies.
Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments in order to, among other reasons:
| • | increase or maintain in whole or in part our equity ownership percentage; |
| • | exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or |
| • | attempt to preserve or enhance the value of our investment. |
We will have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources, and we may elect not to make follow-on investments or otherwise lack sufficient funds to make such investments. The failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase our concentration of risk, we prefer other investment opportunities or we are inhibited by compliance with BDC or RIC status requirements, including the maintenance of such statuses.
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We may not realize gains from our equity investments.
Certain investments that we may make could include warrants or other equity securities. In addition, we may make direct equity investments in portfolio companies. Our goal is ultimately to realize gains upon our disposition of such equity interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience. We also may be unable to realize any value if a portfolio company does not have a liquidity event, such as a sale of the business, recapitalization or public offering, which would allow us to sell the underlying equity interests. We intend to seek puts or similar rights to give us the right to sell our equity securities back to the portfolio company issuer. We may be unable to exercise these put rights for the consideration provided in our investment documents if the issuer is in financial distress.
An investment strategy focused primarily on privately-held companies presents certain challenges, including, but not limited to, the lack of available information about these companies.
We intend to invest primarily in privately-held companies, including making loans to such private companies. Investments in private companies pose significantly greater risks than investments in more established and/or public companies. First, private companies have reduced access to the capital markets, resulting in diminished capital resources and ability to withstand financial distress, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding indebtedness upon maturity. Second, the depth and breadth of experience of management in private companies tends to be less than that at public companies, which makes such companies more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a smaller group of persons and/or persons with less depth and breadth of experience. Therefore, the decisions made by such management teams and/or the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on our investments and, in turn, on us. Third, the investments themselves tend to be less liquid. As such, we may have difficulty exiting an investment promptly or at a desired price prior to maturity or outside of a normal amortization schedule. As a result, the relative lack of liquidity and the potential diminished capital resources of our target portfolio companies may affect our investment returns. Fourth, little public information generally exists about private companies. Further, these companies may not have third-party debt ratings or audited financial statements. We must therefore rely on the ability of the Advisor to obtain adequate information through due diligence to evaluate the creditworthiness and potential returns from investing in these companies. The Advisor would typically assess an investment in a portfolio company based on the Advisor’s estimate of the portfolio company’s earnings and enterprise value, among other things, and these estimates may be based on limited information and may otherwise be inaccurate, causing the Advisor to make different investment decisions than it may have made with more complete information. These companies and their financial information will generally not be subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other rules that govern public companies. If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, due to a lack of available information or otherwise, we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and we may lose money on our investments.
Our investments in securities or assets of publicly-traded companies are subject to the risks inherent in investing in public securities.
We may invest a portion of our portfolio in publicly-traded assets. With such public securities investments, it is not expected that we will be able to negotiate additional financial covenants or other contractual rights, which we might otherwise be able to obtain in making privately negotiated investments. In addition, by investing in publicly-traded securities or assets, we will be subject to U.S. federal and state securities laws, as well as non-U.S. securities laws, that may, among other things, restrict or prohibit our ability to make or sell an investment. Moreover, we may not have the same access to information in connection with investments in public securities, either when investigating a potential investment or after making an investment, as compared to privately negotiated investments. Furthermore, we may be limited in our ability to make investments and to sell existing investments in public securities because Angelo Gordon may be deemed to have material, non-public information regarding the issuers of those securities or as a result of other internal policies. The inability to sell public securities in these circumstances could materially adversely affect our investment results. In addition, an investment may be sold by us to a public company where the consideration received is a combination of cash and stock of the public company, which may, depending on the securities laws of the relevant jurisdiction, be subject to lock-up periods.
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A lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.
We generally intend to invest in companies whose securities are not publicly-traded or actively traded on the secondary market, and whose securities are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly-traded securities. Additionally, as an affiliate of Angelo Gordon, the Advisor is not permitted to obtain or use material non-public information in effecting purchases and sales in public securities transactions for us, which could create an additional limitation on the liquidity of our investments. The illiquidity of certain of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell these investments when desired. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we had previously recorded these investments. The reduced liquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price, and, as a result, we may suffer losses. Moreover, investments purchased by us that are liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid due to events relating to the issuer, market events, economic conditions or investor perceptions.
Our investments may include OID and PIK instruments.
To the extent that we invest in OID or PIK instruments and the accretion of OID or PIK interest income constitutes a portion of our income, we 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 coupon loans; |
| • | OID 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 Advisor’s future base management fees which, thus, increases the Advisor’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 accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) are satisfied, a borrower could still default when actual payment is due upon the maturity of such loan; |
| • | the required recognition of OID 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 our ability to be subject to tax as a RIC; and |
| • | OID may create a risk of non-refundable cash payments to the Advisor based on non-cash accruals that may never be realized. |
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The prices of the debt instruments and other securities in which we invest may decline substantially.
For reasons not necessarily attributable to any of the risks set forth herein (for example, supply/demand imbalances or other market forces), the prices of the debt instruments and other securities may decline substantially. In particular, purchasing debt instruments or other assets at what may appear to be “undervalued” or “discounted” levels is no guarantee that these assets will not be trading at even lower levels at a time of valuation or at the time of sale, if applicable. It may not be possible to predict, or to hedge against, such “spread widening” risk. Additionally, the perceived discount in pricing from previous environments described herein may still not reflect the true value of the assets underlying debt instruments in which the Fund invests.
We may from time to time enter into credit default swaps or other derivative transactions which expose us to certain risks, including credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk and other risks similar to those associated with the use of leverage.
We may from time to time enter into credit default swaps or other derivative transactions that seek to modify or replace the investment performance of a particular reference security or other asset. These transactions are typically individually negotiated, non-standardized agreements between two parties to exchange payments, with payments generally calculated by reference to a notional amount or quantity. Swap contracts and similar derivative contracts are not traded on exchanges; rather, banks and dealers act as principals in these markets. These investments may present risks in excess of those resulting from the referenced security or other asset. Because these transactions are not an acquisition of the referenced security or other asset itself, the investor has no right directly to enforce compliance with the terms of the referenced security or other asset and has no voting or other consensual rights of ownership with respect to the referenced security or other asset. In the event of insolvency of a counterparty, we will be treated as a general creditor of the counterparty and will have no claim of title with respect to the referenced security or other asset.
A credit default swap is a contract in which one party buys or sells protection against a credit event with respect to an issuer, such as an issuer’s failure to make timely payments of interest or principal on its debt obligations, bankruptcy or restructuring during a specified period. Generally, if we sell credit protection using a credit default swap, we will receive fixed payments from the swap counterparty and if a credit event occurs with respect to the applicable issuer, we will pay the swap counterparty par for the issuer’s defaulted debt securities and the swap counterparty will deliver the defaulted debt securities to us. Generally, if we buy credit protection using a credit default swap, we will make fixed payments to the counterparty and if a credit event occurs with respect to the applicable issuer, we will deliver the issuer’s defaulted securities underlying the swap to the swap counterparty and the counterparty will pay us par for the defaulted securities. Alternatively, a credit default swap may be cash settled and the buyer of protection would receive the difference between the par value and the market value of the issuer’s defaulted debt securities from the seller of protection.
Credit default swaps are subject to the credit risk of the underlying issuer. If we are selling credit protection, there is a risk that we will not properly assess the risk of the underlying issuer, a credit event will occur and we will have to pay the counterparty. If we are buying credit protection, there is a risk that we will not properly assess the risk of the underlying issuer, no credit event will occur and we will receive no benefit for the premium paid.
A derivative transaction is also subject to the risk that a counterparty will default on its payment obligations thereunder or that we will not be able to meet our obligations to the counterparty. In some cases, we may post collateral to secure our obligations to the counterparty, and we may be required to post additional collateral upon the occurrence of certain events such as a decrease in the value of the reference security or other asset. In some cases, the counterparty may not collateralize any of its obligations to us. Derivative investments effectively add leverage to a portfolio by providing investment exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. In addition to the risks described above, such arrangements are subject to risks similar to those associated with the use of leverage. See “Risk Factors— Risks Related to Debt Financing.”
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We may acquire various financial instruments for purposes of “hedging” or reducing our risks, which may be costly and ineffective and could reduce our cash available for distribution to our shareholders.
We may seek to hedge against interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations and credit risk by using financial instruments such as futures, options, swaps and forward contracts, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. These financial instruments may be purchased on exchanges or may be individually negotiated and traded in over-the-counter markets. Use of such financial instruments for hedging purposes may present significant risks, including the risk of loss of the amounts invested. Defaults by the other party to a hedging transaction can result in losses in the hedging transaction. Hedging activities also involve the risk of an imperfect correlation between the hedging instrument and the asset being hedged, which could result in losses both on the hedging transaction and on the instrument being hedged. Use of hedging activities may not prevent significant losses and could increase our losses. Further, hedging transactions may reduce cash available to pay distributions to our shareholders.
Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could adversely impact our results of operations and reduce our return on equity.
We are subject to the risk that the investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, we will generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt being prepaid and we could experience significant delays in reinvesting these amounts. Any future investment in a new portfolio company may also be at lower yields than the debt that was repaid. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments, net of prepayment fees, could negatively impact our return on equity. This risk will be more acute when interest rates decrease, as we may be unable to reinvest at rates as favorable as when we made our initial investment.
Technological innovations and industry disruptions could adversely impact our business.
Current trends in the market generally have been toward disrupting a traditional approach to an industry with technological innovation, and multiple young companies have been successful where this trend toward disruption in markets and market practices has been critical to their success. In this period of rapid technological and commercial innovation, new businesses and approaches may be created that will compete with the Fund and/or its investments or alter the market practices the Fund’s strategy has been designed to function within and depend on for investment returns. Any of these new approaches could damage the Fund’s investments, significantly disrupt the market in which it operates and subject it to increased competition, which could materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of investments.
We may not be successful in the syndication of co-investments.
From time to time, the Fund may make an investment with the expectation of offering a portion of its interests therein as a co-investment opportunity to third-party investors. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be successful in syndicating any such co-investment, in whole or in part, that the closing of such co-investment will be consummated in a timely manner, that any syndication will take place on terms and conditions that will be preferable for the Fund or that expenses incurred by the Fund with respect to any such syndication will not be substantial. In the event that the Fund is not successful in syndicating any such co-investment, in whole or in part, the Fund may consequently hold a greater concentration and have more exposure in the related investment than initially was intended, which could make the Fund more susceptible to fluctuations in value resulting from adverse economic and/or business conditions with respect thereto. Moreover, an investment by the Fund that is not syndicated to co-investors as originally anticipated could significantly reduce the Fund’s overall investment returns.
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We intend to invest in middle market companies, which involves a number of significant risks, any one of which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.
Investments in middle market companies involve the same risks that apply generally to investments in larger, more established companies. However, such investments have more pronounced risks in that middle market companies:
| • | may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of us realizing on any guarantees we may have obtained in connection with our investment; |
| • | have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tends to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and changing market conditions, as well as general economic downturns; |
| • | are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on our portfolio company and, in turn, on us; |
| • | generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position. In addition, our executive officers, Trustees and members of the Advisor may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in the portfolio companies; and |
| • | may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding indebtedness upon maturity. |
The Fund may be affected by global climate change.
Climate change creates physical and financial risk and some of our portfolio companies may be adversely affected by climate change. There is increasing concern that a gradual rise in global average temperatures due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will cause significant changes in weather patterns around the globe, an increase in the frequency, severity, and duration of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters, and water scarcity and poor water quality. These events could adversely impact our portfolio companies and, more generally, disrupt the operation of supply chains, increase production costs and impose capacity restraints globally. These events could also compound adverse economic conditions and impact consumer confidence and governmental budgets. As a result, the effects of climate change could have a long-term adverse impact on our portfolio companies and the results of our operations.
Risks Related to the Advisor and Its Affiliates; Conflicts of Interest
The Advisor and its affiliates, including our officers and some of our Trustees, face conflicts of interest caused by compensation arrangements with us and our affiliates, which could result in actions that are not in the best interests of our shareholders.
The Advisor and its affiliates receive substantial fees from us in return for their services, and these fees could influence the advice provided to us. We pay to the Advisor an incentive fee that is based on the performance of our portfolio and an annual base management fee that is based on the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. Because the incentive fee is based on the performance of our portfolio, the Advisor may be incentivized to make investments on our behalf that are riskier or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The way in which the incentive fee is determined may also encourage the Advisor to use leverage to increase the return on our investments. Our compensation arrangements could therefore result in our making riskier or more speculative investments than would otherwise be the case. This could result in higher investment losses, particularly during cyclical economic downturns. See “Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence.”
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We may be obligated to pay the Advisor incentive compensation even if we incur a net loss due to a decline in the value of our portfolio.
Our Investment Management Agreement entitles the Advisor to receive Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns regardless of any capital losses. In such case, we may be required to pay the Advisor incentive compensation for a fiscal quarter even if there is a decline in the value of our portfolio or if we incur a net loss for that quarter.
In addition, any Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns may be computed and paid on income that may include interest that has been accrued but not yet received. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that is structured to provide accrued interest, it is possible that accrued interest previously included in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible. The Advisor is not under any obligation to reimburse us for any part of the incentive fee it received that was based on accrued income that we never received as a result of a default by an entity on the obligation that resulted in the accrual of such income, and such circumstances would result in our paying an incentive fee on income we never received.
There may be conflicts of interest related to Angelo Gordon and the Advisor’s allocation of investment opportunities.
Investment opportunities may be appropriate for different investment vehicles or accounts managed by Angelo Gordon. The overarching Angelo Gordon allocation procedures will typically allocate investment opportunities between the Fund and such other investment vehicles and accounts on a basis deemed to be fair and equitable over time, taking into account a number of factors, such as terms and conditions of the investment vehicles or accounts and investment objectives and strategies. Moreover, in the case of vehicles that have the same investment objective or an overlapping investment objective but have an expected larger borrowing capacity, such vehicles are expected to generally be able to acquire a greater proportion of each investment than vehicles that have no such borrowing capacity. Accordingly, application of the allocation methodology can result in a priority for certain investment vehicles or accounts. In addition, because the decision to pursue an investment opportunity and whether an investment is suitable for the Fund lies within our Advisor’s discretion, it is possible that the Fund may not be given the opportunity to participate in certain investments made by other investment vehicles or accounts. Our Advisor will evaluate a variety of factors that may be relevant in determining whether a particular investment opportunity or strategy is appropriate and feasible for the Company or the relevant investment vehicle or account at a particular time. See “Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence” for more information regarding the allocation of investment opportunities among investment vehicles and accounts managed by Angelo Gordon.
We may participate in certain transactions originated by the Advisor or its affiliates under our exemptive relief from the SEC that allows us to engage in co-investment transactions with the Advisor and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions. However, while the terms of the exemptive relief require that the Advisor will be given the opportunity to cause us to participate in certain transactions originated by affiliates of the Advisor, the Advisor may determine that we not participate in those transactions and for certain other transactions (as set forth in guidelines approved by the Board) the Advisor may not have the opportunity to cause us to participate.
There may be conflicts of interest related to obligations that the Advisor’s senior management and Investment Team have to other clients.
The members of the senior management and Investment Team of the Advisor serve or may serve as officers, directors or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment funds managed by the same personnel. In serving in these multiple capacities, they may have obligations to other clients or investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which may not be in our best interests or in the best interest of our shareholders. Our investment objective may overlap with the investment objectives of such investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles. In particular, we will rely on the Advisor to manage our
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day-to-day activities and to implement our investment strategy. The Advisor and certain of its affiliates are presently, and plan in the future to continue to be, involved with activities that are unrelated to us. As a result of these activities, the Advisor, its officers and employees and certain of its affiliates will have conflicts of interest in allocating their time between us and other activities in which they are or may become involved, including the management of its affiliated equipment funds. The Advisor and its officers and employees will devote only as much of its or their time to our business as the Advisor and its officers and employees, in their judgment, determine is reasonably required, which may be substantially less than their full time.
We rely, in part, on the Advisor to assist with identifying investment opportunities and making investment recommendations to the Advisor. The Advisor and its affiliates are not restricted from forming additional investment funds, entering into other investment advisory relationships or engaging in other business activities. These activities could be viewed as creating a conflict of interest in that the time and effort of the members of the Advisor, its affiliates and their officers and employees will not be devoted exclusively to our business, but will be allocated between us and such other business activities of the Advisor and its affiliates in a manner that the Advisor deems necessary and appropriate. See “Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence.”
The time and resources that individuals employed by the Advisor devote to us may be diverted and we may face additional competition due to the fact that individuals employed by the Advisor are not prohibited from raising money for or managing other entities that make the same types of investments that we target.
The Advisor and individuals employed by the Advisor or its affiliates are not prohibited from raising capital for and managing other investment entities that make the same types of investments as those we target. As a result, the time and resources that these individuals may devote to us may be diverted. In addition, we may compete with any such investment entity for the same investors and investment opportunities. Affiliates of the Advisor, whose primary business includes the origination of investments or investing in non-originated assets, engage in investment advisory business with accounts that compete with us. See “Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence.”
Our shares may be purchased by the Advisor or its affiliates.
The Advisor and its affiliates expect to purchase our shares. The Advisor and its affiliates will not acquire any shares with the intention to resell or re-distribute such shares. The purchase of shares by the Advisor and its affiliates could create certain risks, including, but not limited to, the following:
| • | the Advisor and its affiliates may have an interest in disposing of our assets at an earlier date so as to recover their investment in our shares; and |
| • | substantial purchases of shares by the Advisor and its affiliates may limit the Advisor’s ability to fulfill any financial obligations that it may have to us or incurred on our behalf. |
The Advisor relies on key personnel, the loss of any of whom could impair its ability to successfully manage us.
Our future success depends, to a significant extent, on the continued services of the officers and employees of the Advisor or its affiliates. The loss of services of one or more members of the Advisor’s management team, including members of the Investment Team, could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations. The Advisor does not have an employment agreement with any of these key personnel and we cannot guarantee that all, or any particular one, will remain affiliated with us and/or the Advisor. Further, we do not intend to separately maintain key person life insurance on any of these individuals.
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Risks related to limited liability and indemnification of the Advisor and its affiliates under the Investment Management Agreement.
Under the Investment Management Agreement, the Advisor, its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Advisor, and any person controlling or controlled by the Advisor will not be liable to us, any subsidiary of ours, our trustees, our shareholders or any subsidiary’s shareholders or partners for acts or omissions performed in accordance with and pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, except those resulting from acts constituting gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of the duties that the Advisor owes to us under the Investment Management Agreement. In addition, as part of the Investment Management Agreement, we have agreed to indemnify the Advisor and each of its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Advisor, from and against any claims or liabilities, including reasonable legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred, arising out of or in connection with our business and operations or any action taken or omitted on our behalf pursuant to authority granted by the Investment Management Agreement, except where attributable to gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of such person’s duties under the Investment Management Agreement. These protections may lead the Advisor to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.
Risks Related to Business Development Companies
The requirement that we invest a sufficient portion of our assets in Qualifying Assets could preclude us from investing in accordance with our current business strategy; conversely, the failure to invest a sufficient portion of our assets in Qualifying Assets could result in our failure to maintain our status as a BDC.
Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than Qualifying Assets unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets are Qualifying Assets. Therefore, we may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not Qualifying Assets. Conversely, if we fail to invest a sufficient portion of our assets in Qualifying Assets, we could lose our status as a BDC, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, these rules could prevent us from making additional investments in existing portfolio companies, which could result in the dilution of our position, or could require us to dispose of investments at an inopportune time to comply with the 1940 Act. If we were forced to sell non-qualifying investments in the portfolio for compliance purposes, the proceeds from such sale could be significantly less than the current value of such investments.
Failure to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility.
If we do not remain a BDC, we might be regulated as a registered 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 our operation as a BDC and RIC will affect our ability to raise, and the way in which we raise, additional capital or borrow for investment purposes, which may have a negative effect on our growth.
As a result of the annual distribution requirement to qualify as a RIC, we may need to periodically access the capital markets to raise cash to fund new investments. We may issue “senior securities,” as defined under the 1940 Act, including borrowing money from banks or other financial institutions only in amounts such that our asset coverage meets the threshold set forth in the 1940 Act immediately after each such issuance. The 1940 Act currently requires an asset coverage of at least 150% (i.e., the amount of debt may not exceed two-thirds of the value of our assets). Our ability to issue different types of securities is also limited. Compliance with these requirements may unfavorably limit our investment opportunities and reduce our ability in comparison to other companies to profit from favorable spreads between the rates at which we can borrow and the rates at which we can lend. As a BDC, therefore, we intend to continuously issue equity at a rate more frequent than our privately-owned competitors, which may lead to greater shareholder dilution.
We expect to borrow for investment purposes. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy the asset coverage test, which would prohibit us from paying distributions and could prevent us from qualifying as a RIC. If we cannot satisfy the asset coverage test, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our debt financing, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous.
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Under the 1940 Act, we generally are prohibited from issuing or selling our shares at a price per share, after deducting selling commissions, that is below our NAV per share, which may be a disadvantage as compared with other public companies. We may, however, sell our shares, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our shares, at a price below the current NAV of our shares if our Board, including our Independent Trustees, determine that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our shareholders, and our shareholders, as well as those shareholders that are not affiliated with us, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of our Board, closely approximates the fair value of such securities.
Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.
We are prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain principal and joint transactions with certain of our affiliates without the prior approval of a majority of the independent members of our Board and, in some cases, the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities will be our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act and generally we will be prohibited from buying or selling any securities from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of our Board. However, we may under certain circumstances purchase any such affiliate’s loans or securities in the secondary market, which could create a conflict for the Advisor between our interests and the interests of such affiliate, in that the ability of the Advisor to recommend actions in our best interest may be limited. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or closely related times), without prior approval of our Board and, in some cases, the SEC. If a person acquires more than 25% of our voting securities, we 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 (including certain co-investments) with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers, Trustees, investment advisers, sub-advisers or their affiliates. As a result of these restrictions, we may be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any fund or any portfolio company of a fund managed by the Advisor, or entering into joint arrangements such as certain co-investments with these companies or funds without the prior approval of the SEC, which may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.
We have obtained exemptive relief from the SEC that allows us to engage in co-investment transactions with the Advisor and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions. However, while the terms of the exemptive relief require that the Advisor will be given the opportunity to cause us to participate in certain transactions originated by affiliates of the Advisor, the Advisor may determine that we not participate in those transactions and for certain other transactions (as set forth in guidelines approved by the Board) the Advisor may not have the opportunity to cause us to participate.
We are uncertain of our sources for funding our future capital needs; if we cannot obtain debt or equity financing on acceptable terms, our ability to acquire investments and to expand our operations will be adversely affected.
The net proceeds from the sale of shares will be used for our investment opportunities, operating expenses and for payment of various fees and expenses such as base management fees, incentive fees and other expenses. Any working capital reserves we maintain may not be sufficient for investment purposes, and we may require debt or equity financing to operate. Accordingly, in the event that we develop a need for additional capital in the future for investments or for any other reason, these sources of funding may not be available to us. Consequently, if we cannot obtain debt or equity financing on acceptable terms, our ability to acquire investments and to expand our operations will be adversely affected. As a result, we would be less able to create and maintain a broad portfolio of investments and achieve our investment objective, which may negatively impact our results of operations and reduce our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.
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We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we are not limited with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in securities of a single issuer.
We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer. Under the 1940 Act, a “diversified” investment company is required to invest at least 75% of the value of its total assets in cash and cash items, government securities, securities of other investment companies and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the total assets of such company and no more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer. As a non-diversified investment company, we are not subject to this requirement. However, we will be subject to the diversification requirements applicable to RICs under Subchapter M of the Code. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, or within a particular industry, our 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. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company or to a general downturn in the economy.
As a BDC, we are subject to limitations on the ability to use derivatives and other transactions creating future payment or delivery obligations.
In November 2020, the SEC adopted a rulemaking regarding the ability of a BDC (or a registered investment company) to use derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (except reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions), which may in turn limit our ability to use derivatives and/or enter into certain other financial contracts. Under the newly adopted rules, BDCs that use derivatives will be subject to a value-at-risk leverage limit, a derivatives risk management program and testing requirements, and requirements related to board reporting. These requirements will apply unless the BDC qualifies as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined under the adopted rules, and may limit our ability to take advantage of derivatives and certain other financial contracts.
Under the new rule, a BDC may enter into an unfunded commitment agreement that is not a derivatives transaction, such as an agreement to provide financing to a portfolio company, if the BDC has, among other things, a reasonable belief, at the time it enters into such an agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all of its unfunded commitment agreements, in each case as it becomes due.
Risks Related to Debt Financing
When we borrow money, the potential for loss on amounts invested in us will be magnified and may increase the risk of investing in us. Borrowed money may also adversely affect the return on our assets, reduce cash available for distribution to our shareholders and result in losses.
The use of borrowings, also known as leverage, increases the volatility of investments by magnifying the potential for loss on invested equity capital. If we use leverage to partially finance our investments, through borrowing from banks and other lenders, you will experience increased risks of investing in our shares. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause NAV to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make distributions to our shareholders. In addition, our shareholders will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses as a result of our use of leverage, including interest expenses and any increase in the management or incentive fees payable to the Advisor.
We expect to use leverage to finance our investments. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on the Advisor’s and our Board’s assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. There can be no assurance that leveraged financing will be available to us on favorable terms or at all. However, to the extent that we use leverage to finance our assets, our financing costs will reduce cash available for distributions to shareholders. Moreover, we may not be able to meet our financing obligations and, to the extent that we cannot, we risk the loss of some or all of our assets to liquidation or sale to satisfy the obligations. In such an event, we may be forced to sell assets at significantly depressed prices due to market conditions or otherwise, which may result in losses.
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As a BDC, we generally are required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings and other senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred shares that we may issue in the future, of at least 150%. 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 Fund have the potential to enhance overall returns that exceed the Fund’s cost of funds, they will further diminish returns (or increase losses on capital) to the extent overall returns are less than the Fund’s cost of funds. In addition, borrowings by the Fund may be secured by the shareholders’ investments as well as by the Fund’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.
We may default under our credit facilities.
In the event we default under a credit facility or other borrowings, our business could be adversely affected as we may be forced to sell a portion of our investments quickly and prematurely at what may be disadvantageous prices to us in order to meet our outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements under such borrowing facility, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under such borrowing facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of our assets which constitute collateral, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Provisions in a credit facility may limit our investment discretion.
A credit facility may be backed by all or a portion of our loans and securities on which the lenders will have a security interest. We may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instrument we enter into with lenders. We expect that any security interests we grant will be set forth in a pledge and security agreement and evidenced by the filing of financing statements by the agent for the lenders. In addition, we expect that the custodian for our securities serving as collateral for such loan would include in its electronic systems notices indicating the existence of such security interests and, following notice of occurrence of an event of default, if any, and during its continuance, will only accept transfer instructions with respect to any such securities from the lender or its designee. If we were to default under the terms of any debt instrument, the agent for the applicable lenders would be able to assume control of the timing of disposition of any or all of our assets securing such debt, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
In addition, any security interests and/or negative covenants required by a credit facility may limit our ability to create liens on assets to secure additional debt and may make it difficult for us to restructure or refinance indebtedness at or prior to maturity or obtain additional debt or equity financing. In addition, if our borrowing base under a credit facility were to decrease, we may be required to secure additional assets in an amount sufficient to cure any borrowing base deficiency. In the event that all of our assets are secured at the time of such a borrowing base deficiency, we could be required to repay advances under a credit facility or make deposits to a collection account, either of which could have a material adverse impact on our ability to fund future investments and to make distributions.
In addition, we may be subject to limitations as to how borrowed funds may be used, which may include restrictions on geographic and industry concentrations, loan size, payment frequency and status, average life, collateral interests and investment ratings, as well as regulatory restrictions on leverage which may affect the amount of funding that may be obtained. There may also be certain requirements relating to portfolio performance, including required minimum portfolio yield and limitations on delinquencies and charge-offs, a violation of which could limit further advances and, in some cases, result in an event of default. An event of default under a credit facility could result in an accelerated maturity date for all amounts outstanding thereunder, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. This could reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair our ability to grow our business.
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Changes in interest rates may affect our cost of capital and net investment income.
Since we intend to use debt to finance a portion of our investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest those funds. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. In periods of rising interest rates when we have debt outstanding, our cost of funds will increase, which could reduce our net investment income. We expect that our long-term fixed-rate investments will be financed primarily with equity and long-term debt. We may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. These techniques may include various interest rate hedging activities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. These activities may limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to the hedged portfolio. Adverse developments resulting from changes in interest rates or hedging transactions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, we have limited experience in entering into hedging transactions, and we will initially have to purchase or develop such expertise.
A rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase in the amount of incentive fees payable to the Adviser with respect to pre-incentive fee net investment income.
We may enter into repurchase agreements.
Subject to our investment objective and policies, we may invest in repurchase agreements as a buyer for investment purposes. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of debt securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank, savings and loan association or broker-dealer. The agreement provides that the Fund 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 Fund 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 Fund 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 Fund 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 default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the Fund generally will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercise of the Fund’s right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss.
Federal Income Tax Risks
We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code or to satisfy RIC distribution requirements.
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.
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We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.
For 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 OID (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 OID 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 OID or other income required to be included in taxable income prior to receipt of cash. Further, we may elect to amortize market discount and include such amounts in our taxable income in the current year, instead of upon disposition, as an election not to do so would limit our ability to deduct interest expenses for tax purposes.
Because any OID 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 become subject to corporate-level income tax.
Some of our investments may be subject to corporate-level income tax.
We may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. We 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).
Our portfolio investments may present special tax issues.
The Fund 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 for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, OID 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 the Fund, to the extent necessary, to preserve its status as a RIC and to distribute sufficient income to not become subject to U.S. federal income tax.
Legislative or regulatory tax changes could adversely affect investors.
At any time, the federal income tax laws governing RICs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be amended. Any of those new laws, regulations or interpretations may take effect retroactively and could adversely affect the taxation of us or our shareholders. Therefore, changes in tax laws, regulations or administrative interpretations or any amendments thereto could diminish the value of an investment in our shares or the value or the resale potential of our investments.
While we generally expect to qualify as a RIC, we anticipate that we will not qualify as a publicly offered RIC, as defined in the Code, prior to the Merger, and as such a non-corporate shareholder will be treated as having received a dividend from us in the amount of such shareholder’s allocable share of certain of our expenses.
A “publicly offered regulated investment company” or “publicly offered RIC” is a RIC whose shares are either (i) continuously offered pursuant to a public offering within the meaning of Section 4 of the Securities Act, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) held by at least 500 persons at all times during the taxable year. While we generally expect to qualify as a RIC, we anticipate that we will not qualify as a publicly offered RIC prior to the Merger. If we are a RIC that is not a publicly offered RIC for any period, a non-corporate shareholder’s allocable portion of our affected expenses, including our management fees, will be treated as an additional distribution to the shareholder and will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions that are deductible only to the extent permitted by applicable law. Under current law, such expenses will not be deductible by any such shareholder for tax years that begin prior to January 1, 2026 and are deductible subject to limitation thereafter.
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Risks Related to an Investment in the Common Shares
If we are unable to raise substantial funds, then we will be more limited in the number and type of investments we may make, our expenses may be higher relative to our total assets, and the value of your investment in us may be reduced in the event our assets under-perform.
Amounts that we raise may not be sufficient for us to purchase a broad portfolio of investments. To the extent that less than the maximum number of Common Shares is subscribed for, the opportunity for us to purchase a broad portfolio of investments may be decreased and the returns achieved on those investments may be reduced as a result of allocating all of our expenses among a smaller capital base. If we are unable to raise substantial funds, we may not achieve certain economies of scale and our expenses may represent a larger proportion of our total assets.
We may have difficulty sourcing investment opportunities.
We have not identified the potential investments for our portfolio and we cannot assure investors that we will be able to locate a sufficient number of suitable investment opportunities to allow us to deploy all capital commitments successfully. If the Advisor does not locate suitable and compelling investment opportunities in which to deploy all of the Fund’s capital, the Fund may not invest fully its available capital which may result in an adverse effect on performance results. In addition, privately-negotiated investments in loans and illiquid securities of middle market companies require substantial due diligence and structuring, and we cannot assure investors that we will achieve our anticipated investment pace. As a result, investors will be unable to evaluate any future portfolio company investments prior to purchasing our shares. Additionally, our Advisor will select our investments subsequent to this offering, and our shareholders will have no input with respect to such investment decisions. These factors increase the uncertainty, and thus the risk, of investing in our shares. To the extent we are unable to deploy all capital, our investment income and, in turn, our results of operations, will likely be materially adversely affected.
We generally expect to call capital for investment purposes only at the time we have identified investment opportunities, but we may call capital even if we do not have investments identified for some or all of the capital being called. Until such time as we invest the proceeds of such capital calls in portfolio companies, we may use these amounts to repay indebtedness or pay distributions and we may also invest these amounts in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the date of investment. We expect these temporary investments to earn yields substantially lower than the income that we expect to receive in respect of investments in secured debt (including senior secured, unitranche and second lien debt) and unsecured debt (including senior unsecured and subordinated debt), as well as related equity securities.
We may face severe economic consequence as a result of potential defaulting shareholders.
If shareholders fail to fund their commitment obligations or to make required capital contributions when due, thus becoming a defaulting shareholder, the Fund’s ability to complete its investment program or otherwise continue operations may be substantially impaired. If a substantial number of shareholders become defaulting shareholders, this may severely limit opportunities for investment diversification and would likely reduce returns to the Fund and restrict the Fund’s ability to meet loan obligations. Any single defaulting shareholder could cause substantial costs to be incurred by the Fund if such default causes the Fund to fail to meet its contractual obligations or if the Fund must pursue remedial action against such shareholder. In the event a shareholder fails to make a required capital contribution when due, they may be subject to various remedies, including, without limitation, forfeiture of the right to participate in purchasing additional shares on any future drawdown date or otherwise participate in any future investments of the Fund. Without limitation on the rights the Fund may have against the defaulting shareholder, the Fund may call for additional capital contributions from non-defaulting shareholders to make up any shortfall. The non-defaulting shareholders could therefore be required to fund any shortfall up to their remaining capital commitments, without regard to the underlying value of their investment.
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If the Fund fails to meet its contractual obligations related to a portfolio investment due to a defaulting shareholder, the relevant portfolio company may have a cause of action against the Fund, which may include a claim against assets of the Fund other than the Fund’s interest in such portfolio company. A creditor of the Fund (including a portfolio company with respect to which the Fund has failed to meet its contractual obligations) will not be bound to satisfy its claims from the assets attributable to a particular portfolio investment and such creditor generally may seek to satisfy its claims from the assets of the Fund as a whole. As a result, if a creditor’s claims relating to a particular portfolio investment exceed the net assets attributable to that portfolio investment, the remaining assets of the Fund will likely be subject to such claim.
We may have difficulty paying distributions and the tax character of any distributions is uncertain.
We generally intend to distribute substantially all of our available earnings annually by paying distributions on a quarterly basis, as determined by the Board in its discretion. We cannot assure investors that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions (particularly during the early stages of our operations) or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by the impact of one or more of the risk factors described in this Registration Statement. Due to the asset coverage test applicable to us under the 1940 Act as a BDC, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions. In addition, if we enter into a credit facility or any other borrowing facility, for so long as such facility is outstanding, we anticipate that we may be required by its terms to use all payments of interest and principal that we receive from our current investments as well as any proceeds received from the sale of our current investments to repay amounts outstanding thereunder, which could adversely affect our ability to make distributions.
Furthermore, the tax treatment and characterization of our distributions may vary significantly from time to time due to the nature of our investments. The ultimate tax characterization of our distributions made during a taxable year may not finally be determined until after the end of that taxable year. We may make distributions during a taxable year that exceed our investment company taxable income and net capital gains for that taxable year. In such a situation, the amount by which our total distributions exceed investment company taxable income and net capital gains generally would be treated as a return of capital up to the amount of a shareholder’s tax basis in the shares, with any amounts exceeding such tax basis treated as a gain from the sale or exchange of such shares. A return of capital generally is a return of a shareholder’s investment rather than a return of earnings or gains derived from our investment activities. Moreover, we may pay all or a substantial portion of our distributions from borrowings or sources other than cash flow from operations in anticipation of future cash flow. Any such distributions may constitute a return of shareholders’ capital, which would lower such shareholders’ tax basis in our shares and may result in increased tax liability to shareholders when they sell such shares.
An investment in our shares will have limited liquidity.
Our shares constitute illiquid investments for which there is not, and will likely not be, a secondary market at any time prior to a public offering and listing of our shares on a national securities exchange. We do not intend to conduct a public offering and/or list our shares on any securities exchange. Investment in the Fund is suitable only for sophisticated investors and requires the financial ability and willingness to accept the high risks and lack of liquidity inherent in an investment in the Fund. Except in limited circumstances for legal or regulatory purposes, shareholders are not entitled to redeem their shares. Shareholders must be prepared to bear the economic risk of an investment in our shares for an extended period of time.
Certain investors will be subject to Exchange Act filing requirements.
Because our Common Shares will be registered under the Exchange Act, ownership information for any person who beneficially owns 5% or more of our Common Shares will have to be disclosed in a Schedule 13G or other filings with the SEC. Beneficial ownership for these purposes is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and includes having voting or investment power over the securities. In some circumstances, our shareholders who choose to reinvest their dividends may see their percentage stake in the Fund increased to more than 5%, thus triggering this filing requirement. Each shareholder is responsible for determining their filing obligations and preparing the filings. In addition, our shareholders who hold more than 10% of a class of our shares may be subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, which recaptures for the benefit of the Fund profits from the purchase and sale of registered stock (and securities convertible or exchangeable into such registered stock) within a six-month period.
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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 ERISA and the Plan Asset Regulations. In this regard, we intend to limit investment in our Common Shares by “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 Fund were deemed to be “plan assets” of any shareholder that is a “benefit plan investor” under ERISA, 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 Fund, and (ii) the possibility that certain transactions in which the Fund 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 Advisor 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 corrected within statutorily required periods, to an additional tax of 100%. The fiduciary of a “benefit plan investor” who decides to invest in the Fund could, under certain circumstances, be liable for prohibited transactions or other violations as a result of their investment in the Fund or as co-fiduciaries for actions taken by or on behalf of the Fund or the Advisor. With respect to a “benefit plan investor” that is an individual retirement account (an “IRA”) that invests in the Fund, the occurrence of a prohibited transaction involving the individual who established the IRA, or his or her beneficiaries, could cause the IRA to lose its tax-exempt status.
Unless our Common Shares were deemed to constitute “publicly traded securities” within the meaning of the Plan Asset Regulations, we have the power to (a) exclude any shareholder or potential shareholder from purchasing our Common Shares; (b) prohibit any redemption of our Common Shares; and (c) redeem some or all Common Shares held by any holder if, and to the extent that, our Board determines that there is a substantial likelihood that such holder’s purchase, ownership or redemption of Common Shares would result in our assets to be characterized as “plan assets,” for purposes of the fiduciary responsibility or prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, and all Common Shares of the Fund shall be subject to such terms and conditions.
Prospective investors should carefully review the matters discussed herein and should consult with their own advisors as to the consequences of making an investment in the Fund.
No shareholder approval is required for certain mergers, including the Merger.
The Independent Trustees may undertake to approve mergers between us and certain other funds or vehicles. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, such mergers, including the Merger, will not require shareholder approval so you will not be given an opportunity to vote on these matters unless such mergers are reasonably anticipated to result in a material dilution of the NAV per share of the Fund. These mergers may involve funds managed by affiliates of Angelo Gordon. The Independent Trustees may also convert the form and/or jurisdiction of organization, including to take advantage of laws that are more favorable to maintaining board control in the face of dissident shareholders.
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No guarantee that the Merger will occur.
Investors will have limited liquidity during the term of the Fund. Although we intend to merge with and into the Non-Traded BDC in the Merger as described herein, we will only pursue such Merger if the Advisor and the Board believe market conditions are appropriate to do so. As such, there is no guarantee that the Merger will occur and investors should not rely on the Merger for liquidity. Following the end of the Commitment Period, if the Merger is not consummated, investors will have no liquidity until the end of the term of the Fund; provided, however, that, following the Commitment Period, the Fund will cease retaining or reinvesting investment proceeds and will instead distribute such proceeds to shareholders. For the avoidance of doubt, the Advisor is permitted to retain such proceeds for Permitted Purposes and to protect existing Fund investments, as described herein.
Shareholders may experience dilution.
All distributions declared in cash payable to shareholders that are participants in our distribution reinvestment plan will generally be automatically reinvested in our Common Shares. As a result, shareholders that do not participate in our distribution reinvestment plan may experience dilution over time.
Holders of our Common Shares will not have preemptive rights to any shares we issue in the future. Our charter allows us to issue an unlimited number of Common Shares. After you purchase Common Shares in this offering, our Board may elect, without shareholder approval, to:
| (1) | sell additional shares in this or future public offerings; |
| (2) | issue Common Shares or interests in any of our subsidiaries in private offerings; |
| (3) | issue Common Shares upon the exercise of the options we may grant to our Independent Trustees or future employees; or |
| (4) | subject to applicable law, issue Common Shares in payment of an outstanding obligation to pay fees for services rendered to us. |
To the extent we issue additional Common Shares after your purchase in this offering, your percentage ownership interest in us will be diluted. Because of these and other reasons, our shareholders may experience substantial dilution in their percentage ownership of our shares or their interests in the underlying assets held by our subsidiaries.
Investing in our shares involves a high degree of risk.
The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and volatility or loss of principal. Our investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative and aggressive and there can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment strategy will produce favorable returns, due to the risks and uncertainties noted herein, among others. Prospective investors must be prepared to bear capital losses that might result from an investment in the Fund, including a complete loss of the prospective investor’s invested capital and, therefore, an investment in our shares may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.
The NAV of our shares may fluctuate significantly.
The NAV and liquidity, if any, of the market for our shares may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:
| • | changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or BDCs; |
| • | loss of RIC or BDC status; |
| • | changes in earnings or variations in operating results; |
| • | changes in the value of our portfolio of investments; |
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| • | changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of our investments; |
| • | any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors; |
| • | departure of either of our adviser or certain of its respective key personnel; |
| • | general economic trends and other external factors; |
| • | loss of a major funding source; and |
| • | the length and duration of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. as well as worldwide and the magnitude of the economic impact of that outbreak. |
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
OVERVIEW
We were organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on January 27, 2022. We intend to file an election to be treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act, and as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes. As such, we will be required to comply with various regulatory requirements, such as the requirement to invest at least 70% of our assets in “qualifying assets,” source of income limitations, asset diversification requirements, and the requirement to distribute annually at least 90% of the sum of our investment company taxable income (as defined below) and net tax-exempt interest. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Regulation as a Business Development Company” and “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations— Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company.”
The Fund is currently in the development stage and has not commenced commercial operations. Since inception, there has been no activity other than an initial $1,500 capital contribution received from Angelo Gordon, our initial shareholder, in exchange for 60 shares of our Common Shares. To date our efforts have been limited to organizational and initial operating activities, the cost of which has been paid by the Advisor on behalf of the Fund.
The Advisor is a newly formed entity that has entered into a Resource Sharing Agreement with Angelo Gordon, pursuant to which Angelo Gordon will provide the Advisor with experienced investment professionals and access to the resources of Angelo Gordon so as to enable the Advisor to fulfill its obligations under the Investment Management Agreement.
We have agreed to repay the Advisor for initial organization and offering costs up to a maximum of $1.25 million.
REVENUES
We generate revenues primarily through the receipt of interest income from the investments we hold. In addition, we generate income from various loan origination and other fees and from dividends on direct equity investments. The debt we invest in will typically not be rated by any rating agency, but if it were, it is likely that such debt would be rated below investment grade.
EXPENSES
Our primary operating expenses will include the payment of fees to the Advisor under the Investment Management Agreement, our allocable portion of overhead expenses under the Administration Agreement and other operating costs described below.
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We will be responsible for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the operations of the Fund and locating, structuring, evaluating, consummating, maintaining and disposing of investments and potential investments (whether or not the acquisition is consummated), including but not limited to legal, regulatory, accounting and other professional or third-party costs or disbursements including travel, rent or lodging, out-of-pocket expenses of the Advisor, the fees and expenses of any independent counsel engaged by the Advisor and out-of-pocket expenses related to third-party service providers (including loan servicer fees), placement agent fees and expenses, advertising expenses, litigation expenses, brokerage commissions, clearing and settlement charges and other transaction costs, custody fees, interest expenses, financing charges, initial and variation margin, broken deal expenses, compensation (which may include fees or performance-based compensation) of advisors, consultants and finders, joint venture partners, or other professionals relating to the Fund’s operations and investments or potential investments (whether or not completed), which may include costs incurred to attend or sponsor networking and other similar events hosted by both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations (which may include organizations affiliated with current or prospective investors), specific expenses incurred in obtaining, developing or maintaining market data technology systems, research and other information and information service subscriptions utilized with respect to the Fund’s investment program including fees to third-party providers of research, portfolio risk management services (including the costs of risk management software or database packages), fees of pricing and valuation services, appraisal costs and brokerage expenses. The Fund will also bear all commitment fees and any transfer or recording taxes, registration fees and other expenses in connection with acquisitions and dispositions of investments, and all expenses relating to the ownership and operation of investments, including taxes, interest, insurance, and other fees and expenses. Travel expenses may include first-class airfare and limited use of private or charter aircraft, as well as premium accommodations, in accordance with our Advisor’s policies related thereto.
In addition, we will bear all costs of the administration of the Fund, including but not limited to accounting expenses (including accounting systems) and expenses relating to audit, legal and regulatory expenses (including filings with U.S. and non-U.S. regulators and compliance obligations), costs associated with our reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and other applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, fees and expenses of any administrators in connection with the administration of the Fund, expenses relating to the maintenance of registered offices of the Fund to the extent provided by unaffiliated service providers, temporary office space of non-employee consultants or auditors, blue sky and corporate filing fees and expenses, corporate licensing expenses, indemnification expenses, costs of holding any meetings or conferences of investors or their delegates or advisors (including meetings of the Advisor and related activities), Independent Trustees’ fees and expenses, costs of any litigation or threatened litigation or costs of any investigation or legal inquiries involving Fund activities (including regulatory sweeps), the cost of any liability insurance or fidelity coverage for the Fund, including any trustees’ and officers’ liability insurance and key-person life insurance policies, maintained with respect to liabilities arising in connection with the activities of our trustees and officers conducted on behalf of the Fund, costs associated with reporting and providing information to existing and prospective investors, including printing and mailing costs, wind-up and liquidation expenses, and any extraordinary expenses arising in connection with the operations of the Fund.
We have agreed to repay the Advisor for initial organization and offering costs up to a maximum of $1.25 million. In the event receipt of a formal commitment of external capital does not occur, all organization and offering costs will be borne by the Advisor. As there has been no commitment of external capital to date, no such costs have been allocated to the Fund.
From time to time, the Administrator or its affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf.
We may also enter into a credit facility or other debt arrangements to partially fund our operations, and could incur costs and expenses including commitment, origination, or structuring fees and the related interest costs associated with any amounts borrowed.
HEDGING
The Fund may enter into currency hedging contracts, interest rate hedging agreements such as futures, options, swaps and forward contracts, and credit hedging contracts, such as credit default swaps. However, no assurance can be given that such hedging transactions will be entered into or, if they are, that they will be effective.
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FINANCIAL CONDITION, LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
We intend to generate cash primarily from the net proceeds of any offering of our Common Shares and from cash flows from interest and fees earned from our investments and principal repayments and proceeds from sales of our investments. Our primary use of cash will be investments in portfolio companies, payments of our expenses and payment of cash distributions to our stockholders
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. We will generally invest in illiquid loans and securities including debt and equity securities of middle market companies. Because we expect that there will not be a readily available market for many of the investments in our portfolio, we expect to value many of our portfolio investments at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board using a documented valuation policy and a consistently applied valuation process. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of our investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments, and the differences could be material. See “Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Shareholder Matters—Valuation of Investments.”
Critical Accounting Policies
Basis of Accounting
The preparation of the Fund’s financial statements is in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash
Cash is comprised of cash on deposit with major financial institutions. The Fund places its cash with high credit quality institutions to minimize credit risk exposure.
Organizational Costs
Organizational costs to establish the Fund are charged to expense as incurred. These expenses consist primarily of legal fees and other costs of organizing the Fund.
Offering Costs
Offering costs in connection with the offering of common shares of the Fund are capitalized as a deferred charge and amortized to expense on a straight-line basis over 12 months from the commencement of operations, which has not yet occurred. These expenses consist primarily of legal fees and other costs incurred with Fund’s share offerings, the preparation of the Fund’s registration statement, and registration fees.
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New Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements.
We maintain our principal executive office at 245 Park Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10167. We do not own any real estate. We believe that our present facilities are adequate to meet our current needs. If new or additional space is required, we believe that adequate facilities are available at competitive prices in the same area.
Item 4. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management.
In conjunction with our initial organization, Angelo Gordon purchased 60 shares of Common Shares of the Fund at a price of $25 per share as our initial capital.
Item 5. Trustees and Executive Officers.
Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board. Our Board consists of five members, three of whom are Independent Trustees. Our Board elects our officers, who serve at the discretion of our Board. The Board’s role in management of the Fund is one of oversight. Oversight of the Fund’s investment activities extends to oversight of the risk management processes employed by the Advisor as part of its day-to-day management of our investment activities. The Board reviews risk management processes at both regular and special board meetings throughout the year, consulting with appropriate representatives of the Advisor as necessary and periodically requesting the production of risk management reports or presentations. The goal of the Board’s risk oversight function is to ensure that the risks associated with our investment activities are accurately identified, thoroughly investigated and responsibly addressed. Investors should note, however, that the Board’s oversight function cannot eliminate all risks or ensure that particular events do not adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments.
Delaware Trust Company serves as the Delaware trustee (the “Delaware Trustee”) pursuant to the Declaration of Trust. The Delaware Trustee’s duties under the Declaration of Trust are limited to (i) accepting legal process served on the Fund in the State of Delaware, and (ii) the execution of any certificates required to be filed with the Delaware Secretary of State which the Delaware Trustee is required to execute under Section 3811 of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code. The Delaware Trustee is not a trustee as that term is defined in the Declaration of Trust and is not a member of the Board.
Board of Trustees and Executive Officers
TRUSTEES
The address for each trustee is c/o AGTB Private BDC, 245 Park Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, New York 10167. Information regarding the Board is as follows:
| Name |
Age |
Position |
Trustee Since | |||
| Interested Trustees |
||||||
| Trevor Clark | 56 | Trustee, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President of the Fund. President and Chief Executive Officer of the Advisor. Managing Director of Angelo Gordon. | 2022 | |||
| Terrence Walters | 42 | Trustee, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer of the Fund. Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Advisor. Managing Director of Angelo Gordon. | 2022 | |||
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| Name |
Age |
Position |
Trustee Since | |||
| Independent Trustees |
||||||
| James E. Bowers | 74 | Independent Trustee | 2022 | |||
| James N. Hallene | 61 | Independent Trustee | 2022 | |||
| Lance A. Ludwick | 55 | Independent Trustee | 2022 | |||
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT TRUSTEES
Information regarding our executive officers who are not trustees is as follows:
| Name |
Age | Position | ||
| Jenny B. Neslin | 39 | General Counsel and Secretary | ||
| Adam Freedman | 57 | Chief Compliance Officer | ||
Biographical Information
TRUSTEES
Our trustees have been divided into two groups—interested trustees and Independent Trustees. An interested trustee is an “interested person” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
Interested Trustees
Trevor Clark. Mr. Clark joined Angelo Gordon in 2014 to establish Twin Brook Capital Partners, the firm’s middle market direct lending loan business. He is a Managing Director and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Advisor, and a trustee and Chairman of the Board of the Fund. Mr. Clark also serves as Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President of AG Twin Brook BDC, Inc. Prior to joining Angelo Gordon, Mr. Clark was a co-founder and CEO of Madison Capital Funding LLC (“Madison Capital”), a wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Investments, where he oversaw all operational and strategic activities of the middle market lending operation. At Madison Capital, Mr. Clark led the Executive Committee that was responsible for all credit granting decisions and managed the relationship with New York Life Investments and other third-party investors. Prior to forming Madison Capital, Mr. Clark held various positions in loan underwriting and origination at Antares Capital, GE Capital, and Bank of America. He holds a B.A. degree from the University of Iowa, Iowa City and an M.B.A. degree from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Terrence Walters. Mr. Walters serves as a trustee, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Fund. Mr. Walters joined Angelo Gordon in 2019 as a Managing Director and serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Twin Brook Capital Partners, its middle market direct lending loan business. Mr. Walters previously served as Chief Accounting Officer for Twin Brook Capital Partners from 2019 to 2021. Mr. Walters also serves as a director, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of AG Twin Brook BDC, Inc. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Walters spent eight years in various roles with Victory Park Capital Advisors and Vitalogy Capital Partners. Prior to that, Mr. Walters worked at Citadel Group’s fund administrator, Omnium, as well as Ernst & Young LLP. Mr. Walters holds a B.A. degree in accountancy and finance from Augustana College and a M.Acc. degree from the University of Iowa. He is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
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Independent Trustees
James E. Bowers. Mr. Bowers serves as an Independent Trustee and as a member of the Audit and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. He is the Chair of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Bowers also serves as an independent director of AG Twin Brook BDC, Inc. Since 2004, Mr. Bowers has served on the Board of Governors at Hartford Hospital. Since 2002, he has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Harvard Law School Association. From 2004 to 2018, Mr. Bowers was Senior Counsel at Day Pitney LLP. Mr. Bowers holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from the University of South Carolina.
James N. Hallene. Mr. Hallene serves as an Independent Trustee and as a member of the Audit and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. Mr. Hallene also serves as an independent director of AG Twin Brook BDC, Inc. Mr. Hallene founded Capital Concepts Holdings, LLC, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm, in 1998 and currently serves as its principal. He is also a founding partner of CapX Partners, an equipment leasing finance company. Prior to founding Capital Concepts Holdings, LLC and CapX Partners, Mr. Hallene co-founded a data-consolidation company called MaxMiles. Prior to that, Mr. Hallene was employed at American National Bank, where he oversaw credit, mortgage, treasury management, and technology business units. Mr. Hallene served as vice chairman of MB Financial Corporation and is on the corporate boards of KeHE Distributors, LLC, The Hallstar Company, VSA Partners Holdings and Attorney’s Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. He holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Lance A. Ludwick. Mr. Ludwick serves as an Independent Trustee and as a member of the Audit and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. He is the Chair of our Audit Committee. Mr. Ludwick also serves as an independent director of AG Twin Brook BDC, Inc. Mr. Ludwick is a principal of LC7 Advisors, LLC, a firm that provides M&A advisory services and management/operational improvement consulting. He is also the Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions and Operation Strategy at Bellissimo Holdings, LLC. Prior to that Mr. Ludwick served as the Vice President for Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Strategy at US Foods, Inc. and the Vice President of Strategic Planning for Constellation Brands, Inc., as well as various other positions providing advice on mergers and acquisitions and corporate operational strategy. Mr. Ludwick holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Iowa.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT TRUSTEES
Jenny B. Neslin joined Angelo Gordon’s legal team as a Managing Director in April 2021 and serves as the Fund’s General Counsel and Secretary. Ms. Neslin also serves as General Counsel and Secretary of AG Mortgage Investment Trust, Inc. (NYSE: MITT) and AG Twin Brook BDC, Inc., positions she has held since April 2021 and November 2021, respectively. Prior to joining the Fund, Ms. Neslin was Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel at Colony Capital, Inc. (NYSE: CLNY) (“Colony Capital”), which is now known as DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (NYSE: DBRG). At Colony Capital, Ms. Neslin was responsible for legal oversight of Colony Capital’s capital markets activities (including public and private equity and debt offerings), ongoing disclosure and reporting obligations under U.S. federal securities laws and corporate governance matters. In addition, from August 2015 to January 2018, Ms. Neslin served as General Counsel and Secretary for each of NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (“NS Income”) and NorthStar Real Estate Income II, Inc. (“NS Income II”). NS Income and NS Income II were public, non-traded real estate investment trusts managed by NorthStar Asset Management Group Inc. (“NorthStar”), until NorthStar’s merger with Colony Capital in January 2017. Prior to joining an affiliate of NorthStar in July 2013, Ms. Neslin was an associate in the Capital Markets group at Clifford Chance US LLP, where she primarily advised REITs and investment banks in public and private capital markets transactions. Ms. Neslin holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Business from New York University and a Juris Doctor from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University.
Adam Freedman joined Angelo Gordon in November 2012. Mr. Freedman serves as the Chief Compliance Officer of Angelo Gordon and the Fund. Mr. Freedman also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of AG Twin Brook BDC, Inc. Previously, Adam served as an Executive Director in Morgan Stanley’s Legal and Compliance Department, where he led the Regulatory Counsel/Policies & Procedures Group. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Adam was a Litigation Associate with the law firms Schulte Roth & Zabel and Whitman Breed Abbot & Morgan. He holds a B.A. degree from Yale University and law degrees from Oxford University and the University of Chicago.
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Committees of the Board
Our Board has established an Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and may establish additional committees in the future. All trustees are expected to attend at least 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of our Board and of the respective committees on which they serve. We require each trustee to make a diligent effort to attend all Board and committee meetings as well as each annual meeting of our shareholders.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee is currently composed of James E. Bowers, James N. Hallene and Lance A. Ludwick, all of whom are not considered “interested persons” of our company as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Mr. Ludwick serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee. Our Board has determined that Mr. Ludwick is an “audit committee financial expert” as that term is defined under Item 407 of Regulation S-K, as promulgated under the Exchange Act. Messrs. Bowers, Hallene and Ludwick meet the current requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our Board, which sets forth the responsibilities of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include establishing guidelines and making recommendations to our Board regarding the valuation of our loans and investments; selecting our independent registered public accounting firm; reviewing with such independent registered public accounting firm the planning; scope and results of their audit of our financial statements; pre-approving the fees for services performed; reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy of internal control systems; reviewing our annual audited financial statements; overseeing internal audit staff, if any, and periodic filings; and receiving our audit reports and financial statements.
NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
The members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are our Independent Trustees. James E. Bowers serves as chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for selecting, researching and nominating trustees for election by our shareholders, selecting nominees to fill vacancies on the board or a committee of the board, developing and recommending to the board a set of corporate governance principles and overseeing the evaluation of the board and our management.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seeks candidates who possess the background, skills and expertise to make a significant contribution to our Board, our Fund and our shareholders. In considering possible candidates for election as a trustee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee takes into account, in addition to such other factors as it deems relevant, the desirability of selecting trustees who:
| • | are of high character and integrity; |
| • | are accomplished in their respective fields, with superior credentials and recognition; |
| • | have relevant expertise and experience upon which to be able to offer advice and guidance to management; |
| • | have sufficient time available to devote to our affairs; |
| • | are able to work with the other members of our Board and contribute to our success; |
| • | can represent the long-term interests of our shareholders as a whole; and |
| • | are selected such that our Board represents a range of backgrounds and experience. |
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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has not adopted a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying trustee nominees. In determining whether to recommend a trustee nominee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers and discusses diversity, among other factors, with a view toward the needs of our Board as a whole. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee generally conceptualizes diversity expansively to include, without limitation, concepts such as race, gender, national origin, differences of viewpoint, professional experience, education, skill and other qualities that contribute to our Board, when identifying and recommending trustee nominees. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believes that the inclusion of diversity as one of many factors considered in selecting trustee nominees is consistent with the goal of creating a board of trustees that best serves our needs and the interests of our shareholders.
Item 6. Executive Compensation.
| (a) | Compensation of Executive Officers |
We do not currently have any employees. None of our officers receives direct compensation from us. We have agreed to reimburse the Administrator for our allocable portion of the compensation paid to or compensatory distributions received by our Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel and any of their respective staff who provide services to us, operations staff who provide services to us, and any internal audit staff, to the extent internal audit performs a role in our Sarbanes-Oxley internal control assessment. In addition, to the extent that the Administrator outsources any of its functions, we will pay the fees associated with such functions at cost. As discussed under “Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence,” we will agree to reimburse the Administrator for our allocable portion of the compensation of any personnel that it provides for our use.
| (b) | Compensation of Trustees |
Our Independent Trustees’ annual fee is $60,000 payable quarterly in cash. The Independent Trustees also receive reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending each regular Board meeting, each special meeting, and each committee meeting attended. No compensation is expected to be paid to trustees who are “interested persons” with respect to us, as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Trustee Independence.
| (a) | Transactions with Related Persons; Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons |
As a diversified private investment firm, the Fund and its affiliates, including Angelo Gordon and the Advisor, engage in a broad range of activities, including investment activities for their own account and for the account of other investment funds or accounts, and provide investment banking, advisory, management and other services to funds and operating companies.
Various potential and actual conflicts of interest may arise from the overall investment activities of the Advisor and Angelo Gordon for their own accounts and for the accounts of others. The conflicts of interest that may be encountered by the Fund include those discussed below and elsewhere throughout this Registration Statement, although such discussions do not describe all of the conflicts that may be faced by the Fund. Dealing with conflicts of interest is complex and difficult, and new and different types of conflicts may subsequently arise.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
Angelo Gordon, its affiliates, its partners and employees (collectively, “Angelo Gordon Affiliates”) may engage in any other business and furnish investment management and advisory services and other types of services to others which may include, without limitation, serving as investment manager or sponsor of other collective investment vehicles or managed accounts that acquire interests in, provide financing to or otherwise deal in securities or other investments that would be suitable investments for the Fund. Angelo Gordon Affiliates furnish investment management or advisory services to other persons with investment policies similar or different to those of the Fund. Such persons may own securities or other instruments of the same class or type or which may be senior to those held by the Fund, and they have incentives, financial or otherwise, to favor certain accounts or vehicles over others. There is no assurance that accounts with similar strategies or investment objectives will hold the same investments or perform in a similar manner. This and other future activities of Angelo Gordon Affiliates may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.
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Except as required by the terms of our exemptive relief, none of the Angelo Gordon Affiliates is under any obligation to offer investment opportunities of which it becomes aware to the Fund or to account to the Fund or share with the Fund or inform the Fund of any investments before offering investments to other funds or accounts that Angelo Gordon Affiliates manage or advise. Furthermore, Angelo Gordon Affiliates may make an investment on behalf of any account they manage or advise without offering the investment opportunity to, or making any investment on behalf of, the Fund, and Angelo Gordon Affiliates may make an investment on their own behalf without offering the investment opportunity to the Fund. Affirmative obligations exist or may arise in the future, whereby Angelo Gordon Affiliates are obligated to offer certain investments to funds or accounts that Angelo Gordon Affiliates manage or advise before or without Angelo Gordon Affiliates offering those investments to the Fund. In addition, Angelo Gordon may make investments on behalf of the Fund in securities or other assets that it has declined to invest in for its own account, the account of any of its affiliates or the account of its other clients.
Situations may occur where the Fund could be disadvantaged because of the investment activities conducted by Angelo Gordon Affiliates for other investment accounts. Angelo Gordon Affiliates may face conflicts of interest in managing the underlying investments, to the extent that an investment decision that benefits one Angelo Gordon fund or account (including the Fund) may disadvantage another. For example, it may be in the best interest of a co-investing fund or account to sell an investment while being in the best interest of the Fund to continue to hold it (and vice versa). In addition, investments by the Fund alongside other Angelo Gordon funds may result in the incurrence of additional investment expense and delays as a result of the greater structural complexity faced by Angelo Gordon Affiliates in seeking to address the needs of multiple funds and/or accounts, which may have investment objectives and/or sensitivities that conflict or are otherwise at odds with one another.
Angelo Gordon Affiliates will also face conflicts of interest with respect to allocations of expenses among the Fund, other funds and accounts, and Angelo Gordon. When the Fund co-invests alongside other Angelo Gordon funds or accounts in an investment, it is expected that the fees and expenses incurred in connection with such investment to the participating investing vehicles will be allocated pro rata based on their investment size. However, if the transaction is abandoned or otherwise ultimately not consummated, the fees and expenses incurred in connection with such “broken deal” will be allocated among the Fund and the other investment vehicles that were considering the investment based on the expected participation levels of the investing funds and/or accounts. This determination is necessarily subjective, especially when a transaction is terminated at a particularly early stage. Angelo Gordon Affiliates will also face conflicts of interests in determining how to allocate costs and expenses incurred for the benefit of more than one Angelo Gordon fund and/or account or Angelo Gordon, itself (e.g., expenses incurred in obtaining, developing or maintaining technology systems and other software and expenses of firm-wide insurance policies). The aggregate costs of these items are allocated across the applicable funds in a manner Angelo Gordon determines to be reasonable and fair to all parties.
If it is determined that the amount of an investment opportunity exceeds the amount our Advisor determines would be appropriate for the Fund, such excess may be offered to one or more co-investors on such terms and conditions as Angelo Gordon determines. Such purchases or investments may be at the same price as the Fund acquires its investment, even though such price may not otherwise have been available to the co-investor absent the Fund’s investment or the Fund could have received additional fees, payments or benefits through sales to other third parties.
In the event Angelo Gordon determines to offer an investment opportunity to co-investors, there can be no assurance that Angelo Gordon will be successful in offering a co-investment opportunity to a potential co-investor, in whole or in part, that the closing of such co-investment will be consummated in a timely manner, that the co-investment will take place on the terms and conditions that will be preferable for the Fund or that expenses incurred by the Fund with respect to the syndication of the co-investment will not be substantial. In the event that Angelo Gordon is not successful in offering a co-investment opportunity to potential co-investors, in whole or in part, the Fund may consequently hold a greater concentration and have exposure in the related investment opportunity than was initially intended, which could make the Fund more susceptible to fluctuations in value resulting from adverse economic and/or business conditions with respect thereto.
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Subject to 1940 Act restrictions, from time to time, Angelo Gordon may acquire for other investment accounts, or for its own account or the accounts of employees, securities or other financial instruments of an issuer which are senior or junior to securities or financial instruments of the same issuer that are held by, or acquired for, the Fund, and in such capacity, may have interests that are adverse or different to those of the Fund. Additionally, the differing investment programs and projected investment horizons of the Fund and the investment accounts managed by Angelo Gordon may result in the Fund taking positions in securities that conflict with positions in such securities taken by other accounts managed by Angelo Gordon Affiliates, including variations in timing of transactions in such securities and the simultaneous holding by the Fund and other accounts of Angelo Gordon Affiliates of long and short positions relating to the same security. Angelo Gordon Affiliates may have ongoing relationships with issuers whose securities or assets are held by or are being considered for the Fund. Due to their various activities, any of the Angelo Gordon Affiliates may be in possession of confidential information or material, non-public information or be otherwise restricted from effecting transactions for the Fund that otherwise might have been initiated. At times, Angelo Gordon Affiliates, in an effort to avoid such restrictions, may elect not to receive information, even if advantageous to the Fund, that other market participants or counterparties have received or are eligible to receive.
Our Advisor’s professional staff will devote such time and effort in conducting activities on behalf of the Fund as our Advisor reasonably determines appropriate to perform its duties to the Fund. However, our Advisor’s employees, including the Investment Team, serve, or may serve, as officers, directors, members, or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment funds, accounts, or investment vehicles managed by Angelo Gordon and/or its affiliates. Similarly, Angelo Gordon and its affiliates may have other clients with similar, different or competing investment objectives.
As a BDC, we are limited in our ability to invest in any portfolio company in which an affiliates’ other client has an investment. We are also limited in our ability to co-invest in a portfolio company with Angelo Gordon or one or more of its respective affiliates. Some of these co-investments are only permitted pursuant to reliance on previous no-action letters or an exemptive order from the SEC.
Under the incentive fee structure, the Advisor may benefit when capital gains are recognized and, because the Advisor will determine when to sell a holding, the Advisor will control the timing of the recognition of such capital gains. As a result of these arrangements, there may be times when the management team of the Advisor has interests that differ from those of our shareholders, giving rise to a conflict. Furthermore, there is a risk the Advisor will make more speculative investments in an effort to receive this payment.
The part of the incentive fee payable to the Advisor relating to our net investment income will be computed and paid on income that may include interest income that has been accrued but not yet received in cash. This fee structure may give rise to a conflict of interest for the Advisor to the extent that it encourages the Advisor to favor debt financings that provide for deferred interest, rather than current cash payments of interest. The Advisor may have an incentive to invest in deferred interest securities in circumstances where it would not have done so but for the opportunity to continue to earn the incentive fee even when the issuers of the deferred interest securities would not be able to make actual cash payments to us on such securities. This risk could be increased because, under our Investment Management Agreement, the Advisor is not obligated to reimburse us for incentive fees it receives even if we subsequently incur losses or never receive in cash the deferred income that was previously accrued.
We expect to make many of our portfolio investments in the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded and for which no market based price quotation is available. As a result, our Board will determine the fair value of these loans and securities in good faith as described in “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Uncertainty as to the Value of Certain Portfolio Investments.” In connection with that determination, investment professionals from our Advisor may provide our Board with valuations based upon the most recent portfolio company financial statements available and projected financial results of each portfolio company. While the valuation for each portfolio investment will be reviewed by an independent valuation firm at least once annually, the ultimate determination of fair value will be made by our Board and not by such third-party valuation firm. In addition, the interested members of our Board may have an indirect pecuniary interest in the Advisor. The participation of the Advisor’s investment professionals in our valuation process, and the pecuniary interest in the Advisor by certain members of our Board, could result in a conflict of interest as the Advisor’s management fee is based, in part, on the value of our gross assets, and our incentive fees will be based, in part, on realized gains and realized and unrealized losses.
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We have entered into an Administration Agreement with the Administrator pursuant to which we are required to pay to the Administrator our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under such Administration Agreement, such as rent and our allocable portion of the cost of our Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel and their respective staffs. This will create conflicts of interest that our Board will monitor.
We will be unable to preclude Angelo Gordon from using the “Angelo, Gordon” name, or a variant thereof, for other funds or activities, some of whom may compete against us. Consequently, we will be unable to prevent any damage to goodwill that may occur as a result of the activities of Angelo Gordon or others. Furthermore, in the event the Investment Management Agreement is terminated, we will be required to change our name and cease using “Angelo, Gordon,” “AG” or a variant thereof as part of our name. Any of these events could disrupt our recognition in the market place, damage any goodwill we may have generated and otherwise harm our business.
Fees
In the course of our investing activities, we will pay management fees and incentive fees to the Advisor, incur direct expenses and will reimburse the Advisor for certain expenses it incurs. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—General—The Investment Adviser.”
Certain Business Relationships
Certain of the current trustees and officers of the Fund are trustees or officers of the Advisor or affiliated Angelo Gordon entities. See Item 7(b) below for a description of the Investment Management Agreement.
Indebtedness of Management
None.
| (b) | Promoters and Certain Control Persons |
The Advisor may be deemed a promoter of the Fund. The Fund will enter into the Investment Management Agreement with the Advisor.
Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, the Advisor will act as the investment adviser to the Fund and manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund, subject to the supervision of the Board, in accordance with the investment objective, policies and restrictions set forth in this Registration Statement, in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations, and the Fund’s Declaration of Trust and bylaws (as amended from time to time), and in accordance with the 1940 Act. In carrying out its duties as the investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, the Advisor will:
| • | determine the composition of the portfolio of the Fund, the nature and timing of the changes therein and the manner of implementing such changes; |
| • | identify/source, research, evaluate and negotiate the structure of the investments made by the Fund; |
| • | close and monitor the Fund’s investments; |
| • | determine the assets that the Fund will originate, purchase, retain, or sell; |
| • | perform due diligence on prospective portfolio companies; and |
| • | provide the Fund with such other investment advisory, research, and related services as the Fund may, from time to time, reasonably require for the investment of its funds, including providing operating and managerial assistance to the Fund and its portfolio companies as required. |
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Our primary operating expenses will include the payment of fees to the Advisor under the Investment Management Agreement, our allocable portion of overhead expenses under the Administration Agreement and other operating costs described below.
We will be responsible for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the operations of the Fund and locating, structuring, evaluating, consummating, maintaining and disposing of investments and potential investments (whether or not the acquisition is consummated), including but not limited to legal, regulatory, accounting and other professional or third-party costs or disbursements including travel, rent or lodging, out-of-pocket expenses of the Advisor, the fees and expenses of any independent counsel engaged by the Advisor and out-of-pocket expenses related to third-party service providers (including loan servicer fees), placement agent fees and expenses (subject to the offset provisions above), advertising expenses, litigation expenses, brokerage commissions, clearing and settlement charges and other transaction costs, custody fees, interest expenses, financing charges, initial and variation margin, broken deal expenses, compensation (which may include fees or performance-based compensation) of advisors, consultants and finders, joint venture partners, or other professionals relating to the Fund’s operations and investments or potential investments (whether or not completed), which may include costs incurred to attend or sponsor networking and other similar events hosted by both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations (which may include organizations affiliated with current or prospective investors), specific expenses incurred in obtaining, developing or maintaining market data technology systems, research and other information and information service subscriptions utilized with respect to the Fund’s investment program including fees to third-party providers of research, portfolio risk management services (including the costs of risk management software or database packages), fees of pricing and valuation services, appraisal costs and brokerage expenses. The Fund will also bear all commitment fees and any transfer or recording taxes, registration fees and other expenses in connection with acquisitions and dispositions of investments, and all expenses relating to the ownership and operation of investments, including taxes, interest, insurance, and other fees and expenses. Travel expenses may include first-class airfare and limited use of private or charter aircraft, as well as premium accommodations, in accordance with Angelo Gordon’s policies related thereto.
In addition, we will bear all costs of the administration of the Fund, including but not limited to accounting expenses (including accounting systems) and expenses relating to audit, legal and regulatory expenses (including filings with U.S. and non-U.S. regulators and compliance obligations), costs associated with our reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and other applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, fees and expenses of any administrators in connection with the administration of the Fund, expenses relating to the maintenance of registered offices of the Fund to the extent provided by unaffiliated service providers, temporary office space of non-employee consultants or auditors, blue sky and corporate filing fees and expenses, corporate licensing expenses, indemnification expenses, costs of holding any meetings or conferences of investors or their delegates or advisors (including meetings of the Advisor and related activities), Independent Trustees’ fees and expenses, costs of any litigation or threatened litigation or costs of any investigation or legal inquiries involving Fund activities (including regulatory sweeps), the cost of any liability insurance or fidelity coverage for the Fund, including any trustees’ and officers’ liability insurance and key-person life insurance policies, maintained with respect to liabilities arising in connection with the activities of our trustees and officers conducted on behalf of the Fund, costs associated with reporting and providing information to existing and prospective investors, including printing and mailing costs, wind-up and liquidation expenses, and any extraordinary expenses arising in connection with the operations of the Fund.
We have agreed to repay the Advisor for initial organization and offering costs up to a maximum of $1.25 million. In the event receipt of a formal commitment of external capital does not occur, all organization and offering costs will be borne by the Advisor. As there has been no commitment of external capital to date, no such costs have been allocated to the Fund.
From time to time, the Administrator or its affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf.
The Advisor, for its services to the Fund, will be entitled to receive fees as described under “Item 1(c). Description of Business—General—Investment Management Agreement; Administration Agreement.”
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Under the Investment Management Agreement, the Fund expects, to the extent permitted by applicable law and in the discretion of the Board, to indemnify the Advisor and certain of its affiliates, as described under “Item 1(c). Description of Business—General—Investment Management Agreement; Administration Agreement.”
Both the Investment Management Agreement and the Administration Agreement have been approved by our Board. Unless earlier terminated as described below, both the Investment Management Agreement and the Administration Agreement will remain in effect for a period from their effective date and will remain in effect from year to year thereafter if approved annually by (i) the vote of our Board, or, in the case of the Investment Management Agreement, by the vote of a majority of our outstanding voting securities, and (ii) the vote of a majority of our Independent Trustees. The Investment Management Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of assignment.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Investment Management Agreement and the Administration Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon sixty (60) days’ written notice, provided that such termination will be directed or approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, by the vote of the Fund’s trustees, or by the Advisor. The Investment Management Agreement will also immediately terminate in the event of its assignment. If the Investment Management Agreement is terminated, the Fund will pay the Advisor a pro-rated portion of the management fee and incentive fee. The Fund will engage at its own expense a firm acceptable to the Fund and the Advisor to determine the maximum reasonable fair value as of the termination date of the Fund’s consolidated assets (assuming each asset is readily marketable among institutional investors without minority discount and with an appropriate control premium for any control positions and ascribing an appropriate net present value to unamortized organizational and offering costs and going concern value).
We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us. From time to time, we may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under loans to or other contracts with our portfolio companies. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.
Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Shareholder Matters
Market Information
Until a public offering, our outstanding Common Shares will be offered and sold in transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D thereunder. See “Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities” for more information. There is currently no market for our Common Shares, and we can offer no assurances that a market for our Common Shares will develop in the future.
Because our Common Shares are being acquired by investors in one or more transactions “not involving a public offering,” they are “restricted securities” and may be required to be held indefinitely. Our Common Shares may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless (i) our consent is granted, and (ii) the common shares are registered under applicable securities laws or specifically exempted from registration (in which case the shareholder may, at our option, be required to provide us with a legal opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to us, that registration is not required). Accordingly, an investor must be willing to bear the economic risk of investment in the common shares until we are liquidated. No sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or other disposition, whether voluntary or involuntary, of the common shares may be made except by registration of the transfer on our books. Each transferee will be required to execute an instrument agreeing to be bound by these restrictions and the other restrictions imposed on the common shares and to execute such other instruments or certifications as are reasonably required by us.
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Holders
Please see “Item 4. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” for disclosure regarding the holders of the Fund’s Common Shares.
Valuation of Investments
Under procedures established by our Board, we intend to value investments for which market quotations are readily available at such market quotations. Assets listed on an exchange will be valued at their last sales prices as reported to the consolidated quotation service at 4:00 P.M. eastern time on the date of determination. If no such sales of such securities occurred, such securities will be valued at the bid price as reported by an independent, third-party pricing service on the date of determination. Debt and equity securities that are not publicly traded or whose market prices are not readily available will be valued at fair value, subject at all times to the oversight and approval of our Board. Such determination of fair values may involve subjective judgments and estimates, although we will also engage independent valuation providers to review the valuation of each portfolio investment that constitutes a material portion of our portfolio and that does not have a readily available market quotation at least once annually . With respect to unquoted securities, our Advisor, together with our independent valuation advisors, and subject at all times to the oversight and approval of our Board, will value each investment considering, among other measures, discounted cash flow models, comparisons of financial ratios of peer companies that are public and other factors. The Fund intends to retain one or more independent providers of financial advisory services to assist the Advisor and the Board by performing certain limited third-party valuation services. The Fund may appoint additional or different third-party valuation firms in the future.
When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs with respect to a fair-valued portfolio company or comparable company, our Board will use the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate and/or assist us in our valuation of such portfolio company. Because we expect that there will not be readily available market quotations for many of the investments in our portfolio, we expect to value many of our portfolio investments at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board using a documented valuation policy and a consistently applied valuation process. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of our investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had readily available market quotations existed for such investments, and the differences could be material.
On a quarterly basis, with respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, our Advisor will undertake a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:
| • | Securities for which no such market prices are available or reliable will be preliminarily valued at such value as the Advisor may reasonably determine, which may include third-party valuations; |
| • | The Audit Committee of our Board will then review these preliminary valuations; |
| • | At least once annually, the valuation for each portfolio investment that constitutes a material portion of our portfolio and that does not have a readily available market quotation will be reviewed by an independent valuation firm; and |
| • | Our Board will then discuss valuations and determine the fair value of each investment in our portfolio in good faith, based on the input of our Advisor, the respective independent valuation firms and the Audit Committee. |
All values assigned to securities and other assets by the Board will be binding on all shareholders. When pricing of the Fund’s shares is necessary outside of the normal quarterly process, the Advisor will, among other things, review whether, to its knowledge, significant events have occurred since the last quarterly valuation which might affect the fair value of any of the Fund’s portfolio securities.
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Distributions
To the extent that we have income available, we intend to distribute quarterly dividends to our shareholders. Our quarterly dividends, if any, will be determined by our Board. Any dividends to our shareholders will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution.
We intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, among other things, we must distribute dividends to our shareholders in respect of each taxable year of an amount at least equal to 90% of the sum of our “investment company taxable income” (generally, the sum of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, reduced by deductible expenses but determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) and net tax-exempt interest. In order to avoid a certain excise tax imposed on RICs, we generally must distribute dividends to our shareholders in respect of each calendar year of an amount at least equal to the sum of: (1) 98% of our ordinary income for such calendar year; (2) 98.2% of our capital gains in excess of capital losses (“capital gain net income”), adjusted for certain ordinary losses, for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year; and (3) any ordinary income and capital gain net income for preceding years that were not distributed during such years. For purposes of the excise tax, we will be deemed to have distributed any income or gains on which we paid U.S. federal income tax.
We currently intend to distribute net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses), if any, at least annually out of the assets legally available for such distributions. However, we may decide in the future to retain such capital gains for investment, incur a corporate-level tax on such capital gains, and elect to treat such capital gains as deemed distributions to you. If this happens, you will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as if you had received an actual distribution of the capital gains that we retain and reinvested the net after tax proceeds in us. In this situation, you would be eligible to claim a tax credit equal to your allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to you. We cannot assure you that we will achieve results that will permit us to pay any cash distributions, and if we issue senior securities, we will be prohibited from making distributions if doing so would cause us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if such distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.
The Fund plans to adopt a distribution reinvestment plan, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash dividends declared by the Board on behalf of our shareholders who do not elect to receive their dividends in cash as provided below. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or other distribution, then our shareholders who have not opted out of our distribution reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares as described below, rather than receiving the cash dividend or other distribution. Distributions on fractional shares will be credited to each participating shareholder’s account to three decimal places. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Distribution Reinvestment Plan.”
Reports to Shareholders
We will furnish our shareholders with annual reports containing audited financial statements, quarterly reports, and such other reports as we determine to be appropriate or as may be required by law. Upon the effectiveness of our Form 10 under the Exchange Act, we will be required to comply with all reporting, proxy solicitation and other applicable requirements under the Exchange Act.
Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
On February 17, 2022, we issued and sold 60 shares of Common Shares at an aggregate purchase price of $1,500 to Angelo Gordon. These shares were issued and sold in reliance upon the available exemptions from registration requirements of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
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Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered
Description of our Common Shares
GENERAL.
The terms of the Declaration of Trust authorize an unlimited number of Common Shares, which may include preferred shares, none of which are outstanding as of the date of this Registration Statement, with the exception of the seed shares sold to Angelo Gordon, as discussed in Item 10 above. There is currently no market for the Common Shares, and there can be no assurance that a market for the Common Shares will develop in the future.
COMMON SHARES.
Under the terms of the Declaration of Trust, we retain the right to issue our Common Shares during the Private Offering, and payment for such shares may be made over time as the Board determines. In addition, shareholders are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders and do not have cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, subject to the rights of any outstanding preferred shares, holders of a majority of the Common Shares entitled to vote in any election of trustees may elect all of the trustees standing for election. Shareholders are entitled to receive proportionately any dividends declared by the Board, subject to any preferential dividend rights of outstanding preferred shares. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the shareholders will be entitled to receive ratably our net assets available after the payment of all debts and other liabilities and will be subject to the prior rights of any outstanding preferred shares. Shareholders have no redemption or preemptive rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of shareholders are subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred shares that we may designate and issue in the future.
PREFERRED SHARES.
Under the terms of the Declaration of Trust, our Board is authorized to issue preferred shares in one or more series without shareholder approval. Prior to the issuance of shares of each series, our Board is required by the Declaration of Trust to set the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each series. The 1940 Act limits our flexibility as certain rights and preferences of the preferred shares require, among other things: (i) immediately after issuance and before any distribution is made with respect to shares, we must meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and preferred shares, of at least 150%; and (ii) the holders of preferred shares, if any are issued, must be entitled as a class to elect two trustees at all times and to elect a majority of the trustees if and for so long as dividends on the preferred shares are unpaid in an amount equal to two full years of dividends on the preferred shares.
Transferability of Common Shares
Shareholders may not sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of (a “Transfer”) any Common Shares unless (i) the Advisor and our lenders give consent and (ii) the Transfer is made in accordance with applicable securities laws. No Transfer will be effectuated except by registration of the Transfer on our books. Each transferee must agree to be bound by these restrictions and all other obligations as a shareholder.
Dissolution of the Fund
Prior to any Merger that may occur, if the Fund’s Board determines that there has been a significant adverse change in the regulatory or tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders that in its judgment makes it inadvisable for the Fund to continue in its present form, then the Board will endeavor to restructure or change the form of the Fund to preserve (insofar as possible) the overall benefits previously enjoyed by shareholders as a whole or, if the Board determines it appropriate (and subject to any necessary shareholder approvals and applicable requirements of the 1940 Act), (i) cause the Fund to change its form and/or jurisdiction of organization or (ii) wind down and/or liquidate and dissolve the Fund.
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If a Merger has not occurred by the six-year anniversary of the Initial Closing, the Board may make a determination to wind down and/or liquidate and dissolve the Fund.
Election of Trustees
Our Declaration of Trust and bylaws provide that the affirmative vote of the holders of a plurality of all votes cast at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present will be sufficient to elect a trustee, provided that, in the case where the number of nominees for the trusteeships (or, if applicable, the trusteeships of a particular class of trustees) exceeds the number of such trustees to be elected, a majority of all votes cast at such meeting is required to elect a trustee. If a sufficient number of votes to elect a trustee are not cast in such an election, the incumbent trustee, if any, will retain their position. Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are trustees to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to vote. Under our Declaration of Trust, our Board may amend the bylaws to alter the vote required to elect trustees.
Number of Trustees; Vacancies; Removal
Our Declaration of Trust provides that the number of trustees is set only by the Board. The Board may determine the number of trustees in a written instrument signed by a majority of the trustees then in office, provided that the number of trustees is no less than two or more than fifteen. Except as otherwise required by applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and as may be provided by our Board in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred shares, pursuant to an election under our Declaration of Trust, any and all vacancies on our Board may be filled only by a written instrument signed by a majority of the remaining trustees in office, even if the remaining trustees do not constitute a quorum, and any trustee elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the trustee for whom the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualified, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. Independent Trustees will nominate replacements for any vacancies among the independent trustees’ positions.
Our Declaration of Trust provides that a trustee may be removed only for cause and only by a majority of the remaining trustees (or in the case of the removal of a trustee that is not an interested person, a majority of the remaining trustees that are not interested persons).
Under the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, the Fund is required at all times to have a trustee residing in the State of Delaware. The Delaware Trustee has been appointed solely to satisfy the residency requirement of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, accept legal process served on the Fund in the State of Delaware, and execute any certificate required to be filed with the Delaware Secretary of State which the Delaware Trustee is required to execute under Section 3811 of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute. To the fullest extent permitted by law, any obligation at law or in equity owed by the Delaware Trustee to the trustees or the Fund are replaced by the terms of the Declaration of Trust.
Action by Shareholders
The shareholders will only have voting rights as required by the 1940 Act or as otherwise provided for in the Declaration of Trust. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Fund is not required to hold annual meetings and does not intend to do so. Special meetings called by the Trustees will be limited to the purposes for any such special meeting set forth in the notice thereof.
With respect to special meetings of shareholders, only the business specified in our notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board at a special meeting may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by the Board or (3) provided that the Board has determined that trustees will be elected at the meeting, by a shareholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting.
Calling of Special Meetings of Shareholders
Our Declaration of Trust provides that special meetings of shareholders may be called by a majority of our Board, the Chairman of the Board or our Chief Executive Officer.
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Conflict with 1940 Act
Our bylaws provide that, if and to the extent that any provision of the DSTA or any provision of our Declaration of Trust or bylaws conflicts with any provision of the 1940 Act, the applicable provision of the 1940 Act will control.
Exclusive Delaware Jurisdiction
Each trustee, the Delaware Trustee, each officer and each person legally or beneficially owning a Common Share or an interest in a Common Share of the Fund (whether through a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation or an agent of any of the foregoing or otherwise), to the fullest extent permitted by law, including Section 3804(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, (i) irrevocably agrees that any claims, suits, actions or proceedings asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs (or similar) doctrine or arising out of or relating in any way to the Fund, the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or the Declaration of Trust (including, without limitation, any claims, suits, actions or proceedings to interpret, apply or enforce (A) the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, or (B) the duties (including fiduciary duties), obligations or liabilities of the Fund to the shareholders or the Board, or of officers or the Board to the Fund, to the shareholders or each other, or (C) the rights or powers of, or restrictions on, the Fund, the officers, the Board or the shareholders, or (D) any provision of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or other laws of the State of Delaware pertaining to trusts made applicable to the Fund pursuant to Section 3809 of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, or (E) any other instrument, document, agreement or certificate contemplated by any provision of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or the Declaration of Trust relating in any way to the Fund (regardless, in each case, of whether such claims, suits, actions or proceedings (x) sound in contract, tort, fraud or otherwise, (y) are based on common law, statutory, equitable, legal or other grounds, or (z) are derivative or direct claims)), shall be exclusively brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, (ii) irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in connection with any such claim, suit, action or proceeding, (iii) irrevocably agrees not to, and waives any right to, assert in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding that (A) it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such courts or any other court to which proceedings in such courts may be appealed, (B) such claim, suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, or (C) the venue of such claim, suit, action or proceeding is improper, (iv) consents to process being served in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding by mailing, certified mail, return receipt requested, a copy thereof to such party at the address in effect for notices hereunder, and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof; provided, nothing in clause (iv) hereof shall affect or limit any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law, and (v) irrevocably waives any and all right to trial by jury in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding. This “Exclusive Delaware Jurisdiction” section shall not apply to any claims asserted under U.S. federal securities laws, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act.
Item 12. Indemnification of Trustees and Officers
The Declaration of Trust provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, none of the Delaware Trustee, the Fund’s officers, trustees or employees (each, an “Indemnified Person”) will be liable to the Fund or to any shareholder for any act or omission performed or omitted by any such Indemnified Person (including any acts or omissions of or by another Indemnified Person), in the absence of willful misfeasance, gross negligence, bad faith, or (for any Indemnified Person other than the Delaware Trustee) reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Indemnified Person’s position (“Indemnified Person Disabling Conduct”).
The Fund will indemnify each Indemnified Person for any loss or damage incurred by it in connection with any matter arising out of, or in connection with, the Fund, including the operations of the Fund and the offering of Common Shares, except for losses incurred by an Indemnified Person arising solely from the Indemnified Person’s own Indemnified Person Disabling Conduct.
Under the indemnification provision of the Declaration of Trust, expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by each Indemnified Person in defending any action, suit or proceeding for which they may be entitled to indemnification shall be paid in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding. However, any such indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses will be subject to the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act.
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So long as the Fund is regulated under the 1940 Act, the above indemnification and limitation of liability is limited by the 1940 Act or by any valid rule, regulation or order of the SEC thereunder. The 1940 Act provides, among other things, that a company may not indemnify any trustee or officer against liability to it or its security holders to which he or she might otherwise be subject by reason of his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence. In addition, the Fund has obtained liability insurance for its officers and trustees.
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Item 13. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
We set forth below a list of our audited financial statements included in this Registration Statement.
| Statement |
Page | |||
| Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
F-2 | |||
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of [ ] |
F-3 | |||
| Statement of Operations for the period [ ] (Date of Inception) through [ ] |
F-4 | |||
| Notes to Financial Statements |
F-5 | |||
Item 14. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
There are not and have not been any disagreements between the Fund and its accountant on any matter of accounting principles, practices, or financial statement disclosure.
Item 15. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
| (a) | List separately all financial statements filed |
The financial statements included in this Registration Statement are listed in Item 13 and commence on page F-1.
| (b) | Exhibits |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
| * | Filed herewith. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| AGTB PRIVATE BDC | ||
| By: | /s/ Jenny B. Neslin | |
| Name: Jenny B. Neslin | ||
| Title: General Counsel & Secretary | ||
Date: April 12, 2022