As filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on December 20, 2021
Securities Act File No. 333-260208
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-2
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
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THE SECURITIES ACT OF
1933 |
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(Check appropriate box or boxes)
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1
Post-Effective Amendment No.
LOGAN RIDGE FINANCE CORPORATION
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in
charter)
650 Madison Avenue, 23rd Floor
New York, New York 10022
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Registrant’s telephone number, including Area
Code: (212) 891-2880
Edward Goldthorpe
Chief Executive Officer and President
Logan Ridge Finance Corporation
650 Madison Avenue, 23rd Floor
New York, New York 10022
(Name and address of agent for service)
COPIES TO:
Rajib Chanda, Esq.
Christopher P. Healey, Esq.
Steven Grigoriou, Esq.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
900 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 636-500
Approximate date of proposed public offering: From time to time
after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being
offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check
the following box ☐.
If any of the securities being registered on this form will be
offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on
Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than
securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan,
check the following box. ☒
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General
Instruction A.2 or a post-effective amendment thereto, check the
following box ☒.
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General
Instruction B or a post-effective amendment thereto that will
become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule
462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following
box ☐.
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration
statement filed pursuant to General Instruction B to register
additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant
to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following
box ☐.
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check
appropriate box)
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when declared effective pursuant to
Section 8(c)
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If appropriate, check the following box:
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This post-effective amendment designates a new
effective date for a previously filed registration statement.
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This form is filed to register additional securities
for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act
and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering
is
.
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This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant
to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration
statement for the same offering
is
.
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This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant
to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration
statement for the same offering
is
.
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Check each box that appropriately characterizes the Registrant:
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Registered Closed-End Fund (closed-end company that is registered
under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company
Act”)).
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Business Development Company (closed-end company that intends or has
elected to be regulated as a business development company under the
Investment Company Act).
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Interval Fund (Registered Closed-End Fund or a Business
Development Company that makes periodic repurchase offers under
Rule 23c-3 under the
Investment Company Act).
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A.2 Qualified (qualified to register securities
pursuant to General Instruction A.2 of this Form).
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Well-Known Seasoned Issuer (as defined by Rule 405
under the Securities Act).
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Emerging Growth Company (as defined by Rule
12b-2 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”).
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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 7(a)(2)(B) of
Securities Act.
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New Registrant (registered or regulated under the
Investment Company Act for less than 12 calendar months preceding
this filing).
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CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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Title of
Securities Being Registered
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Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price(1)
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Amount of
Registration Fee(1) |
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share(3)(4)
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Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share(3)
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Subscription Rights(3)
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Warrants(5)
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Debt Securities(6)
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Total(7)
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$500,000,000 |
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$54,550(2) |
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(1) |
Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities
Act of 1933 solely for the purpose of determining the registration
fee. The proposed maximum offering price per security will be
determined, from time to time, by the Registrant in connection with
the sale by the Registrant of the securities registered under this
Registration Statement.
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(2) |
Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act,
the Registrant is carrying forward to this Registration Statement
$500,000,000 in aggregate offering price of unsold securities that
the Registrant previously registered on its registration statement
on Form N-2 (File
No. 333-230336)
initially filed on April 19, 2019 (the ‘‘Prior Registration
Statement’’). Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act,
the filing fee previously paid with respect to such unsold
securities will continue to be applied to such unsold securities.
The amount of the registration fee in the ‘‘Calculation of
Registration Fee Under the Securities Act of 1933’’ table reflects
that no additional securities are being registered hereunder. As a
result, no additional filing fee is being paid herewith. Pursuant
to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, the offering of unsold
securities under the Prior Registration Statement will be deemed
terminated as of the date of effectiveness of this Registration
Statement.
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Subject to Note 7 below, there is being registered
hereunder an indeterminate number of shares of common stock or
preferred stock, or subscription rights to purchase shares of
common stock as may be sold, from time to time.
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Includes such indeterminate number of shares of common
stock as may, from time to time, be issued upon conversion or
exchange of other securities registered hereunder, to the extent
any such securities are, by their terms, convertible or
exchangeable for common stock.
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Subject to Note 7 below, there is being registered
hereunder an indeterminate number of warrants as may be sold, from
time to time, representing rights to purchase common stock,
preferred stock or debt securities of the Registrant.
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Subject to Note 7 below, there is being registered
hereunder an indeterminate number of debt securities as may be
sold, from time to time. If any debt securities are issued at an
original issue discount, then the offering price shall be in such
greater principal amount as shall result in an aggregate price to
investors not to exceed $500,000,000.
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In no event will the aggregate offering price of all
securities issued from time to time pursuant to this registration
statement exceed $500,000,000.
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The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such
date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until
the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically
states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become
effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities
Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become
effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission,
acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not
complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until
the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell
these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these
securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not
permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION,
DATED DECEMBER 20, 2021
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
Logan Ridge Finance Corporation
$500,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Subscription Rights
Warrants
Debt Securities
We are an externally managed non-diversified closed-end management investment
company that has elected to be regulated as a business development
company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (“1940 Act”). Our investment objective is to generate both
current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity
investments.
We are externally managed by our investment adviser, Mount Logan
Management, LLC, an investment adviser that is registered with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. BC Partners Management LLC
provides certain administrative services necessary for us to
operate.
Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under
the symbol “LRFC”. On December 10, 2021, the last reported
sales price on the NASDAQ Global Select Market for our common stock
was $23.52 per share. Our 6.0% notes due 2022 are traded on the
NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “CPTAL”. On
December 10, 2021, the last reported sales price on the NASDAQ
Global Select Market for our 6.0% notes due 2022 was $25.26. Our
5.75% convertible notes due 2022 are traded on the NASDAQ Capital
Market under the symbol “CPTAG”. On December 10, 2021, the
last reported sales price on the NASDAQ Global Select Market for
our 5.75% convertible notes due 2022 was $25.56.
An investment in our common stock is subject to risks and
involves a heightened risk of total loss of investment. In
addition, the companies in which we invest are subject to special
risks. For example, we 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 “high yield” or “junk,”
have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the
issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page
21 of this prospectus, and in, or incorporated by reference into,
the applicable prospectus supplement and in any free writing
prospectuses we may authorize for use in connection with a specific
offering, and under similar headings in the other documents that
are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, to read about
factors you should consider, including the risk of leverage (see
“Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure”),
before investing in our securities.
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings or
series, our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities,
subscription rights to purchase shares of our securities or a
combination of our securities, and warrants representing rights to
purchase shares of our securities or a combination of the
foregoing, which we refer to, collectively, as the “securities.”
The preferred stock, debt securities, subscription rights and
warrants offered hereby may be convertible or exchangeable into
shares of our common stock. The securities may be offered at prices
and on terms to be described in one or more supplements to this
prospectus. In the event we offer common stock, the offering price
per share of our common stock less any underwriting commissions or
discounts will generally not be less than the net asset value per
share of our common stock at the time we make the offering.
However, we may issue shares of our common stock pursuant to this
prospectus at a price per share that is less than our net asset
value per share (a) in connection with a rights offering to
our existing stockholders, (b) with the prior approval of a
majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of (1) the outstanding
shares of our common stock and (2) the outstanding shares of
the our common stock held by persons that are not affiliated
persons of the Company or (c) under such circumstances as the
SEC may permit.
This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply
to an offering of our securities. We will provide the specific
terms of these offerings and securities in one or more supplements
to this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing
prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these
offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing
prospectus may also add, update, or change information contained in
this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the
applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing
prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference, before
buying any of the securities being offered. We file annual,
quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other
information about us with the SEC. This information is available
free of charge by contacting us by mail at 650 Madison Avenue,
23rd Floor,
New York, New York 10022, by telephone at (212) 891-2880 or on our website at
http://www.loganridgefinance.com. The SEC also maintains a
website at http://www.sec.gov that contains such
information. Information contained on our website or on the SEC’s
website about us is not incorporated into this prospectus or any
supplement hereto and you should not consider information contained
on our website or on the SEC’s website to be part of this
prospectus or any supplement hereto.
Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved
or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus
is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a
criminal offense.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of our
securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
The date of this prospectus
is ,
2021.
You should rely only on the information contained in this
prospectus, any prospectus supplement or in any free writing
prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have
referred you. We have not authorized any dealer, salesman or other
person to give any information or to make any representation other
than those contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement
or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or
to which we have referred you. You must not rely upon any
information or representation not contained in this prospectus, any
such prospectus supplements or any free writing prospectuses as if
we had authorized it. This prospectus, any such prospectus
supplements or any free writing prospectuses do not constitute an
offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any security
other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do
they constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to
buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is
unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation in such
jurisdiction. The information contained in, or incorporated by
reference in, this prospectus, any such prospectus supplements or
any free writing prospectuses is accurate as of the dates on their
covers. Our business, financial condition, results of operations
and prospects may have changed since then.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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INCORPORATION BY
REFERENCE
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have
filed with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is
considered to comprise a part of this prospectus from the date we
file any such document. Any reports filed by us with the SEC
subsequent to the date of this prospectus and before the date that
any offering of any securities by means of this prospectus and any
accompanying prospectus supplement is terminated will automatically
update and, where applicable, supersede any information contained
in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this
prospectus.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus our filings listed
below, all filings filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act
after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to
effectiveness of the registration statement, and any future filings
that we may file with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or
15(d) of the Exchange Act, subsequent to the date of this
prospectus until all of the securities offered by this prospectus
and any accompanying prospectus supplement have been sold or we
otherwise terminate the offering of those securities; provided,
however, that information “furnished” under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01
of Form 8-K or other
information “furnished” to the SEC which is not deemed filed is not
incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying
prospectus supplement. Information that we file with the SEC
subsequent to the date of this prospectus will automatically update
and may supersede information in this prospectus, any accompanying
prospectus supplement and other information previously filed with
the SEC.
The prospectus incorporates by reference the documents set forth
below that have been previously filed with the SEC:
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our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on
March 8, 2021;
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our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended
March 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on May 3, 2021, and
for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2021 filed with the
SEC on
August 16, 2021 and for the quarterly period ended
September 30, 2021 filed with the SEC on November 10,
2021;
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the Financial Highlights included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC on
February 27, 2018;
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our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on
March 8, 2021,
April 21, 2021,
May 3, 2021,
May 28, 2021,
July 1, 2021 and
August 20, 2021 (other than any information furnished
rather than filed);
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our definitive Proxy Statements on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC
on
May 4, 2021 and
July 23, 2021 (to the extent explicitly incorporated by
reference into our Annual Report Form 10-K); and
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the description of our common stock referenced in our Registration
Statement on
Form 8-A (No.
001-36090), as filed with
the SEC on September 24, 2013, including any amendment or
report filed for the purpose of updating such description prior to
the termination of the offering of the common stock registered
hereby.
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To obtain copies of these filings, see “Available Information.” We
will also provide without charge to each person, including any
beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon
written or oral request, a copy of any and all of the documents
that have been or may be incorporated by reference in this
prospectus. You should direct requests for documents by writing
to:
Logan Ridge Finance Corporation
650 Madison Avenue, 23rd Floor
New York, New York 10022
Phone number: (212) 891-2880
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply
to an offering of our securities. We will provide the specific
terms of these offerings and securities in one or more supplements
to this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing
prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these
offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing
prospectus may also add, update, or change information contained in
this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the
applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing
prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference, before
buying any of the securities being offered. We file annual,
quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other
information about us with the SEC. This information is available
free of charge by contacting us by mail at 650 Madison Avenue,
23rd Floor,
New York, New York 10022, by telephone at (212) 891-2880 or on our website at
http://www.loganridgefinance.com. The SEC also maintains a
website at http://www.sec.gov that contains such
information. Information contained on our website or on the SEC’s
website about us is not incorporated into this prospectus or any
supplement hereto and you should not consider information contained
on our website or on the SEC’s website to be part of this
prospectus or any supplement hereto.
We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be
provided to you that may contain material information relating to
these offerings. In a prospectus supplement or free writing
prospectus, we may also add, update, or change any of the
information contained in this prospectus or in the documents we
incorporate by reference into this prospectus. This prospectus,
together with the applicable prospectus supplement, any related
free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by
reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus
supplement, will include all material information relating to the
applicable offering. Before buying any of the securities being
offered, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the
applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing
prospectus, together with any exhibits and the additional
information described in the sections titled “Available
Information,” “Incorporation By Reference,” “Prospectus Summary”
and “Risk Factors.”
This prospectus includes summaries of certain provisions contained
in some of the documents described in this prospectus, but
reference is made to the actual documents for complete information.
All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual
documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have
been filed, will be filed, or will be incorporated by reference as
exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is
a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described
in the section titled “Available Information.”
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
The following summary highlights some of the information
contained elsewhere in this prospectus. It may not contain all the
information that is important to you. For a more complete
understanding of offerings pursuant to this prospectus, we
encourage you to read this entire prospectus and the documents to
which we have referred in this prospectus, together with any
accompanying prospectus supplements or free writing prospectuses,
including the risks set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in
this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any
related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in any
other documents that are incorporated by reference into this
prospectus, and the information set forth under the caption
“Available Information” in this prospectus.
We were previously known as Capitala Finance Corp. On
April 21, 2021, we announced that our Board of Directors (the
“Board”) had selected Mount Logan Management LLC (“Mount Logan”), a
subsidiary of Mount Logan Capital Inc. (“MLC”) and an affiliate of
BC Partners Advisors L.P. for U.S. regulatory purposes, to serve as
our new investment adviser, and announced that Capitala Investment
Advisors, LLC, our prior investment adviser (“Capitala”), entered
into a definitive agreement with Mount Logan and MLC, whereby Mount
Logan would acquire, subject to the satisfaction of certain closing
conditions, certain assets related to Capitala’s business of
providing investment management services to us (collectively, the
“Transaction”). As described in our definitive proxy statement
filed with the SEC on May 4, 2021 (the “Definitive Proxy
Statement”), consummation of the Transaction would result in the
termination of our then current investment advisory agreement,
dated September 24, 2013, between us and Capitala. The closing
of the Transaction (the “Closing”) was conditioned upon, among
other things, our stockholders approving a new advisory agreement
between Mount Logan and us (the “New Advisory Agreement” or the
“Investment Advisory Agreement”). The New Advisory Agreement was
approved by our stockholders on May 27, 2021, and the
Transaction closed on July 1, 2021. On July 1, 2021, in
connection with the Closing, we entered into the New Advisory
Agreement and changed our name to “Logan Ridge Finance Corporation”
and our ticker symbol from “CPTA” to “LRFC.”
Except where the context suggests otherwise:
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“we,” “us,” “our,” “Logan Ridge” and the “Company” refer to Logan
Ridge Finance Corporation and its subsidiaries,
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“Mount Logan,” the “Investment Adviser,” or “investment adviser”
refer to Mount Logan Management LLC, and
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the “Administrator” or the “administrator” refers to BC Partners
Management LLC.
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In this prospectus, we use the term “lower and traditional
middle-market” to refer to companies generating between
$10 million and $200 million in annual revenue and]
having at least $5 million to $50 million in annual
earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization
(“EBITDA”).
Logan Ridge Finance Corporation
We are an externally managed non-diversified closed-end management investment
company incorporated in Maryland that has elected to be regulated
as a BDC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“1940 Act”). We commenced operations on May 24, 2013 as
Capitala Finance Corp. and completed our initial public offering on
September 30, 2013. We are currently managed by Mount Logan,
an investment adviser that is registered as an investment adviser
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the
“Advisers Act”), and BC Partners Management LLC provides the
administrative services necessary for us to operate. For U.S.
federal income tax purposes, we have elected to be treated, and
intend to comply with the requirements to continue to qualify
annually, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under
subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
“Code”).
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Our investment objective is to generate both current income and
capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. We invest
in first lien loans, second lien loans and subordinated loans, and,
to a lesser extent, equity securities issued by lower middle-market
companies and traditional middle-market companies.
Our Principal Investment Strategy
Our investment objective is to generate both current income and
capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. We expect
the companies in which we invest will generally have between
$5 million and $50 million in trailing twelve month
EBITDA. We believe our focus on direct lending to private companies
enables us to perform more extensive due diligence, receive higher
interest rates and stronger covenants. As part of that strategy, we
may invest in first-lien loans, which have a first priority
security interest in all or some of the borrower’s assets. In
addition, our first lien loans may include positions in “stretch”
senior secured loans, also referred to as “unitranche” loans, which
combine characteristics of traditional first-lien senior secured
loans and second lien loans, providing us with greater influence
and security in the primary collateral of a borrower and
potentially mitigating loss of principal should a borrower default.
We also may invest in second lien loans, which have a second
priority security interest in all or substantially all of the
borrower’s assets. In addition to first and second lien loans, we
invest in subordinated loans, which may include mezzanine and other
types of junior debt investments. Like second lien loans, our
subordinated loans typically have a second lien on all or
substantially all of the borrower’s assets; however, the principal
difference between subordinated loans and second lien loans is that
in a subordinated loan, we may be subject to the interruption of
cash interest payments, at the discretion of the first lien lender,
upon certain events of default. In addition to debt securities, we
may acquire equity or detachable equity-related interests
(including warrants) from a borrower. Typically, the debt in which
we invest is not initially rated by any rating agency; however, we
believe that if such investments were rated, they would be rated
below investment grade. Below investment grade securities, which
are often referred to as ‘‘high yield’’ or “junk,” have
predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the
issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. We intend to
target investments that mature in four to six years from our
investment.
We typically will not limit the size of our loan commitments to a
specific percentage of a borrower’s assets that serve as collateral
for our loan, although we attempt to protect against risk of loss
on our debt investments by structuring, underwriting and pricing
loans based on anticipated cash flows of our borrowers. Further, we
believe that we benefit from our investment adviser’s long-standing
relationships with many private equity fund sponsors, whose
participation in portfolio companies, we believe, makes repayment
from refinancing, asset sales and/or sales of the borrowers
themselves more likely than a strategy whereby we consider
investments only in founder-owned or non-sponsored borrowers.
Mount Logan Management LLC
Mount Logan was formed in 2020 and is registered as an investment
adviser under the Advisers Act. Mount Logan is controlled by MLC, a
publicly listed Canada-based alternative asset management company.
Mount Logan is an affiliate of BC Partners for U.S. regulatory
purposes and BC Partners provides Mount Logan with personnel
pursuant to a resource sharing agreement, which allows Mount Logan
to utilize the resources of BC Partners’ broader credit team.
MLC is managed by the founders of BC Partners Credit bringing to
bear the investment expertise and deep resources of the broader BC
Partners platform, all of which the Company — as an
entity within the BC Partners ecosystem — benefits from.
Mount Logan provides investment management services to privately
offered investment funds and acts as the collateral manager to
issuers of collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) backed by debt
obligations and similar assets.
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Mount Logan’s investment committee, or the Mount Logan Investment
Committee, includes Ted Goldthorpe, Matthias Ederer, Henry Wang and
Raymond Svider, each experienced members of Mount Logan’s
investment personnel.
With approximately $40 billion in assets under management and
offices in London, Paris, Hamburg, and New York, the BC Partners
organization is comprised of a private equity platform, a credit
platform, and a real estate platform. All three platforms operate
as integrated businesses within the overall BC Partners
organization. Founded in 1986, BC Partners grew and evolved with
the development of the European private equity market, consistently
maintaining its position as one of the leading buyout firms in the
region. It subsequently expanded investment operations to North
America to support larger transactions operating more globally and
established a successful investment platform for buyouts of
businesses based in the United States and around the world. BC
Partners expanded its strategic offering by establishing a credit
platform in 2017 and a real estate platform in 2018. BC Partners
has a 35-year investing
track record across a variety of geographies and sectors.
Throughout its investment history, BC Partners has built strong and
longstanding relationships with global institutional investors.
Our Portfolio
As of June 30, 2021, the investments in our portfolio were
comprised of approximately $155 million in debt investments
and $73 million in equity investments and warrants across 32
portfolio companies. The debt investments in our portfolio had a
weighted average annualized yield of approximately 9.9% as of June
30, 2021, which includes a cash component and, in some cases, a
payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest
component. PIK interest represents contractually deferred interest
added to the investment balance that is generally due at the end of
the investment term and recorded as income on an accrual basis to
the extent such amounts are expected to be collected.
Our debt investments have structural protections, including default
penalties, information rights, affirmative, negative and financial
covenants, such as lien protection and prohibitions against change
of control and, as needed, intercreditor agreements to protect
second lien positions.
Debt Investments
The Investment Adviser’s investment team tailors the terms of each
debt investment to the facts and circumstances of the transaction,
the needs of the prospective portfolio company and, as applicable,
its financial sponsor, negotiating a structure that seeks to
protect our rights and manage our risk while creating incentives
for the portfolio company to achieve its business plan. We expect
our primary source of return to be the cash interest we will
collect on our debt investments. We also typically seek board
observation rights with each portfolio company and we offer (and
have historically provided) managerial and strategic assistance to
these companies. We seek to further protect invested principal by
negotiating appropriate affirmative, negative and financial
covenants in our debt documents that are conservative enough to
represent a prudent cushion at closing or to budgeted projections,
but that are flexible enough to afford our portfolio companies and
their financial sponsors sufficient latitude to allow them to grow
their businesses. Typical covenants include default triggers and
remedies (including penalties), lien protection, leverage and fixed
charge coverage ratios, change of control provisions and put
rights. Most of our debt investments feature call protection to
enhance our total return on debt investments that are repaid prior
to maturity.
Most of our debt investments are structured as first lien loans,
and as of June 30, 2021, 75% of the fair value of our debt
investments consisted of such investments. First lien loans may
contain some minimum amount of principal amortization, excess cash
flow sweep feature, prepayment penalties, or any combination of the
foregoing. First lien loans are secured by a first priority lien in
existing and future assets of the borrower and may
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take the form of term loans, delayed draw facilities, or revolving
credit facilities. In some cases, first lien loans may be
subordinated, solely with respect to the payment of cash interest,
to an asset based revolving credit facility. Unitranche debt, a
form of first lien loan, typically involves issuing one debt
security that blends the risk and return profiles of both senior
secured and subordinated debt in one debt security, bifurcating the
loan into a first-out
tranche and last-out
tranche. As of June 30, 2021, 16.3% of the fair value of our
first lien loans consisted of last-out loans. We believe that
unitranche debt can be attractive for many lower middle-market and
traditional middle-market businesses, given the reduced structural
complexity, single lender interface and elimination of
intercreditor or potential agency conflicts among lenders.
We may also invest in debt instruments structured as second lien
loans. Second lien loans are loans which have a second priority
security interest in all or substantially all of the borrower’s
assets, and in some cases, may be subject to the interruption of
cash interest payments upon certain events of default, at the
discretion of the first lien lender. On a fair market value basis,
25% of our debt investments consisted of second lien loans as of
June 30, 2021.
Some of our debt investments have PIK interest, which is a form of
interest that is not paid currently in cash, but is accrued and
added to the loan balance until paid at the end of the term. While
we generally seek to minimize the percentage of our fixed return
that is in the form of PIK interest, we sometimes receive PIK
interest due to prevailing market conditions that do not support
the overall blended interest yield on our debt investments being
paid in all-cash interest.
As of June 30, 2021, the weighted average annualized yield on
our debt portfolio was 9.9%. In addition to yield in the form of
current cash and PIK interest, some of our debt investments include
an equity component, such as a warrant to purchase a common equity
interest in the borrower for a nominal price.
The weighted annualized yield is calculated based on the effective
interest rate as of period end, divided by the fair value of our
debt investments. The weighted average annualized yield of our debt
investments is not the same as a return on investment for our
stockholders but, rather, relates to a portion of our investment
portfolio and is calculated before the payment of all of our fees
and expenses. There can be no assurance that the weighted average
yield will remain at its current level.
Equity Investments
As of June 30, 2021, 32% of our total portfolio consisted of
equity investments. When we make a debt investment, we may be
granted equity participation in the form of detachable warrants to
purchase common equity in the company in the same class of security
that the owners or equity sponsors receive upon funding. In
addition, we may make non-control equity co-investments in conjunction with a
loan transaction with a borrower. The Investment Adviser’s
investment team generally seeks to structure our equity
investments, such as direct equity co-investments, to provide us with
minority rights provisions and, to the extent available,
event-driven put rights. They also seek to obtain limited
registration rights in connection with these investments, which may
include “piggyback” registration rights. In addition to warrants
and equity co-investments,
our debt investments in the future may contain a synthetic equity
position.
Process
We believe that the current credit environment provides significant
opportunities to achieve attractive risk- adjusted returns on the
types of cash flow-based loans to lower and traditional
middle-market companies that we intend to make. We review potential
investment opportunities and conduct due diligence that typically
includes a review of historical and prospective financial
information, participation in a presentation held by the
prospective portfolio company’s management and/or the transaction
sponsor, a review of the prospective portfolio company’s product or
service, an analysis and understanding of the drivers of the
particular industry in which the
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prospective portfolio company operates, and an assessment of the
debt service capabilities of the prospective portfolio company
under a variety of assumed forecast scenarios.
Due to our ability to source transactions through multiple
channels, we expect to continue to maintain a pipeline of
opportunities to allow comparative risk return analysis and
selectivity. By focusing on the drivers of revenue and cash flow,
we develop our own underwriting cases, and multiple stress and
event specific case scenarios for each company analyzed.
We focus on lending and investing opportunities in:
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companies with EBITDA of $5 to $50 million;
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companies with a history in generating consistent cash flows and
stable financial performance
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companies identifiable and defensible market positions in
industries with favorable dynamics; and
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companies with management teams with demonstrated track records and
aligned incentives.
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We source investment opportunities from:
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private equity sponsors;
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regional investment banks for non-sponsored companies;
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financial advisers and other market intermediaries; and
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other middle market lenders with whom we can participate in
loans.
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In our experience, good credit judgment is based on a thorough
understanding of both the qualitative and quantitative factors that
determine a company’s performance. Our analysis begins with an
understanding of the fundamentals of the industry in which a
company operates, including the current economic environment and
the outlook for the industry. We also focus on the company’s
relative position within the industry and our historical ability to
weather economic cycles. Other key qualitative factors include the
experience and depth of the management team and the financial
sponsor, if any.
Only after we have a comprehensive understanding of the qualitative
factors do we focus on quantitative metrics. We believe that with
the context provided by the qualitative analysis, we can gain a
better understanding of a company’s financial performance. We
analyze a potential portfolio company’s sales growth and margins in
the context of our competition as well as our ability to manage our
working capital requirements and our ability to generate consistent
cash flow. Based upon this historical analysis, we develop a set of
projections which represents a reasonable underwriting case of most
likely outcomes for the company over the period of our investment.
We also look at potential downside cases to determine a company’s
ability to service its debt in a stressed credit environment.
Elements of the qualitative analysis we use in evaluating
investment opportunities include some combination of the
following:
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competitive position and market share;
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impact of historical down-cycles on the industry and us;
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quality of financial and technology infrastructure;
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sourcing risks and opportunities;
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labor and union strategy;
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diversity of customer base and product lines;
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quality of financial sponsor (if applicable); and
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acquisition and integration history.
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Elements of the quantitative analysis we use in evaluating
investment opportunities include some combination of the
following:
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income statement analysis of growth and margin trends;
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cash flow analysis of capital expenditures and free cash flow;
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financial ratio and market share standing among comparable
companies;
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financial projections: underwriting versus stress case;
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event specific credit modeling;
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future capital expenditure needs and asset sale plans;
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downside protection to limit losses in an event of default;
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risk adjusted returns and relative value analysis; and
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enterprise and asset valuations.
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The origination, structuring and credit approval processes are
fully integrated. Our credit team is directly involved in all due
diligence and analysis prior to the formal credit approval process
by the Mount Logan Investment Committee.
Monitoring
Our Board, including a majority of its independent directors,
oversees and monitors our investment performance and, beginning
with the second anniversary of the effective date of our Advisory
Agreement, will annually review the compensation we pay to the
Investment Adviser.
Our Investment Adviser has significant experience monitoring credit
portfolios. Along with origination and credit analysis, portfolio
management is one of the key elements of our business. Most of our
investments will not be liquid and, therefore, we must prepare to
act quickly if potential issues arise so that we can work closely
with the Investment Adviser and the private equity sponsor, if
applicable, of the portfolio company to take any necessary remedial
action. In addition, most of the Investment Adviser’s senior
management team, has substantial workout and restructuring
experience.
In order to assist us in detecting issues with our Debt Securities
Portfolio companies as early as possible, we perform a financial
analysis at least quarterly on each portfolio company. This
analysis typically includes:
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A summary of the portfolio company’s current total credit exposure
as well as our portion of this exposure.
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A summary and update of the portfolio company’s financial condition
and performance, including but not limited to, performance versus
plan, deterioration/improvement in market position, or industry
fundamentals, management changes or additions, and ongoing business
strategy.
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Reaffirmation of, or proposal to change, the risk rating of the
underlying investment.
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A summary of the portfolio company’s financial covenant results vis
a vis financial covenant levels established in the credit
agreement.
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Watch list credits are followed closely and discussed more
frequently than quarterly, as appropriate.
Summary Risk Factors
Investing in our securities may be speculative and involves certain
risks relating to our structure and our investment objective that
you should consider before deciding whether to invest. See
“Risks” on page 21 of this prospectus, “Risk Factors” in Part
I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 8,
2021, and “Risk Factors” in Part II, Item 1A of our Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q filed
on August 16, 2021 for a more detailed discussion of
these and other material risks you should carefully consider before
deciding to invest in our securities.
Principal Risk Factors
Risks Relating to the COVID-19 pandemic
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Global economic, political and market conditions caused by the
current public health crisis have (and in the future, could
further) adversely affect our business, results of operations and
financial condition and those of our portfolio companies.
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Risks Relating to our Business and Structure
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We may not replicate the historical results achieved.
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Global capital markets could enter a period of severe disruption
and instability. These conditions have historically affected and
could again materially and adversely affect debt and equity capital
markets in the United States and around the world and our
business.
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Global economic, political and market conditions, including
uncertainty about the financial stability of the United States,
could have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
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Adverse developments in the credit markets may impair our ability
to enter into new debt financing arrangements.
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The Investment Adviser, the investment committee of the Investment
Adviser, Mount Logan and their affiliates, officers, directors and
employees may face certain conflicts of interest. Conflicts of
interest may be created by the valuation process for certain
portfolio holdings. Conflicts may arise related to other
arrangements with Mount Logan and other affiliates.
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Our management and incentive fee structure may create incentives
for the Investment Adviser that are not fully aligned with our
stockholders’ interests and may induce the Investment Adviser to
make speculative investments.
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Our Investment Advisory Agreement was negotiated with the
Investment Adviser and the Administration Agreement was negotiated
with the Administrator, which are both our related parties. The
Investment Adviser has limited liability and is entitled to
indemnification under the Investment Advisory Agreement.
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We operate in an increasingly competitive market for investment
opportunities, which could make it difficult for us to identify and
make investments that are consistent with our investment
objectives. Our ability to enter into transactions with our
affiliates is restricted.
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We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we
recognize income before, or without, receiving cash representing
such income. We will be subject to corporate level income tax if we
are unable to qualify as a RIC. Our business may be adversely
affected if we fail to maintain our qualification as a RIC.
Stockholders may be required to pay tax in excess of the cash they
receive. We may be subject to withholding of U.S. Federal income
tax on distributions for non-U.S. stockholders. We may retain
income and capital gains in excess of what is permissible for
excise tax purposes and such amounts will be subject to 4% U.S.
federal excise tax, reducing the amount available for distribution
to stockholders
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We may need to raise additional capital. Regulations governing our
operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we
may, raise additional capital. Certain investors are limited in
their ability to make significant investments in us.
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Our business could be adversely affected in the event we default
under our existing credit facilities or any future credit or other
borrowing facility.
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Our strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to
continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which will
magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and
increases the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a
highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution
restrictions.
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We are subject to risks associated with the current interest rate
environment, and to the extent we use debt to finance our
investments, changes in interest rates may affect our cost of
capital and net investment income. Further, the discontinuation of
LIBOR may adversely affect the value of LIBOR-indexed securities,
loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit in
our portfolio.
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We are and may be subject to restrictions under our credit
facilities and any future credit or other borrowing facility that
could adversely impact our business.
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We may be the target of litigation.
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There is a risk that investors in our common stock may not receive
dividends or that our dividends may not grow over time and that
investors in our debt securities may not receive all of the
interest income to which they are entitled.
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If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in
qualifying assets, we could fail to qualify as a BDC or be
precluded from investing according to our current business
strategy.
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The majority of our portfolio investments are recorded at fair
value as determined in good faith by our Board and, as a result,
there may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio
investments.
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We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating
results.
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New or modified laws or regulations governing our operations may
adversely affect our business.
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The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union has led to
significant risks and uncertainty for global markets and may create
significant risks and uncertainty for our investments.
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We are highly dependent on information systems, and systems
failures or cyber-attacks could significantly disrupt its business,
which may, in turn, negatively affect the value of shares of our
common stock and our ability to pay distributions.
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Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect our
business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or
corruption of its confidential information and/or damage to its
business relationships.
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We and the Investment Adviser are subject to regulations and SEC
oversight. If we or the Investment Adviser fail to comply with
applicable requirements, it may adversely impact our results
relative to companies that are not subject to such regulations.
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We are subject to risks related to corporate social
responsibility
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Risks Relating to our Investments
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The due diligence process that the Investment Adviser undertakes in
connection with our investments may not reveal all the facts that
may be relevant in connection with an investment.
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The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our
business. We may invest in high yield debt, or junk-rated debt,
which has greater credit and liquidity risk than more highly rated
debt obligations. Our subordinated investments may be subject to
greater risk than investments that are not similarly
subordinated.
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Price declines and illiquidity in the corporate debt markets may
adversely affect the fair value of our portfolio investments,
reducing net asset value through increased net unrealized
depreciation.
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Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio
companies could impair the value of our portfolio.
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The disposition of our investments may result in contingent
liabilities.
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We will be subject to the risk that the debt investments we make in
our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity.
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We may be subject to risks under hedging transactions and may
become subject to risk if we invest in non-U.S. securities.
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We may not realize anticipated gains on the equity interests in
which we invest.
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Our investments with OID and PIK interest income features may
expose us to risks associated with such income being required to be
included in accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt
of cash.
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You may receive shares of our common stock as dividends, which
could result in adverse tax consequences to you.
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Our investments in the consumer products and services sector are
subject to various risks including cyclical risks associated with
the overall economy. Our investments in the financial services
sector are subject to various risks including volatility and
extensive government regulation. Our investments in technology
companies are subject to many risks, including volatility, intense
competition, shortened product life cycles, litigation risk and
periodic downturn.
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Operating and Regulatory Structure
Logan Ridge is a Maryland corporation that is an externally
managed, non-diversified
closed-end management
investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC under
the 1940 Act. As a BDC, we are required to meet regulatory tests,
including the requirement to invest at least 70% of our gross
assets in “qualifying assets.” Qualifying assets generally include
securities of private or thinly traded public U.S. companies and
cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high-quality
debt investments that mature in one year or less. See “Regulation
as a Business Development Company.” In addition, we have elected to
be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and intend to
qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the
Code. See “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
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Our investment activities are managed by Mount Logan and supervised
by our Board of Directors. Mount Logan is an investment adviser
that is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as
amended, or the Advisers Act. Under our investment advisory
agreement, which we refer to as the Investment Advisory Agreement,
we have agreed to pay Mount Logan an annual base management fee
based on our gross assets as well as an incentive fee based on our
performance. See “Investment Advisory Agreement.” We have also
entered into an administration agreement, which we refer to as the
Administration Agreement, under which we have agreed to reimburse
our administrator for our allocable portion of overhead and other
expenses incurred by our administrator in performing its
obligations under the Administration Agreement, including
furnishing us with office facilities, equipment and clerical,
bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities, as well
as providing us with other administrative services. See
“Administration Agreement.”
Our Corporate Information
Our executive offices are located at 650 Madison Avenue,
23rd Floor,
New York New York 10022, and our telephone number is (212)
891-2880 and our website
may be found at http://www.loganridgefinance.com.
Information contained on our website or on the SEC’s website about
us is not incorporated into this prospectus and you should not
consider information contained on our website or on the SEC’s
website to be part of this prospectus.
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THE OFFERING
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings or
series, our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities,
subscription rights to purchase our securities or a combination of
our securities, and warrants representing rights to purchase shares
of our securities or a combination of the foregoing, which we refer
to, collectively, as the “securities.” We will offer our securities
at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more supplements
to this prospectus. In the event we offer common stock, the
offering price per share of our common stock less any underwriting
commissions or discounts will generally not be less than the net
asset value per share of our common stock at the time we make the
offering. However, we may issue shares of our common stock pursuant
to this prospectus at a price per share that is less than our net
asset value per share (a) in connection with a rights offering to
our existing stockholders, (b) with the prior approval of a
majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of (1) the outstanding shares
of our common stock and (2) the outstanding shares of the our
common stock held by persons that are not affiliated persons of the
Company or (c) under such circumstances as the SEC may permit.
Our securities may be offered directly to one or more purchasers,
including existing stockholders in a rights offering, through
agents designated from time to time by us, or to or through
underwriters or dealers. The prospectus supplement relating to an
offering will identify any agents or underwriters involved in the
sale of our securities, and will disclose any applicable purchase
price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between us and our
agents or underwriters or among our underwriters or the basis upon
which such amount may be calculated. See “Plan of Distribution”. We
may not sell any of our securities through agents, underwriters or
dealers without delivery of this prospectus and a prospectus
supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of
securities.
Set forth below is additional information regarding offerings of
securities pursuant to this prospectus:
Use of Proceeds
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Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, we plan
to use the net proceeds from the sale of our securities pursuant to
this prospectus for new investments in portfolio companies in
accordance with our investment objective and strategies described
in this prospectus and for general working capital purposes. We
will also pay operating expenses, including advisory and
administrative fees and expenses, and may pay other expenses such
as due diligence expenses of potential new investments, from the
net proceeds from the sale of our securities pursuant to this
prospectus. Proceeds not immediately used for new investments will
be invested in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities
and other high-quality investments that mature in one year or less
from the date of the investment. These securities may have lower
yields than the types of investments we would typically make in
accordance with our investment objective and, accordingly, may
result in lower distributions, if any during such period. Each
prospectus supplement to this prospectus or free writing prospectus
relating to an offering will more fully identify the use of the
proceeds from such offering. See “Use of Proceeds”. |
NASDAQ Global Select Market Symbol of Common Stock
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“LRFC” |
NASDAQ Global Select Market Symbol of 2022 Notes
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“CPTAL” |
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NASDAQ Capital Market Symbol of 2022 Convertible Notes
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“CPTAG” |
Investment Advisory Fees
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We will pay Mount Logan a fee for its services under the
Investment Advisory Agreement consisting of two components — a base
management fee and an incentive fee. The base management fee is
calculated at an annual rate of 1.75% of our gross assets, which is
our total assets as reflected on our balance sheet and includes any
borrowings for investment purposes. Although we do not anticipate
making significant investments in derivative financial instruments,
the fair value of any such investments, which will not necessarily
equal their notional value, will be included in our calculation of
gross assets. |
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The incentive fee consists of two
parts. The first part is calculated and payable quarterly in
arrears and equals 20.0% of our “pre-incentive fee net investment
income” for the immediately preceding quarter, subject to a 2.0%
preferred return, or “hurdle,” and a “catch up” feature. The second
part is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each
calendar year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory
Agreement) in an amount equal to 20.0% of our realized capital
gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from July 1, 2021 through
the end of each 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 capital gain
incentive fees. |
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We will defer cash payment of the
portion of the aggregate incentive fees earned by our investment
adviser that exceed 20% of the sum of the following: |
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our pre-incentive fee net
investment income;
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our net unrealized appreciation or depreciation; and
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our net realized capital gains or losses,
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during the most recent 12 full
calendar month period ending on or prior to the date such payment
is to be made. Any deferred incentive fees will be carried over for
payment in subsequent calculation periods to the extent such
payment is payable under the Investment Advisory Agreement. The
determination of whether such payment is payable in subsequent
calculation periods will be based on the same methodology as
described above. |
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On July 1, 2021, Mount Logan
entered into a fee waiver agreement (the “Fee Waiver Agreement”)
with Logan Ridge to waive, to the extent necessary, any capital
gains fee under the Investment Advisory Agreement that exceeds what
would have been paid to Logan Ridge in the aggregate over such
two-year period under the
prior investment advisory agreement between Logan Ridge and Mount
Logan. |
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Administration Agreement
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We will reimburse our administrator for our allocable portion
of overhead and other expenses it incurs in performing its
obligations under the Administration Agreement, including
furnishing us with office facilities, equipment and clerical,
bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities, as well
as providing us with other administrative services. In addition, we
will reimburse our administrator for the fees and expenses
associated with performing compliance functions, and our allocable
portion of the compensation of our chief financial officer, chief
compliance officer and their respective administrative support
staff. See “Administration Agreement.” For the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2020, we reimbursed our prior administrator an
aggregate of $1.4 million. |
Distributions
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To the extent that we have income available, we intend to make
monthly distributions to our stockholders. Our monthly stockholder
distributions, if any, will be determined by our Board of Directors
on a quarterly basis. Our Board of Directors has not authorized and
we have not declared a distribution to stockholders since the first
quarter of 2020. Any distribution to our stockholders will be
declared out of assets legally available for distribution.
Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and
profits will be treated as a non-taxable return of capital, which is
a return of a portion of a shareholder’s original investment in our
common stock, to the extent of an investor’s basis in our stock
and, assuming that an investor holds our stock as a capital asset,
thereafter as a capital gain. Generally, a non-taxable return of capital will
reduce an investor’s basis in our stock for federal tax purposes,
which will result in higher tax liability when the stock is
sold. |
Taxation
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We have elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, and intend to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter
M of the Code. As a RIC, we generally will not have to pay
corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or
capital gains that we distribute to our stockholders as dividends.
To maintain our RIC tax treatment, we must meet specified
source-of-income and asset
diversification requirements and distribute annually at least 90%
of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in
excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. See “Price
Range of Common Stock and Distributions” and “Certain U.S. Federal
Income Tax Considerations.” |
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
|
We have adopted an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan. If your
shares of common stock are registered in your own name, your
distributions will automatically be reinvested under our dividend
reinvestment plan in additional whole and fractional shares of
common stock, unless you “opt out” of our dividend reinvestment
plan so as to receive cash dividends by delivering a written notice
to our dividend paying agent. If your shares are held in the name
of a broker or other nominee, you should contact the broker or
nominee for details regarding opting out of our dividend
reinvestment plan.
|
15
|
Stockholders who receive distributions in the form of stock will be
subject to the same federal, state and local tax consequences as
stockholders who elect to receive their distributions in cash. See
“Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
|
Trading at a Discount
|
Shares of closed-end
investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their net
asset value. The possibility that our common stock may trade at a
discount to its net asset value per share is separate and distinct
from the risk that its net asset value per share may decline. We
cannot predict whether our common stock will trade above, at or
below net asset value. |
Original Issue Discount
|
Debt securities offered may be issued with original issue
discount (“OID”) for United States federal income tax purposes. In
such case, in addition to the stated interest on debt securities, a
holder subject to United States federal income taxation will be
required to include the OID in gross income (as ordinary income) as
it accrues (on a constant yield to maturity basis) in advance of
the receipt of the cash payment thereof and regardless of such
holder’s regular method of accounting for United States federal
income tax purposes. See “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax
Considerations.” |
Leverage
|
We expect to continue to use leverage to make investments. As a
result, we may continue to be exposed to the risks of leverage,
which include that leverage may be considered a speculative
investment technique. The use of leverage magnifies the potential
for gain and loss on amounts we invest and therefore, indirectly,
increases the risks associated with investing in shares of our
common stock. See “Risk Factors.” |
Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions
|
Our charter and bylaws, as well as certain statutory and
regulatory requirements, contain certain provisions that may have
the effect of discouraging a third-party from making an acquisition
proposal for us. These anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a
change in control in circumstances that could give the holders of
our common stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the
market price for our common stock. See “Description of Our Capital
Stock.” |
Available Information
|
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form
N-2 together with all
amendments and related exhibits under the Securities Act. The
registration statement contains additional information about us and
the securities being offered by this prospectus. |
We are required to file annual, quarterly and current reports,
proxy statements and other information with the SEC under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
This information will be available free of charge by contacting us
at Logan Ridge Finance Corporation, 650 Madison Avenue,
23rd Floor,
New York, New York 10022, by telephone at (212) 891-10022, on our website at
http://www.loganridgefinance.com, or on the SEC’s
16
website at www.sec.gov. Information contained on our website
or on the SEC’s website about us is not incorporated into this
prospectus and you should not consider information contained on our
website or on the SEC’s website to be part of this prospectus.
Incorporation by reference
|
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we
have filed with the SEC. In accordance with the Small Business
Credit Availability Act, we are allowed to “incorporate by
reference” the information that we file with the SEC, which means
that we can disclose important information to you by referring you
to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is
considered to comprise a part of this prospectus from the date we
file that document. The investment strategies and risk factors
incorporated by reference are considered principal to the Fund. Any
reports filed by us with the SEC subsequent to the date of this
prospectus and before the date that any offering of any securities
by means of this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus
supplement is terminated will automatically update and, where
applicable, supersede any information contained in this prospectus
or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See “Incorporation
by Reference.” |
17
FEES AND EXPENSES
The following table is intended to assist you in understanding the
costs and expenses that you will bear directly or indirectly. We
caution you that some of the percentages indicated in the table
below are estimates and may vary. Except where the context suggests
otherwise, whenever this prospectus contains a reference to fees or
expenses paid by “you”, “Logan Ridge”, or “us” or that “we” or
“Logan Ridge” will pay fees or expenses, Logan Ridge will pay such
fees and expenses out of our net assets and, consequently, you will
indirectly bear such fees or expenses as an investor in Logan
Ridge. However, you will not be required to deliver any money or
otherwise bear personal liability or responsibility for such fees
or expenses.
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholder transaction expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
Sales load (as a percentage of offering price)
|
|
|
N/A |
(1) |
Offering expenses borne by us (as a percentage of offering
price)
|
|
|
N/A |
(2) |
Dividend reinvestment plan fees (per sales transaction fee)
|
|
$ |
15.00 |
(3) |
|
|
|
|
|
Total stockholder transaction expenses (as a percentage of
offering price)
|
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
Annual expenses (as a percentage of net assets attributable to
common stock):
|
|
|
|
|
Base management fee
|
|
|
4.48 |
%(4) |
Incentive fees payable from Net Investment Income
|
|
|
— |
%(5) |
Incentive fee payable from Capital Gains
|
|
|
— |
%(5) |
Interest payments on borrowed funds
|
|
|
6.54 |
%(6) |
Other expenses
|
|
|
4.45 |
(7) |
|
|
|
|
|
Total annual expenses
|
|
|
15.48 |
%(8) |
(1) |
In the event that the shares to which this prospectus
relates are sold to or through underwriters, a corresponding
prospectus supplement will disclose the applicable sales load.
|
(2) |
The prospectus supplement corresponding to each
offering will disclose the applicable estimated amount of offering
expenses of the offering and the offering expenses borne by us as a
percentage of the offering price.
|
(3) |
If a participant elects by written notice to the plan
administrator to have the plan administrator sell part or all of
the shares held by the plan administrator in the participant’s
account and remit the proceeds to the participant, the plan
administrator is authorized to deduct a transaction fee of $15.00
plus a $.10 per share brokerage commission from the proceeds. The
expenses of the dividend reinvestment plan are included in “other
expenses.” The plan administrator’s fees will be paid by us. There
will be no brokerage charges or other charges to stockholders who
participate in the plan. For additional information, see “Dividend
Reinvestment Plan.”
|
(4) |
Reflects our gross base management fee as a percentage
of net assets. Our base management fee under the Investment
Advisory Agreement is calculated at an annual rate of 1.75% of our
gross assets, which is our total assets as reflected on our balance
sheet and includes any borrowings for investment purposes. The
gross base management fee reflected in the table above is based on
the period ended September 30, 2021, annualized. See
“Investment Advisory Agreement.”
|
(5) |
Assumes that annual incentive fees earned by Mount
Logan remain consistent with the incentive fees earned by Capitala
during the period ended September 30, 2021 and includes
accrued capital gains incentive fee, as applicable. As we cannot
predict whether we will meet the thresholds for incentive fees
under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the incentive fees paid in
subsequent periods, if any, may be substantially different than the
fees incurred during the period ended September 30, 2021.
|
(6) |
In addition to the 2022 Notes and 2022 Convertible
Notes, we may borrow funds from time to time to make investments to
the extent we determine that additional capital would allow us to
take advantage of additional investment opportunities or if the
economic situation is otherwise conducive to doing so. The costs
associated with any borrowings are indirectly borne by our
stockholders. As of September 30, 2021, we had approximately
$0 drawn on our KeyBank Credit Facility, $72.8 million of 2022
Notes outstanding, and $52.1 million of Convertible Notes
outstanding. For purposes of this calculation, we have assumed that
the September 30, 2021 amounts outstanding on the KeyBank
Credit Faciltiy, 2022 Notes and 2022 Convertible
|
18
|
Notes remain outstanding, and have
computed interest expense using an assumed interest rate of 4.25%
for the KeyBank credit facility, 6.0% for the 2022 Notes, and 5.75%
for the 2022 Convertible Notes which were the rates payable as of
September 30, 2021. We have computed interest expense using an
assumed interest rate of 5.9%. See “Senior Securities” in this
prospectus. |
(7) |
“Other expenses” include our overhead expenses,
including payments by us under the Administration Agreement based
on the allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by
the Administrator in performing its obligations to us under the
Administration Agreement, and expenses relating to the Dividend
Reinvestment Plan, for the period ended September 30,
2021.
|
(8) |
The holders of shares of our common stock indirectly
bear the cost associated with our annual expenses.
|
Example
The following example demonstrates the projected dollar amount of
total cumulative expenses that would be incurred over various
periods with respect to a hypothetical investment in our common
stock. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have
assumed that our borrowings and annual operating expenses would
remain at the levels set forth in the table above. In the event
that shares to which this prospectus relates are sold to or through
underwriters, a corresponding prospectus supplement will restate
this example to reflect the applicable sales load and offering
expenses. See Note 6 above for additional information regarding
certain assumptions regarding our level of leverage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Year |
|
|
3 Years |
|
|
5 Years |
|
|
10 Years |
|
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment,
assuming a 5.0% annual return
|
|
$ |
155 |
|
|
$ |
417 |
|
|
$ |
628 |
|
|
$ |
989 |
|
The example should not be considered a representation of future
expenses, and actual expenses may be greater or less than those
shown.
While the example assumes, as required by the applicable rules of
the SEC, a 5.0% annual return, our performance will vary and may
result in a return greater or less than 5.0%. The incentive fee
under the Investment Advisory Agreement, which, assuming a 5.0%
annual return, would either not be payable or would have an
insignificant impact on the expense amounts shown above, is not
included in the above example. The above illustration assumes that
we will not realize any capital gains (computed net of all realized
capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation) in any of the
indicated time periods. If we achieve sufficient returns on our
investments, including through the realization of capital gains, to
trigger an incentive fee of a material amount, our expenses and
returns to our investors would be higher. For example, if we
assumed that we received our 5.0% annual return completely in the
form of net realized capital gains on our investments, computed net
of all cumulative unrealized depreciation on our investments, the
projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses set forth in
the above illustration would be as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Year |
|
|
3 Years |
|
|
5 Years |
|
|
10 Years |
|
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment,
assuming a 5.0% annual return
|
|
$ |
165 |
|
|
$ |
440 |
|
|
$ |
655 |
|
|
$ |
1,011 |
|
The example assumes no sales load. However, in the event that the
securities to which this prospectus relates are sold with a sales
load, a corresponding prospectus supplement will provide a revised
expense example that will include the effect of the sales load. In
addition, while the examples assume reinvestment of all dividends
and distributions at net asset value, participants in our dividend
reinvestment plan will receive a number of shares of our common
stock, generally determined by dividing the total dollar amount of
the dividend payable to a participant by the market price per share
of our common stock at the close of trading on the dividend payment
date, which may be at, above or below net asset value. See
“Dividend Reinvestment Plan” for additional information regarding
the dividend reinvestment plan.
19
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The information in “Item 6. Selected Consolidated Financial Data”
of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and our 2017 annual report on Form
10-K, “Part I —
Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities” of our most
recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q and “Part I — Consolidated
Statements of Operations” of our most recent quarterly report on
Form 10-Q is incorporated
by reference herein.
20
RISK FACTORS
Before you invest in our securities, you should be aware of
various risks, including the principal risk factors described under
the caption “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of our most recent
Annual Report on Form 10-K
and under the caption “Risk Factors” in Part II, Item 1A of our
most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in any applicable prospectus
supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and in our
other filings with the SEC, pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c) or 14
of the Exchange Act. You should carefully consider these principal
risk factors, together with all of the other information included
in this prospectus, and any prospectus supplement and any related
free writing prospectus accompanying this prospectus, before you
decide whether to make an investment in our securities. The risks
incorporated by reference are not the only risks we face, but they
are the principal risks associated with an investment in us, which
include the special risks of investing in a business development
company, including the risks associated with investing in a
portfolio of small and developing or financially troubled
businesses. If any of the following events occur, our business,
financial condition and results of operations could be materially
and adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value and the
trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose
all or part of your investment. The risk factors described in our
most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q, together with those
set forth in any prospectus supplement and any related free writing
prospectus accompanying this prospectus, are the principal risk
factors associated with an investment in our securities, as well as
those factors generally associated with an investment company with
investment objectives, investment policies, capital structure or
trading markets similar to ours.
Debt securities may be issued with original issue discount
(“OID”) for United States federal income tax purposes.
If the stated principal amount of issued debt securities exceeds
their issue price by more than a de minimis amount, such debt
securities will be issued with OID for United States federal income
tax purposes. In such event, in addition to the stated interest on
the debt securities, a holder subject to United States federal
income taxation will be required to include the OID in gross income
(as ordinary income) as it accrues (on a constant yield to maturity
basis) in advance of the receipt of the cash payment thereof and
regardless of such holder’s regular method of accounting for United
States federal income tax purposes. See “Certain U.S. Federal
Income Tax Considerations.”
If the debt securities are issued with OID and a bankruptcy
petition were filed by or against us, holders of the debt
securities may receive a lesser amount for their claims than they
would have been entitled to receive under the indenture governing
the debt securities.
If the debt securities are issued with OID and a bankruptcy
petition were filed by or against us under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code
after the issuance of the debt securities, the claim by any holder
of the debt securities for the principal amount of such debt
securities may be limited to an amount equal to the sum of:
|
• |
|
the original issue price for the debt securities; and
|
|
• |
|
that portion of the OID that does not constitute “unmatured
interest” for purposes of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
|
Any OID that was not amortized as of the date of the bankruptcy
filing would constitute unmatured interest. Accordingly, holders of
debt securities under these circumstances may receive a lesser
amount than they would be entitled to under the terms of the
indenture governing the debt securities, even if sufficient funds
are available.
21
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
REGARDING
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND
PROJECTIONS
This prospectus contains and any applicable prospectus supplement
or free writing prospectus, including the documents we incorporate
by reference, may contain forward-looking statements that involve
substantial risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking
statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on
current expectations, estimates and projections about Logan Ridge,
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.
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus and any
applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus,
including the documents we incorporate by reference, involve risks
and uncertainties, including statements as to:
|
• |
|
our future operating results;
|
|
• |
|
our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio
companies;
|
|
• |
|
the impact of investments that we expect to make;
|
|
• |
|
our contractual arrangements and relationships with third
parties;
|
|
• |
|
the dependence of our future success on the general economy and its
impact on the industries in which we invest;
|
|
• |
|
the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their
objectives;
|
|
• |
|
our expected financings and investments;
|
|
• |
|
the adequacy of our cash resources and working capital; and
|
|
• |
|
the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our
portfolio companies.
|
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 without
limitation:
|
• |
|
an economic downturn could impair our portfolio companies’ ability
to continue to operate or repay their borrowings, which could lead
to the loss of some or all of our investments in such portfolio
companies;
|
|
• |
|
a contraction of available credit and/or an inability to access the
equity markets could impair our lending and investment
activities;
|
|
• |
|
interest rate volatility could adversely affect our results,
particularly if we use leverage as part of our investment strategy;
and
|
|
• |
|
the risks, uncertainties and other factors we identify in “Risk
Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus and any applicable
prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, including the
documents we incorporate by reference.
|
Although we believe that the assumptions on which these
forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those
assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the
forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be
inaccurate. Important assumptions include our ability to originate
new loans and investments, certain margins and levels of
profitability and the availability of additional capital. In light
of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or
forward-looking statement in this prospectus and any applicable
prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, including the
documents we incorporate by reference, should not be regarded as a
representation by us that our plans and objectives will be
22
achieved. These risks and uncertainties include those described or
identified in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. You
should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which are based on information available to us as of
the applicable date of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus
supplement or free writing prospectus, including any documents
incorporated by reference, and while we believe such information
forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may
be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to
indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or
review of, all potentially available relevant information. These
statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not
to unduly rely on these statements.
23
USE OF PROCEEDS
We plan to use the net proceeds from the sale of our securities
pursuant to this prospectus for new investments in portfolio
companies in accordance with our investment objective and
strategies described in this prospectus and for general working
capital purposes. We will also pay operating expenses, including
advisory and administrative fees and expenses, and may pay other
expenses such as due diligence expenses of potential new
investments, from the net proceeds from the sale of our securities
pursuant to this prospectus. We are continuously identifying,
reviewing and, to the extent consistent with its investment
objective, funding new investments. As a result, we typically raise
capital as we deem appropriate to fund such new investments. The
applicable prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus that
we have authorized for use relating to an offering will more fully
identify the use of the proceeds from such offering.
We anticipate that substantially all of the net proceeds from any
offering of our securities will be used as described above within
twelve months, but in no event longer than two years, depending on
the availability of attractive opportunities and market conditions.
However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve
this goal.
Pending such investments, we will invest the net proceeds primarily
in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other
high-quality temporary investments that mature in one year or less
from the date of investment. These securities may have lower yields
than the types of investments we would typically make in accordance
with our investment objective and, accordingly, may result in lower
distributions, if any, during such period.
24
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
The information in “Price Range of Common Stock and Distributions”
in Part II, Item 5 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 8, 2021 is
incorporated herein by reference.
25
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND
ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
The information in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7
of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 8, 2021 and in
Part 1, Item 2 of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 16, 2021 is
incorporated herein by reference.
26
SENIOR SECURITIES
The information in “Senior Securities” in Part II, Item 7 of our
Annual Report on Form 10-K
filed on March 8, 2021 is incorporated herein by
reference.
27
BUSINESS
We are an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end investment company that has
elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. Mount Logan is
an affiliate of BC Partners Advisors L.P. (“BC Partners”) for U.S.
regulatory purposes. Subject to the overall supervision of the
Board, the Investment Adviser is responsible for managing our
business and activities, including sourcing investment
opportunities, conducting research, performing diligence on
potential investments, structuring our investments, and monitoring
our portfolio companies on an ongoing basis through a team of
investment professionals.
The Investment Adviser seeks to invest on our behalf in performing,
well-established middle market businesses that operate across a
wide range of industries (i.e., no concentration in any one
industry). The Investment Adviser employs fundamental credit
analysis, targeting investments in businesses with relatively low
levels of cyclicality and operating risk. The holding size of each
position will generally be dependent upon a number of factors
including total facility size, pricing and structure, and the
number of other lenders in the facility. The Investment Adviser has
experience managing levered vehicles, both public and private, and
seeks to enhance our returns through the use of leverage with a
prudent approach that prioritizes capital preservation. The
Investment Adviser believes this strategy and approach offers
attractive risk/return with lower volatility given the potential
for fewer defaults and greater resilience through market
cycles.
We originate, structure, and invest in secured term loans, bonds or
notes and mezzanine debt primarily in privately-held middle market
companies but may also invest in other investments such as loans to
publicly-traded companies, high-yield bonds, and distressed debt
securities (collectively the “Debt Securities Portfolio”). In
addition, from time to time we may invest in the equity securities
of lower middle-market and traditional middle-market companies and
may also receive warrants or options to purchase common stock in
connection with our debt investments.
In our Debt Securities Portfolio, our investment objective is to
generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital
appreciation from the investments in senior secured term loans,
mezzanine debt and selected equity investments in privately-held
middle market companies. We define the middle market as comprising
companies with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization (“EBITDA”) of $5 million to $50 million. We
primarily invest in first and second lien term loans which, because
of their priority in a company’s capital structure, we expect will
have lower default rates and higher rates of recovery of principal
if there is a default and which we expect will create a stable
stream of interest income. The investments in our Debt Securities
Portfolio are all or predominantly below investment grade, and have
speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity
to pay interest and repay principal.
Subject to market conditions, we intend to grow our portfolio of
assets by raising additional capital, including through the prudent
use of leverage available to us. As a BDC, we are limited in the
amount of leverage we can incur under the 1940 Act. Effective
March 29, 2019, we are allowed to borrow amounts such that our
asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150%
after such borrowing. Because we also recognize the need to have
funds available for operating our business and to make investments,
we seek to have adequate liquidity at all times to cover normal
cyclical swings in funding availability and to allow us to meet
abnormal and unexpected funding requirements. As a result, we may
hold varying amounts of cash and other short-term investments from
time-to-time for liquidity
purposes.
We have elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes
as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and intend to operate
in a manner to maintain our RIC status. See “ — Taxation as a
Regulated Investment Company” below.
Investment Portfolio
We will target debt investments that yield meaningful current
income and, in many cases, provide the opportunity for capital
appreciation through equity securities. In each case, the following
criteria and guidelines
28
are applied to the review of a potential investment; however, not
all criteria are met in every single investment in our portfolio,
nor do we guarantee that all criteria will be met in the
investments we will make in the future.
|
• |
|
Established Companies With Positive Cash
Flow. We seek to invest in
established companies with a history of generating revenues and
positive cash flows. We intend to focus on companies with a history
of profitability and minimum trailing twelve-month EBITDA of
between $5 million and $50 million. We do not intend to
invest in start-up
companies, distressed or “turn-around” situations or companies with
business plans that we do not understand.
|
|
• |
|
Experienced Management Teams with Meaningful
Investment. We seek to invest in
companies in which senior or key managers have significant company
or industry-level experience and have significant equity ownership.
It has been our experience that these management teams are more
committed to the company’s success and more likely to manage the
company in a manner that protects our debt and equity
investments.
|
|
• |
|
Significant Invested
Capital. We believe that the
existence of an appropriate amount of equity beneath our debt
capital provides valuable support for our investment. In addition,
the degree to which the particular investment is a meaningful one
for the portfolio company’s financial sponsor, and the financial
sponsor’s ability and willingness to invest additional equity
capital as and to the extent necessary, are also important
considerations.
|
|
• |
|
Appropriate Capital
Structures. We seek to invest in
companies that are appropriately capitalized. First, we examine the
amount of equity that is being invested by the company’s private
equity sponsor to determine whether there is a sufficient capital
cushion beneath our invested capital. We also analyze the amount of
leverage and the characteristics of senior debt with lien priority
over our investment.
|
|
• |
|
Strong Competitive
Position. We intend to invest in
companies that have developed strong, defensible product or service
offerings within their respective market segments. These companies
should be well positioned to capitalize on organic and strategic
growth opportunities, and should compete in industries with strong
fundamentals and meaningful barriers to entry. We further analyze
prospective portfolio investments in order to identify competitive
advantages within their respective industries, which may result in
superior operating margins or industry-leading growth.
|
|
• |
|
Customer and Supplier
Diversification. We expect to invest
in companies with sufficiently diverse customer and supplier bases.
We believe these companies will be better able to endure industry
consolidation, economic contraction and increased competition than
those that are not sufficiently diversified. However, we also
recognize that from time to time, an attractive investment
opportunity with some concentration among its customer base or
supply chain will present itself. We believe that concentration
issues can be evaluated and, in some instances (whether due to
supplier or customer product or platform diversification, the
existence and quality of long-term agreements with such customers
or suppliers or other select factors), mitigated, thus presenting a
superior risk-adjusted pricing scenario.
|
Debt Investments
Our investment team tailors the terms of each debt investment to
the facts and circumstances of the transaction, the needs of the
prospective portfolio company and, as applicable, its financial
sponsor, negotiating a structure that seeks to protect our rights
and manage our risk while creating incentives for the portfolio
company to achieve its business plan. We expect our primary source
of return to be the cash interest we will collect on our debt
investments. We also typically seek board observation rights with
each portfolio company and we offer (and have historically
provided) managerial and strategic assistance to these companies.
We seek to further protect invested principal by negotiating
appropriate affirmative, negative and financial covenants in our
debt documents that are conservative enough to represent a prudent
cushion at closing or to budgeted projections, but that are
flexible enough to afford our portfolio companies and their
financial sponsors sufficient latitude to allow them to grow their
businesses. Typical covenants include default triggers and remedies
(including penalties), lien
29
protection, leverage and fixed charge coverage ratios, change of
control provisions and put rights. Most of our debt investments
feature call protection to enhance our total return on debt
investments that are repaid prior to maturity.
Most of our debt investments are structured as first lien loans,
and as of June 30, 2021, 75% of the fair value of our debt
investments consisted of such investments. First lien loans may
contain some minimum amount of principal amortization, excess cash
flow sweep feature, prepayment penalties, or any combination of the
foregoing. First lien loans are secured by a first priority lien in
existing and future assets of the borrower and may take the form of
term loans, delayed draw facilities, or revolving credit
facilities. In some cases, first lien loans may be subordinated,
solely with respect to the payment of cash interest, to an asset
based revolving credit facility. Unitranche debt, a form of first
lien loan, typically involves issuing one debt security that blends
the risk and return profiles of both senior secured and
subordinated debt in one debt security, bifurcating the loan into a
first-out tranche and
last-out tranche. As of
June 30, 2021, 16.3% of the fair value of our first lien loans
consisted of last-out
loans. We believe that unitranche debt can be attractive for many
lower middle-market and traditional middle-market businesses, given
the reduced structural complexity, single lender interface and
elimination of intercreditor or potential agency conflicts among
lenders.
We may also invest in debt instruments structured as second lien
loans. Second lien loans are loans which have a second priority
security interest in all or substantially all of the borrower’s
assets, and in some cases, may be subject to the interruption of
cash interest payments upon certain events of default, at the
discretion of the first lien lender. On a fair market value basis,
25% of our debt investments consisted of second lien loans as of
June 30, 2021.
Some of our debt investments have PIK interest, which is a form of
interest that is not paid currently in cash, but is accrued and
added to the loan balance until paid at the end of the term. While
we generally seek to minimize the percentage of our fixed return
that is in the form of PIK interest, we sometimes receive PIK
interest due to prevailing market conditions that do not support
the overall blended interest yield on our debt investments being
paid in all-cash interest.
As of June 30, 2021, the weighted average annualized yield on
our debt portfolio was 9.9%. In addition to yield in the form of
current cash and PIK interest, some of our debt investments include
an equity component, such as a warrant to purchase a common equity
interest in the borrower for a nominal price.
The weighted annualized yield is calculated based on the effective
interest rate as of period end, divided by the fair value of our
debt investments. The weighted average annualized yield of our debt
investments is not the same as a return on investment for our
stockholders but, rather, relates to a portion of our investment
portfolio and is calculated before the payment of all of our fees
and expenses. There can be no assurance that the weighted average
yield will remain at its current level.
Equity Investments
As of June 30, 2021, 32% of our total portfolio consisted of
equity investments. When we make a debt investment, we may be
granted equity participation in the form of detachable warrants to
purchase common equity in the company in the same class of security
that the owners or equity sponsors receive upon funding. In
addition, we may make non-control equity co-investments in conjunction with a
loan transaction with a borrower. The Investment Adviser’s
investment team generally seeks to structure our equity
investments, such as direct equity co-investments, to provide us with
minority rights provisions and, to the extent available,
event-driven put rights. They also seek to obtain limited
registration rights in connection with these investments, which may
include “piggyback” registration rights. In addition to warrants
and equity co-investments,
our debt investments in the future may contain a synthetic equity
position.
Process
We are managed by Mount Logan, whose investment team members have
significant and diverse experience. We review potential investment
opportunities and conduct due diligence that typically includes
a
30
review of historical and prospective financial information,
participation in a presentation held by the prospective portfolio
company’s management and/or the transaction sponsor, a review of
the prospective portfolio company’s product or service, an analysis
and understanding of the drivers of the particular industry in
which the prospective portfolio company operates, and an assessment
of the debt service capabilities of the prospective portfolio
company under a variety of assumed forecast scenarios.
Due to our ability to source transactions through multiple
channels, we expect to continue to maintain a pipeline of
opportunities to allow comparative risk return analysis and
selectivity. By focusing on the drivers of revenue and cash flow,
we develop our own underwriting cases, and multiple stress and
event specific case scenarios for each company analyzed.
We focus on lending and investing opportunities in:
|
• |
|
companies with EBITDA of $5 to $50 million;
|
|
• |
|
companies with a history in generating consistent cash flows and
stable financial performance
|
|
• |
|
companies identifiable and defensible market positions in
industries with favorable dynamics; and
|
|
• |
|
companies with management teams with demonstrated track records and
aligned incentives.
|
We source investment opportunities from:
|
• |
|
private equity sponsors;
|
|
• |
|
regional investment banks for non-sponsored companies;
|
|
• |
|
financial advisers and other market intermediaries; and
|
|
• |
|
other middle market lenders with whom we can participate in
loans.
|
In our experience, good credit judgment is based on a thorough
understanding of both the qualitative and quantitative factors that
determine a company’s performance. Our analysis begins with an
understanding of the fundamentals of the industry in which a
company operates, including the current economic environment and
the outlook for the industry. We also focus on the company’s
relative position within the industry and our historical ability to
weather economic cycles. Other key qualitative factors include the
experience and depth of the management team and the financial
sponsor, if any.
Only after we have a comprehensive understanding of the qualitative
factors do we focus on quantitative metrics. We believe that with
the context provided by the qualitative analysis, we can gain a
better understanding of a company’s financial performance. We
analyze a potential portfolio company’s sales growth and margins in
the context of our competition as well as our ability to manage our
working capital requirements and our ability to generate consistent
cash flow. Based upon this historical analysis, we develop a set of
projections which represents a reasonable underwriting case of most
likely outcomes for the company over the period of our investment.
We also look at potential downside cases to determine a company’s
ability to service its debt in a stressed credit environment.
Elements of the qualitative analysis we use in evaluating
investment opportunities include some combination of the
following:
|
• |
|
competitive position and market share;
|
|
• |
|
impact of historical down-cycles on the industry and us;
|
|
• |
|
quality of financial and technology infrastructure;
|
|
• |
|
sourcing risks and opportunities;
|
31
|
• |
|
labor and union strategy;
|
|
• |
|
diversity of customer base and product lines;
|
|
• |
|
quality of financial sponsor (if applicable); and
|
|
• |
|
acquisition and integration history.
|
Elements of the quantitative analysis we use in evaluating
investment opportunities include some combination of the
following:
|
• |
|
income statement analysis of growth and margin trends;
|
|
• |
|
cash flow analysis of capital expenditures and free cash flow;
|
|
• |
|
financial ratio and market share standing among comparable
companies;
|
|
• |
|
financial projections: underwriting versus stress case;
|
|
• |
|
event specific credit modeling;
|
|
• |
|
future capital expenditure needs and asset sale plans;
|
|
• |
|
downside protection to limit losses in an event of default;
|
|
• |
|
risk adjusted returns and relative value analysis; and
|
|
• |
|
enterprise and asset valuations.
|
The origination, structuring and credit approval processes are
fully integrated. Our credit team is directly involved in all due
diligence and analysis prior to the formal credit approval process
by our investment committee.
Monitoring
Our Board, including a majority of its independent directors,
oversees and monitors our investment performance and, beginning
with the second anniversary of the effective date of our Investment
Advisory Agreement, will annually review the compensation we pay to
the Investment Adviser.
Our Investment Adviser has significant experience monitoring credit
portfolios. Along with origination and credit analysis, portfolio
management is one of the key elements of our business. Most of our
investments will not be liquid and, therefore, we must prepare to
act quickly if potential issues arise so that we can work closely
with the Investment Adviser and the private equity sponsor, if
applicable, of the portfolio company to take any necessary remedial
action. In addition, most of the Investment Adviser’s senior
management team, has substantial workout and restructuring
experience.
In order to assist us in detecting issues with our Debt Securities
Portfolio companies as early as possible, we perform a financial
analysis at least quarterly on each portfolio company. This
analysis typically includes:
|
• |
|
A summary of the portfolio company’s current total credit exposure
as well as our portion of this exposure.
|
|
• |
|
A summary and update of the portfolio company’s financial condition
and performance, including but not limited to, performance versus
plan, deterioration/improvement in market position, or industry
fundamentals, management changes or additions, and ongoing business
strategy.
|
|
• |
|
Reaffirmation of, or proposal to change, the risk rating of the
underlying investment.
|
32
|
• |
|
A summary of the portfolio company’s financial covenant results vis
a vis financial covenant levels established in the credit
agreement.
|
Watch list credits are followed closely and discussed more
frequently than quarterly, as appropriate.
About the Investment Adviser
Mount Logan was formed in 2020 and is registered as an investment
adviser under the Advisers Act. Mount Logan is controlled by MLC, a
publicly listed Canada-based alternative asset management company.
Mount Logan is an affiliate of BC Partners for U.S. regulatory
purposes and BC Partners provides Mount Logan with personnel
pursuant to a resource sharing agreement, which allows Mount Logan
to utilize the resources of BC Partners’ broader credit team.
MLC is managed by the founders of BC Partners Credit bringing to
bear the investment expertise and deep resources of the broader BC
Partners platform, all of which the Company — as an
entity within the BC Partners ecosystem — benefits from.
Mount Logan provides investment management services to privately
offered investment funds and acts as the collateral manager to
issuers of collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) backed by debt
obligations and similar assets.
The Mount Logan Investment Committee includes Ted Goldthorpe,
Matthias Ederer, Henry Wang and Raymond Svider, each experienced
members of Mount Logan’s investment personnel.
With approximately $40 billion in assets under management and
offices in London, Paris, Hamburg, and New York, the BC Partners
organization is comprised of a private equity platform, a credit
platform, and a real estate platform. All three platforms operate
as integrated businesses within the overall BC Partners
organization. Founded in 1986, BC Partners grew and evolved with
the development of the European private equity market, consistently
maintaining its position as one of the leading buyout firms in the
region. It subsequently expanded investment operations to North
America to support larger transactions operating more globally and
established a successful investment platform for buyouts of
businesses based in the United States and around the world. BC
Partners expanded its strategic offering by establishing a credit
platform in 2017 and a real estate platform in 2018. BC Partners
has a 35-year investing
track record across a variety of geographies and sectors.
Throughout its investment history, BC Partners has built strong and
longstanding relationships with global institutional investors.
Investment Advisory Agreement
The information in “Proposal No. 1: To Approve the New
Advisory Agreement” in our Proxy Statement filed on May 4,
2021 on Form DEF 14A is incorporated herein by reference.
Administration Agreement
BC Partners Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company,
serves as our administrator. The principal executive offices of our
administrator are located at 650 Madison Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, New
York 10022. Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, our
administrator furnishes us with office facilities, equipment and
clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such
facilities. Under the Administration Agreement, our administrator
also performs, or oversees the performance of, our required
administrative services, which include, among other things, being
responsible for the financial records that we are required to
maintain and preparing reports to our stockholders. In addition,
our administrator assists us in determining and publishing our net
asset value, oversees the preparation and filing of our tax returns
and the printing and dissemination of reports to our stockholders,
and generally oversees the payment of our expenses and the
performance of administrative and professional services rendered to
us by others. Payments under the Administration Agreement are equal
to an amount based upon our allocable portion of our
administrator’s
33
overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration
Agreement, including rent, the fees and expenses associated with
performing compliance functions and our allocable portion of the
compensation of our chief financial officer, chief compliance
officer and our allocable portion of the compensation of their
respective administrative support staff. Under the Administration
Agreement, our administrator will also provide on our behalf
managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request
such assistance. Unless terminated earlier in accordance with its
terms, the Administration Agreement will remain in effect if
approved annually by our Board. On July 1, 2021, we entered
into the Administration Agreement. The Administration Agreement may
be terminated by either party without penalty upon 60 days’ written
notice to the other party. To the extent that our administrator
outsources any of its functions, we will pay the fees associated
with such functions on a direct basis without any incremental
profit to our administrator. Stockholder approval is not required
to amend the Administration Agreement.
The Administration Agreement provides that, absent willful
misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its
duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and
obligations, our administrator and its officers, managers,
partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any
other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to
indemnification from Logan Ridge for any damages, liabilities,
costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and
amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering
of our administrator’s services under the Administration Agreement
or otherwise as administrator for Logan Ridge.
34
PORTFOLIO COMPANIES
The following table sets forth certain information as of
September 30, 2021 for each of our portfolio companies. The
general terms of our debt and equity investments are described in
“Business — Investments.” Other than these investments, our only
formal relationships with our portfolio companies will be the
managerial assistance we may provide upon request and the board
observer or participation rights we may receive in connection with
our investment. Other than as indicated in the table below, we do
not “control” and are not an “affiliate” of any of these portfolio
companies, each as defined in the 1940 Act. In general, under the
1940 Act, we would “control” a portfolio company if we owned more
than 25% of its voting securities and would be an “affiliate” of a
portfolio company if we owned more than 5% of its voting
securities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Address of Portfolio Company
|
|
Nature of Business
|
|
Type of Investment and General
Terms (1)(2)(3)(4)
|
|
% of
Class Held |
|
|
Cost
(in thousands) |
|
|
Fair Value
(in thousands) |
|
Accordion Partners LLC
31 West 52nd Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10019
|
|
Industrials |
|
First Lien Debt (6.5% Cash, (3 month LIBOR+5.5%),
1.0% Floor), Due 9/24/27) |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
13,791 |
|
|
$ |
13,790 |
|
|
|
|
|
First Lien Debt (6.5% Cash, (3 month LIBOR+5.5%),
1.0% Floor),
Due 9/24/27) (13) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(30 |
) |
|
|
(30 |
) |
|
|
|
|
First Lien Debt (6.5% Cash, (3 month LIBOR+5.5%),
1.0% Floor),
Due 9/24/27) (14) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(75 |
) |
|
|
(75 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alternative Biomedical Solutions, LLC
50 South Sixth Street, Suite 1290
Minneapolis, MN 55402
|
|
Healthcare |
|
First Lien Debt (8.0% Cash, Due 12/18/22) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,119 |
|
|
|
6,753 |
|
|
|
|
|
Series A Preferred Units (13,811 units) |
|
|
31.8 |
% |
|
|
1,275 |
|
|
|
786 |
|
|
|
|
|
Series B Preferred Units (48,025 units) |
|
|
59.1 |
% |
|
|
3,943 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
Series C Preferred Units (78,900 units) |
|
|
25.8 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
Membership Units (20,092 units) |
|
|
2.8 |
% |
|
|
800 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
Membership Unit Warrants (49,295 units) |
|
|
59.5 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
American Clinical Solutions, LLC
2424 N. Federal Highway
Boca Raton, Florida 33431
|
|
Healthcare |
|
First Lien Debt (7.0% Cash, Due 12/31/22) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,500 |
|
|
|
3,467 |
|
|
|
|
|
First Lien Debt (7.0% Cash,
Due 12/31/21) (5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
250 |
|
|
|
248 |
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Membership Units (6,030,384
units) |
|
|
50.0 |
% |
|
|
3,198 |
|
|
|
4,906 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AP Core Holdings II, LLC
770 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
|
|
Information Technology |
|
First Lien Debt (6.25% Cash, (1 month LIBOR+5.5%),
0.75% Floor), Due 7/21/27) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,463 |
|
|
|
2,515 |
|
|
|
|
|
First Lien Debt (6.25% Cash, (1 month LIBOR+5.5%),
0.75% Floor), Due 7/21/27) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,463 |
|
|
|
2,463 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BigMouth, Inc
655 Winding Brook Drive
Glastonbury, CT 06033
|
|
Consumer Products |
|
First Lien Debt (9.0% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 8.5%,
0.5% Floor), Due 11/14/21) (6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,268 |
|
|
|
948 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BLST Operating Company, LLC
6509 Flying Cloud Drive
Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344
|
|
Online Merchandise Retailer |
|
Second Lien Debt (10.0% (1 month LIBOR + 8.5%,
1.5% Floor),
Due 8/28/25) (7) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,780 |
|
|
|
1,773 |
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Common Units (217,013 units) |
|
|
0.8 |
% |
|
|
286 |
|
|
|
2,711 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Burgaflex Holdings, LLC (18) 10160 Gainey Dr.
Holly, Michigan 48442
|
|
Automobile Part Manufacturer |
|
Common Stock Class A (1,253,198 shares) |
|
|
8.3 |
% |
|
|
362 |
|
|
|
1,479 |
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock Class B (1,085,073 shares) |
|
|
11.5 |
% |
|
|
1,504 |
|
|
|
1,220 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Burke America Parts Group, LLC 5852 W. 51st Street
Chicago, Illinois 60638
|
|
Home Repair Parts Manufacturer |
|
Membership Units (14 units) |
|
|
2.0 |
% |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
3,300 |
|
35
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Address of Portfolio Company
|
|
Nature of Business
|
|
Type of Investment and General
Terms (1)(2)(3)(4)
|
|
% of
Class Held |
|
|
Cost
(in thousands) |
|
|
Fair Value
(in thousands) |
|
Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC
132 East Putnam Avenue
Cos Cob, Connecticut 06807
|
|
Multi-platform Media and Consumer Products |
|
First Lien Debt (10.0% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 8.5%,
1.5% Floor),
Due 2/22/22) (5) |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
10,045 |
|
|
$ |
10,045 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chief Fire Intermediate, Inc.
10 West Broad Street
Mount Vernon, NY 10552
|
|
Security System Services |
|
First Lien Debt (8.6% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 7.0%,
1.6% Floor),
Due 11/8/24) (6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,100 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Preferred Units (34,740 units) |
|
|
6.2 |
% |
|
|
913 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
Class B Common Units (3,510 units) |
|
|
0.8 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eastport Holdings, LLC (18)
4841 Summer Avenue
Memphis, TN 38122
|
|
Business Services |
|
Subordinated Debt (13.5% Cash (3 month LIBOR +
13.0%, 0.5% Floor), Due 4/30/22) (5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
16,414 |
|
|
|
16,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
Membership Units (22.9% ownership) |
|
|
22.9 |
% |
|
|
3,263 |
|
|
|
19,392 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Freedom Electronics, LLC
2205 May Ct. NW
Kennesaw, Georgia 30144
|
|
Electronic Machine Repair |
|
First Lien Debt (7.0% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 5.0%,
2.0% Floor), Due 12/20/23) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,595 |
|
|
|
2,595 |
|
|
|
|
|
First Lien Debt (8.7% Cash,
Due 12/20/23) (9)
(10) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,661 |
|
|
|
5,641 |
|
|
|
|
|
Membership Units (181,818 units) |
|
|
0.5 |
% |
|
|
182 |
|
|
|
228 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GA Communications, Inc. (18) 2196 West Part
Court
Stone Mountain, Georgia 30087
|
|
Advertising & Marketing Services |
|
Series A-1
Preferred Stock (1,998 shares) |
|
|
8.3 |
% |
|
|
3,477 |
|
|
|
4,220 |
|
|
|
|
|
Series B-1
Common Stock (200,000 shares) |
|
|
8.3 |
% |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
140 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HUMC Opco, LLC
29 E. 29th Street
Bayonne, New Jersey 07002
|
|
Healthcare |
|
First Lien Debt (9.0% Cash,
Due 11/19/21) (5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,689 |
|
|
|
4,689 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J5 Infrastructure Partners, LLC
23 Mauchly, Suite 110
Irvine, California 92618
|
|
Wireless Deployment Services |
|
First Lien Debt (8.3% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 6.5%,
1.8% Floor), Due 12/20/24) (11) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
First Lien Debt (8.3% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 6.5%,
1.8% Floor), Due 12/20/24) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,809 |
|
|
|
5,809 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jurassic Quest Holdings, LLC
200 River Point #312
Conroe, Texas 77304
|
|
Entertainment |
|
First Lien Debt (9.5% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 7.5%,
2.0% Floor), Due 5/1/24) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,480 |
|
|
|
8,480 |
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred Units (467,784 units) |
|
|
1.5 |
% |
|
|
480 |
|
|
|
1,360 |
|
LJS Partners, LLC (18)
1441 Gardiner Lane
|
|
QSR Franchisor |
|
Preferred Units (202,336 units) |
|
|
9.2 |
% |
|
|
437 |
|
|
|
812 |
|
Louisville, Kentucky 40213
|
|
|
|
Common Stock (1,587,848 shares) |
|
|
9.2 |
% |
|
|
1,224 |
|
|
|
5,648 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lucky Bucks, LLC 5820 Live Oak
Parkway, Suite 300
Norcross, GA 30071
|
|
Consumer Discretionary |
|
First Lien Debt (6.25% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 5.5%,
0.75% Floor), Due 7/21/27) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,882 |
|
|
|
5,880 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Confluence Technologies, Inc. 233 Wilshire Blvd,
Suite 800
Santa Monica, CA 90401
|
|
Information Technology |
|
Second Lien Debt (7.0% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 6.5%,
0.5% Floor), Due 7/21/27) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,980 |
|
|
|
1,980 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marble Point Credit Management LLC
600 Steamboat Road, Suite 202
Greenwich, Connecticut 60830
|
|
Financials |
|
First Lien Debt (7.0% Cash (3 month LIBOR + 6.0%,
1.0% Floor), Due 8/11/28) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,717 |
|
|
|
5,714 |
|
|
|
|
|
Revolving Line of Credit (7.0% Cash (3 month LIBOR
+ 6.0%, 1.0% Floor), Due 8/11/28) (8) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(25 |
) |
|
|
(25 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MicroHoldco, LLC 1102 Windam Road
South Windam, Connecticut 06266
|
|
General Industrial |
|
Preferred Units (740,237 units) (12) |
|
|
46.6 |
% |
|
|
749 |
|
|
|
740 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MMI Holdings, LLC (18) 325 McGill Avenue,
Suite 195
Concord, North Carolina 28027
|
|
Medical Device Distributor |
|
First Lien Debt (12.0% Cash,
Due 1/31/22) (5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,600 |
|
|
|
2,600 |
|
36
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Address of Portfolio Company
|
|
Nature of Business
|
|
Type of Investment and General
Terms (1)(2)(3)(4)
|
|
% of
Class Held |
|
|
Cost
(in thousands) |
|
|
Fair Value
(in thousands) |
|
|
|
|
|
Second Lien Debt (6.0% Cash, Due 9/30/21)
(5) |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
388 |
|
|
$ |
400 |
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred Units (1,000 units, 6.0% PIK Dividend)
(16) |
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
|
1,758 |
|
|
|
1,850 |
|
|
|
|
|
Common Membership Units (45 units) |
|
|
5.0 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Navis Holdings, Inc. (18) 113 Woodside
Drive
Lexington, North Carolina 27292
|
|
Textile Equipment Manufacturer |
|
First Lien Debt (9.0% Cash, 2.0% PIK, Due 6/30/23)
(5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,695 |
|
|
|
10,562 |
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Preferred Stock (1,000 shares, 10.0%
Cash Dividend) |
|
|
100.0 |
% |
|
|
1,000 |
|
|
|
1,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Common Stock (60,000 shares) |
|
|
16.2 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
448 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nth Degree Investment Group, LLC (18)
2675 Breckinridge Boulevard
Duluth, Georgia 30096
|
|
Business Services |
|
Membership Units (6,088,000 Units) |
|
|
5.6 |
% |
|
|
6,088 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RAM Payment, LLC (18)
412 North Cedar Bluff Road, Ste 400
Knoxville, TN 37923
|
|
Financial Services |
|
First Lien Debt (6.5% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 5.0%),
1.5% Floor), Due 1/4/24) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,513 |
|
|
|
1,513 |
|
|
|
|
|
First Lien Debt (9.8% Cash, Due 1/4/24)
(9) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,101 |
|
|
|
4,101 |
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred Units (86,000 units, 8.0% PIK Dividend)
(16) |
|
|
6.5 |
% |
|
|
1,048 |
|
|
|
3,561 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sequoia Healthcare Management, LLC
29 E. 29th Street
Bayonne, New Jersey 07002
|
|
Healthcare Management |
|
First Lien Debt (12.8% Cash,
Due 11/19/21) (5)
(6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11,935 |
|
|
|
8,297 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sierra Hamilton Holdings Corporation (18)
777 Post Oak Blvd
|
|
Oil & Gas Engineering and Consulting
Services |
|
Second Lien Debt (15.0%,
Due 9/12/23) (17) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
Houston, Texas 77056
|
|
|
|
Common Stock (15,068,000 shares) |
|
|
13.7 |
% |
|
|
6,958 |
|
|
|
941 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Taylor Precision Products, Inc.
2311 W. 22nd Street
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
|
|
Household Product Manufacturer |
|
Series C Preferred Stock (379 shares) |
|
|
8.3 |
% |
|
|
758 |
|
|
|
287 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. BioTek Laboratories, LLC
16020 Linden Ave. N.
Shoreline, Washington 98133
|
|
Testing Laboratories |
|
First Lien Debt (7.0% Cash (3 month LIBOR + 5.0%,
2.0% Floor), Due 12/14/23) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
978 |
|
|
|
978 |
|
|
|
|
|
First Lien Debt (9.3% Cash,
Due 12/14/23) (9)
(10) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,044 |
|
|
|
3,044 |
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Preferred Units (500 Units) |
|
|
2.5 |
% |
|
|
540 |
|
|
|
658 |
|
|
|
|
|
Class C Units (578 Units) |
|
|
2.3 |
% |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
342 |
|
|
|
|
|
Class D Preferred Units (78 Units) |
|
|
2.5 |
% |
|
|
78 |
|
|
|
97 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Well Services, LLC
770 South Post Oak Lane, Suite 405
Houston, Texas 77056
|
|
Oil & Gas Services |
|
Class A Common Stock
(1,202,499 shares) (15) |
|
|
1.3 |
% |
|
|
1,244 |
|
|
|
872 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
V12 Holdings, Inc. (18) 141 West Front
Street, Suite 410
Red Bank, New Jersey 07701
|
|
Data Processing & Digital Marketing |
|
Subordinated Debt (12) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
490 |
|
|
|
509 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wealth Enhancement Group, LLC
505 N. Highway 169, Suite 900
Plymouth, Minnesota 55441
|
|
Financials |
|
First Lien Debt (6.75% Cash (3 month LIBOR +
5.75%, 1.0% Floor), Due 10/2/25) (20) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(17 |
) |
|
|
(39 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Revolving Line of Credit (6.75% Cash (3 month
LIBOR + 5.75%, 1.0% Floor), Due 10/2/25) (21) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
326 |
|
|
|
326 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vology, Inc. (19)
4035 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, Florida 34677
|
|
Information Technology |
|
First Lien Debt (10.5% Cash (1 month LIBOR + 8.5%,
2.0% Floor), Due 12/31/21) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,586 |
|
|
|
3,565 |
|
|
|
|
|
Class A Preferred Units (9,041,810
Units) |
|
|
58.3 |
% |
|
|
5,215 |
|
|
|
3,288 |
|
|
|
|
|
Membership Units (5,363,982 Units) |
|
|
58.3 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
194,306 |
|
|
$ |
195,385 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
37
(1) |
All investments valued using unobservable inputs
(Level 3), unless otherwise noted.
|
(2) |
All investments valued by the Logan Ridge Finance
Corporation’s (the “Company”) board of directors.
|
(3) |
All debt investments are income producing, unless
otherwise noted. Equity and warrant investments are non-income producing, unless otherwise
noted.
|
(4) |
The Company generally acquires its investments in
private transactions exempt from registration under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). These investments
are generally subject to certain limitations on resale and may be
deemed to be “restricted securities” under the Security Act
|
(5) |
The maturity date of the original investment has been
extended.
|
(6) |
Non-accrual
investment.
|
(7) |
1.0% of interest rate payable in cash. 9.0% of
interest rate payable in cash or paid-in-kind at borrower’s
election. The borrower is currently paying all interest in
cash.
|
(8) |
The investment has a $2.5 million unfunded
commitment.
|
(9) |
The cash rate equals the approximate current yield on
our last-out portion of the
unitranche facility.
|
(10) |
The investment has a $1.0 million unfunded
commitment.
|
(11) |
The investment has a $3.5 million unfunded
commitment.
|
(12) |
The investment has been exited or sold. The residual
value reflects estimated earnout, escrow, or other proceeds
expected post-closing.
|
(13) |
The investment has a $4.0 million unfunded
commitment.
|
(14) |
The investment has a $5.0 million unfunded
commitment.
|
(15) |
Investment is valued using observable inputs (Level
1). The stock of the company is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market
under the ticker “USWS.”
|
(16) |
The equity investment is income producing, based on
rate disclosed.
|
(17) |
15.0% of interest rate payable in cash or paid-in-kind at borrower’s
election.
|
(18) |
“Affiliate Company” as defined under the 1940 Act.
|
(19) |
“Control Company” as defined under the 1940 Act.
|
(20) |
The investment has a $7.0 million unfunded
commitment.
|
(21) |
The investment has a $0.1 million unfunded
commitment.
|
38
MANAGEMENT
The information in “Proposal I: Election of Director” in our Proxy
Statement on Form DEF 14A filed on July 23, 2021 is
incorporated herein by reference.
The management of our investment portfolio is the responsibility of
Mount Logan and the Logan Ridge investment team (the “LRFC
Investment Team”). All investment decisions require the majority
approval of the Mount Logan Investment Committee. The LRFC
Investment Team sources, identifies and diligences investment
opportunities and presents the opportunity to the Mount Logan
Investment Committee for approval. The Mount Logan Investment
Committee is currently comprised of three members of BC Partners
Credit (“BCP Credit”) (Ted Goldthorpe, Matthias Ederer and Henry
Wang), and one member of BC Partners Private Equity (Raymond
Svider). The Mount Logan Investment Committee meets regularly to
review the opportunities presented by the LRFC Investment Team.
Follow-on investments in
existing portfolio companies may require the Mount Logan’s
Investment Committee approval beyond that obtained when the initial
investment in the company was made. In addition, temporary
investments, such as those in cash equivalents, U.S. government
securities and other high quality debt investments that mature in
one year or less, may require approval by the Mount Logan
Investment Committee. The Board, including a majority of the
Independent Directors, oversees and monitors the investment
performance and, beginning with the second anniversary of the
effective date of the Investment Advisory Agreement, will annually
review the compensation Logan Ridge pays to Mount Logan.
None of Mount Logan’s investment professionals receive any direct
compensation from Logan Ridge in connection with the management of
Logan Ridge’s portfolio.
The following individuals (the “LRFC Portfolio Managers”) have
senior responsibility for the management of our investment
portfolio: Ted Goldthorpe, Matthias Ederer, Henry Wang, Raymond
Svider and Patrick Schafer. Mr. Schafer is Logan Ridge’s Chief
Investment Officer and has primary responsibility for the
day-to-day implementation and
management of Logan Ridge’s investment portfolio.
Biographical information regarding members of the LRFC Portfolio
Managers who are not directors or executive officers of Logan Ridge
is as follows:
Matthias Ederer
Mr. Ederer is a founding partner of BC Partners Credit, having
previously been a partner and founding team member of Wingspan
Investment Management, which he joined in 2013. Prior to Wingspan,
he spent seven years in Goldman Sachs’ Special Situations Group and
Bank Loan Distressed Investing Group in New York and London.
Henry Wang
Mr. Wang is a founding partner of BC Partners Credit, having
formerly been a Partner at Stonerise Capital Partners where he
spent over five years. Previously, he worked for over seven years
at Goldman Sachs in its Special Situations Group and Investment
Banking Division. Mr. Wang also worked for Vulcan Capital
(Paul Allen’s investment firm, co-founder of Microsoft) and Thomas
Weisel Partners.
Raymond Svider
Mr. Svider is a Partner and Chairman of BC Partners. He joined
BC Partners in Paris in 1992 before moving to the London office in
2000 to lead its investments in the technology and telecoms
industries. Mr. Svider then relocated to New York in 2008.
Previously, Mr. Svider worked in investment banking at
Wasserstein Perella in New York and Paris, and at the Boston
Consulting Group in Chicago
39
Equity Securities
The dollar range of equity securities in Logan Ridge beneficially
owned at December 31, 2020 by each member of the Mount Logan
Investment Committee is as follows:
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in
Logan Ridge(1) |
Matthias Ederer
|
|
None |
Ted Goldthorpe
|
|
None |
Patrick Schafer
|
|
None |
Raymond Svider
|
|
None |
Henry Wang
|
|
None |
(1) |
Dollar ranges are as follows: None; $1 — $10,000;
$10,001 — $50,000; $50,001 — $100,000; $100,001 — $500,000;
$500,001 — $1,000,000 or Over $1,000,000.
|
Other Accounts Managed
The information below lists the number of other accounts for which
each portfolio manager was primarily responsible for the day-to-day
management as of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name of Mount Logan
Portfolio Manager
|
|
Type of Accounts
|
|
Total No.
of Other
Accounts
Managed |
|
|
Total Other
Assets
(in millions)(1) |
|
|
No. of Other
Accounts
where
Advisory
Fee
is Based on
Performance |
|
|
Total
Assets in
Other
Accounts
where
Advisory
Fee is
Based on
Performance
(in millions)(2) |
|
Matthias Ederer
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
969 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
969 |
|
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,444 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,444 |
|
|
|
Other Accounts |
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,007 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
$ |
911 |
|
Ted Goldthorpe
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
969 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
969 |
|
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,444 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,444 |
|
|
|
Other Accounts |
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,007 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
$ |
911 |
|
Patrick Schafer
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
|
|
1 |
|
|
$ |
600 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
$ |
600 |
|
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
Other Accounts |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Raymond Svider
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
969 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
969 |
|
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,444 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,444 |
|
|
|
Other Accounts |
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,007 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
$ |
911 |
|
Henry Wang
|
|
Registered Investment Companies |
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
969 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
$ |
969 |
|
|
|
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles |
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,444 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,444 |
|
|
|
Other Accounts |
|
|
5 |
|
|
$ |
1,007 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
$ |
911 |
|
(1) |
Total Other Assets as defined by BCP, which includes
undrawn commitments.
|
(2) |
Represents the assets under management of the accounts
managed that have the potential to generate fees in addition to
management fees based on total assets.
|
Compensation
BC Partner’s financial arrangements with the LRFC Portfolio
Managers its competitive compensation and its career path emphasis
at all levels reflect the value senior management places on key
resources. Compensation
40
may include a variety of components and may vary from year to year
based on a number of factors. The principal components of
compensation include base compensation and performance-based,
discretionary compensation.
Base Compensation: Generally, the LRFC Portfolio Managers
receive base compensation based on their position with the firm
that is consistent with the market rate of annual salaries paid to
similarly situated investment professionals.
Discretionary Compensation: The LRFC Portfolio Managers also
receive discretionary compensation generally consisting of two
components: an annual bonus and carried interest.
|
• |
|
Annual Bonus: Generally, a LRFC Portfolio Manager receives an
annual bonus based on the performance of BC Partners, the
performance of the LRFC Portfolio Managers’ group within BC
Partners and the individual’s performance, achievement of certain
internal objectives and contribution to the overall performance of
these portfolios and BC Partners as a whole.
|
|
• |
|
Carried Interest: Generally, a LRFC Portfolio Manager receives
carried interests with respect to the BC Partners-advised funds,
subject to standard terms and conditions, including vesting.
|
Recent Developments
On November 9, 2021, Jason T. Roos was replaced as
Secretary and Treasurer of the Company by Brandon Satoren, who was
also appointed as Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Roos will
continue to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
Mr. Satoren, 33, joined BC Partners, in May 2021 as a member
of the Credit Control team. In this role, he is responsible for
directing accounting policy, execution and oversight of financial
and non-financial reporting process, as well as other various
finance, operations, governance and compliance responsibilities for
BC Partners’ credit strategies. Mr. Satoren previously was a
Vice President and Controller at PennantPark, a Vice President at
AQR Capital Management, LLC and a Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the
University of Central Florida in 2010. Mr. Satoren is a
Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in Colorado and is
a member of the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants.
41
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND
TRANSACTIONS
Transactions with Related Persons
Investment Advisory Agreement and Administrative
Agreement
The Company is externally managed by the Investment Adviser, an
affiliate of BC Partners, pursuant to the Investment Advisory
Agreement. Mr. Goldthorpe, an interested members of the Board,
has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the Investment
Adviser. The Investment Adviser is a registered investment adviser
under the Advisers Act. The Adviser is an affiliate of BC Partners
Advisors L.P. for U.S. regulatory purposes. MLC is the ultimate
control person of the Investment Adviser.
Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, fees payable to the
Investment Adviser equal (i) the Base Management Fee and
(ii) the Incentive Fee. Unless earlier terminated as described
below, the Investment Advisory Agreement will remain in effect from
year-to-year if approved
annually by a majority of the Board or by the holders of a majority
of the outstanding shares, and, in each case, a majority of the
independent directors.
Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, the Administrator
provides administrative services to the Company necessary for the
operations of the Company, which include providing to the Company
office facilities, equipment and clerical, bookkeeping and record
keeping services at such facilities and such other services as the
Administrator, subject to review by the Board, shall from time to
time deem to be necessary or useful to perform its obligations
under the applicable Administration Agreement. The Administrator
also provides to the Company portfolio collection functions for and
is responsible for the financial and other records that the Company
is required to maintain and prepares, prints and disseminates
reports to the Company’s stockholders and reports and all other
materials filed with the SEC.
For providing these services, facilities and personnel, the Company
reimburses the Administrator the allocable portion of overhead and
other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its
obligations under the Administration Agreement, including the
Company’s allocable portion of the costs of compensation and
related expenses of its chief financial officer and chief
compliance officer and their respective staffs.
Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related
Persons
The independent directors of the Company are required to review,
approve or ratify any transactions with related persons (as such
term is defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K).
Director Independence
In accordance with rules of Nasdaq and Section 2(a)(19) of the
1940 Act, the Board annually determines the independence of each
director. No director is considered independent unless the Board
has determined that he or she has no material relationship with the
Company. The Company monitors the status of its directors and
officers through the activities of the Company’s Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee and through a questionnaire to be
completed by each director no less frequently than annually, with
updates periodically if information provided in the most recent
questionnaire has materially changed.
In order to evaluate the materiality of any such relationship, the
Board uses the definition of director independence set forth in the
Nasdaq listing rules. Section 5605 provides that a director of
a business development company shall be considered to be
independent if he or she is not an “interested person” of the
Company, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act defines an “interested
person” to include, among other things, any person who has, or
within the last two years had, a material business or professional
relationship with the Company.
The Board has determined that each of the current directors is, and
each director that served during fiscal year 2020, was independent
and has no relationship with the Company, except as a director and
stockholder of the Company, with the exception of
Mr. Goldthorpe.
42
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL
STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth, as of December 10, 2021, as to
each class of equity securities of the Company, beneficially owned
by all directors and each of the named executive officers, along
with each person known to us to beneficially own 5% or more of the
outstanding shares of our common stock, and the directors and
executive officers of the Company as a group.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of
the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the
securities. Ownership information for those persons who
beneficially own 5% or more of our shares of common stock, if any,
is based upon Schedule 13G and Schedule 13D filings by such persons
with the SEC and other information obtained from such persons, if
available.
Unless otherwise indicated, Logan Ridge believes that each
beneficial owner set forth in the table has sole voting and
investment power and has the same address as Logan Ridge. Our
address is 650 Madison Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, New
York 10022.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name of Beneficial Owner
|
|
Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned(1) |
|
|
Percentage
of Class(2) |
|
Interested Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ted Goldthorpe
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
Independent Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alexander Duka
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
* |
George Grunebaum
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
* |
Robert Warshauer
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
Executive Officers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jason Roos
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
* |
Patrick Schafer
|
|
|
1,000 |
|
|
|
|
* |
David Held
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
* |
Brandon Satoren
|
|
|
35 |
|
|
|
|
* |
Executive Officers and Directors as a Group
|
|
|
1,035 |
|
|
|
|
* |
* |
Represents less than one percent.
|
(1) |
Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance
with Rule 13d-3 under the
Exchange Act. Assumes no other purchases or sales of our common
stock since the most recently available SEC filings. This
assumption has been made under the rules and regulations of the SEC
and does not reflect any knowledge that we have with regard to the
present intent of the beneficial owners of our common stock listed
in this table.
|
(2) |
Based on a total of 2,711,068 shares of our common
stock issued and outstanding on December 10, 2021.
|
Set forth below is the dollar range of equity securities
beneficially owned by each of our directors as of December 10,
2021. We are not part of a “family of investment companies,” as
that term is defined in the 1940 Act.
|
|
|
|
|
Name of Director
|
|
Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in Logan
Ridge(1)(2) |
|
Interested Directors
|
|
|
|
|
Ted Goldthorpe
|
|
|
None |
|
|
|
Independent Directors
|
|
|
|
|
Alexander Duka
|
|
|
None |
|
George Grunebaum
|
|
|
None |
|
Robert Warshauer
|
|
|
None |
|
43
(1) |
Dollar ranges are as follows: None, $1 — $10,000,
$10,001 — $50,000, $50,001 — $100,000, or Over $100,000.
|
(2) |
The dollar range of equity securities beneficially
owned in us is based on the closing price for our common stock of
$23.52 on December 10, 2021 on the NASDAQ Global Select
Market. Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with
Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the
Exchange Act.
|
44
REGULATION AS A BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
General
A BDC is regulated under the 1940 Act. A BDC must be organized in
the U.S. for the purpose of investing in or lending to primarily
private companies and making significant managerial assistance
available to them. A BDC may use capital provided by public
stockholders and from other sources to make long-term, private
investments in businesses. A BDC provides stockholders the ability
to retain the liquidity of a publicly traded stock while sharing in
the possible benefits, if any, of investing in primarily privately
owned companies.
We may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be,
or withdraw our election as, a BDC unless authorized by vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities, as required by the
1940 Act. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a
company is defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (a) 67% or
more of such company’s voting securities present at a meeting if
more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company
are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of
the outstanding voting securities of such company. We do not
anticipate any substantial change in the nature of our
business.
As with other companies regulated by the 1940 Act, a BDC must
adhere to certain substantive regulatory requirements. A majority
of our directors must be persons who are not interested persons, as
that term is defined in the 1940 Act. Additionally, we are required
to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity
insurance company to protect the BDC. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are
prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any
liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of
the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.
As a BDC, we are generally required to meet an asset coverage
ratio, defined under the 1940 Act as the ratio of our gross assets
(less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior
securities) to our outstanding senior securities, of at least 200%
(or, after November 1, 2019, 150%, if certain conditions are
met) after each issuance of senior securities. On March 23,
2018, the Small Business Credit Availability Act (the “SBCA”) was
signed into law, which included various changes to regulations
under the federal securities laws that impact BDCs. The SBCA
included changes to the 1940 Act to allow BDCs to decrease their
asset coverage requirement from 200% to 150% (i.e. the amount of
debt may not exceed 66.7% of the value of our total assets), if
certain requirements are met. On November 1, 2018, the Board,
including a “required majority” (as such term is defined in
Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) approved the application of the
modified asset coverage. As a result, our asset coverage
requirements for senior securities was changed from 200% to 150%,
effective November 1, 2019. We are required to make certain
disclosures on our website and in SEC filings regarding, among
other things, the receipt of approval to reduce our asset coverage
requirement, our leverage capacity and usage, and risks related to
leverage.
We may also be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly
participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without
the prior approval of our directors who are not interested persons
and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC. As a BDC, we are
also generally limited in our ability to invest in any portfolio
company in which our Investment Adviser or any of its affiliates
currently have an investment or to make any co-investments with our Investment
Adviser or its affiliates without an exemptive order from the SEC,
subject to certain exceptions. On October 23, 2018, the SEC
issued an order granting an application for exemptive relief to an
affiliate of our Investment Adviser that allows BDCs managed by the
Investment Adviser, including Logan Ridge, to co-invest, subject to the satisfaction
of certain conditions, in certain private placement transactions,
with other funds managed by the Investment Adviser or its
affiliates and any future funds that are advised by the Investment
Adviser or its affiliated investment advisers. Under the terms of
the exemptive order, in order for Logan Ridge to participate in a
co-investment transaction,
a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940
Act) of Logan Ridge’s independent directors must conclude that
(i) the terms of the proposed transaction, including the
consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to Logan Ridge
and its stockholders and do not involve overreaching with respect
of Logan Ridge or its stockholders on the part of any person
45
concerned, and (ii) the proposed transaction is consistent
with the interests of the Logan Ridge’s stockholders and is
consistent with the Logan Ridge’s investment objectives and
strategies and certain criteria established by the Board. We
believe this relief may not only enhance our ability to further our
investment objectives and strategies, but may also increase
favorable investment opportunities for us, in part by allowing us
to participate in larger investments, together with our
co-investment affiliates,
than would be available to us in the absence of such relief.
We are generally not permitted to issue and sell our common stock
at a price below net asset value per share. See “Risk Factors —
Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure — Regulations
governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to raise
additional capital and the way in which we do so. As a BDC, the
necessity of raising additional capital may expose us to risks,
including the typical risks associated with leverage.” We may,
however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to
acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net
asset value of our common stock if our Board of Directors
determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best
interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders approve our
policy and practice of making such sales. In any such case, under
such circumstances, the price at which our common stock is to be
issued and sold may not be less than a price which, in the
determination of our Board of Directors, closely approximates the
market value of such common stock. In addition, we may generally
issue new shares of our common stock at a price below net asset
value in rights offerings to existing stockholders, in payment of
dividends and in certain other limited circumstances.
We will be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the
1940 Act.
As a BDC, we are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. See
“Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure.”
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, immediately of
the such acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least
70% of the BDC’s gross assets. The principal categories of
qualifying assets relevant to our business are the following:
|
• |
|
Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public
offering, the issuer of which is an eligible portfolio company;
|
|
• |
|
Securities received in exchange for or distributed with respect to
securities described in the bullet above or pursuant to the
exercise of options, warrants or rights relating to such
securities; and
|
|
• |
|
Cash, cash items, government securities or high quality debt
securities (within the meaning of the 1940 Act), maturing in one
year or less from the time of investment.
|
An eligible portfolio company is generally a domestic company that
is not an investment company (other than a SBIC wholly owned by a
BDC) and that meets one the follow requirements:
|
• |
|
does not have a class of securities with respect to which a broker
may extend margin credit at the time the acquisition is made;
|
|
• |
|
is controlled by the BDC and has an affiliate of the BDC on its
board of directors;
|
|
• |
|
does not have any class of securities listed on a national
securities exchange;
|
|
• |
|
is a public company that lists its securities on a national
securities exchange with a market capitalization of less than
$250 million; or
|
|
• |
|
meets such other criteria as may be established by the SEC.
|
46
Control, as defined by the 1940 Act, is presumed to exist where a
BDC beneficially owns more than 25% of the outstanding voting
securities of the portfolio company.
In addition, 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 eligible portfolio companies, or
in other securities that are consistent with its purpose as a
BDC.
Significant Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies
BDCs generally must offer to make available to the issuer of its
securities significant managerial assistance, except in
circumstances where either (i) the BDC controls such issuer of
securities or (ii) the BDC purchases such securities in
conjunction with one or more other persons acting together and 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.
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 are qualifying assets.
Typically, we will 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 would not meet the diversification tests in order
to qualify as a RIC under the Code. Thus, we do not intend to enter
into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of
this limit. Our investment adviser will monitor the
creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into
repurchase agreement transactions.
Senior Securities
We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple
classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to our common
stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at
least equal to 200% (or 150%, if certain requirements are met,
after November 1, 2019) immediately after each such issuance.
While any senior securities remain outstanding, we must make
provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the
repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the
applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or
repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our
gross assets for temporary or emergency purposes without regard to
asset coverage. For a discussion of the risks associated with
leverage, see “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and
Structure.”
Code of Ethics
We and our investment adviser have adopted a code of ethics
pursuant to Rule 17j-1
under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act that
establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts
certain transactions by our personnel. Our code of ethics generally
does not permit investments by our employees in securities that may
be purchased or held by us. The code of ethics is attached as an
exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a
part, and is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website
at http://www.sec.gov. Our code of ethics is also available
on our website at http://loganridgefinance.com/.
47
Compliance Policies and Procedures
We and our investment adviser have adopted and implemented written
policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent
violation of the federal securities laws and are 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. David Held currently
serves as our chief compliance officer. For Mr. Held’s
biographical information, please see “Management — Biographical
Information.”
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 imposes a wide variety of regulatory
requirements on publicly-held companies and their insiders. Many of
these requirements affect us. For example:
|
• |
|
pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of
the Exchange Act, our chief executive officer and chief financial
officer must certify the accuracy of the financial statements
contained in our periodic reports;
|
|
• |
|
pursuant to Item 307 of Regulation S-K, our periodic reports must disclose
our conclusions about the effectiveness of our disclosure controls
and procedures;
|
|
• |
|
pursuant to Rule 13a-15 of
the Exchange Act, our management is required to prepare an annual
report regarding its assessment of our internal control over
financial reporting; and
|
|
• |
|
pursuant to Item 308 of Regulation S-K and Rule 13a-15 of the 1934 Act, our periodic
reports must disclose whether there were significant changes in our
internal controls over financial reporting or in other factors that
could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the date of
their evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to
significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.
|
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires us to review our current policies
and procedures to determine whether we comply with the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We
will continue to monitor our compliance with all regulations that
are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and will take actions
necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
Although the securities we hold are not typically voting
securities, some of our investments could entitle us to voting
rights. If this were to occur the Investment Adviser would vote its
portfolio securities in the best interest of our stockholders and
the Investment Adviser would review on a case-by-case basis each proposal
submitted to a stockholder vote to determine its impact on the
portfolio securities held by us. Although the Investment Adviser
would generally vote against proposals that it believes may have a
negative impact on our portfolio securities, the Adviser may vote
for such a proposal if it were to believe there exists a compelling
long-term reason to do so.
Our voting decisions would be made by the Investment Adviser,
subject to authority assigned under our Investment Advisory
Agreement. To ensure that the Investment Adviser’s vote would not
be the product of a conflict of interest, we would require that
(1) anyone involved in the decision making process disclose to
our Board any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any
contact that he or she has had with any interested party regarding
a vote; and (2) employees involved in the decision making
process or vote administration are prohibited from revealing how we
intend to vote on a proposal to reduce any attempted influence from
interested parties.
Privacy Principles
We are committed to maintaining the privacy of our stockholders and
safeguarding their non-public personal information. The
following information is provided to help you understand what
personal information we collect, how we protect that information
and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select
other parties.
48
Generally, we do not receive any non-public personal information
relating to our stockholders, although some non-public personal information of our
stockholders may become available to us. We do not disclose any
non-public personal
information about our stockholders or former stockholders to
anyone, except as is necessary to service stockholder accounts,
such as to a transfer agent, or as otherwise permitted by law.
NASDAQ Global Select Market Requirements
We have adopted certain policies and procedures intended to comply
with the NASDAQ Global Select Market’s corporate governance rules.
We will continue to monitor our compliance with all future listing
standards that are approved by the SEC and will take actions
necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.
49
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET
VALUE
The net asset value per share of our outstanding shares of common
stock is determined quarterly by dividing the value of total assets
minus liabilities by the total number of shares of common stock
outstanding at the date as of which the determination is made.
Accordingly, under current accounting standards, the notes to our
financial statements incorporated by reference in this prospectus
refer to the uncertainty with respect to the possible effect of
such valuations, and any change in such valuations, on our
financial statements.
In calculating the value of our total assets, investments for which
market quotations are readily available are valued using market
quotations, which are generally obtained from an independent
pricing service or one or more broker-dealers or market makers.
Debt and equity securities for which market quotations are not
readily available or are determined to be unreliable are valued at
fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors.
Because we expect that there will not be a readily available market
value 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 of directors in accordance with a
documented valuation policy that has been reviewed and approved by
our board of directors and in accordance with GAAP. 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.
With respect to investments for which market quotations are not
readily available, our board of directors undertakes a multi-step
valuation process each quarter, as described below:
|
• |
|
the Company’s quarterly valuation process begins with each
portfolio company or investment being initially valued by the
investment professionals responsible for managing portfolio
investments;
|
|
• |
|
preliminary valuation conclusions are then documented and are
reviewed with the Mount Logan Investment Committee;
|
|
• |
|
valuation recommendations are then discussed with the pricing
committee of the Advisor;
|
|
• |
|
to the extent determined by the audit committee of the Company’s
board of directors, independent valuation firms are used to conduct
independent appraisals of all “Level 3” investments and review
the Advisor’s preliminary valuations in light of their own
independent assessment unless the amounts are immaterial or have
closed near quarter-end;
|
|
• |
|
the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors reviews the
preliminary valuations approved by the pricing committee of the
investment adviser and such valuations provided by the independent
valuation firms and, if necessary, responds and supplements the
valuation recommendation of the independent valuation firms to
reflect any comments; and
|
|
• |
|
the Company’s board of directors discusses valuations and
determines the fair value of each investment in the Company’s
portfolio in good faith based on the input of the investment
adviser, the respective independent valuation firms and the audit
committee.
|
The types of factors that the Company may take into account in fair
value pricing its investments include, as relevant, the nature and
realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability
to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flows, the
markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to
publicly traded securities and other relevant factors. The Company
generally utilizes an income approach to value its debt investments
and a combination of income and market approaches to value its
equity investments. With respect to unquoted securities, the
Advisor and the Company’s board of directors, in consultation with
the Company’s independent third party valuation firms, values each
investment considering, among other measures, discounted cash flow
models, comparisons of financial ratios of peer companies that are
public and other factors, which valuation is then approved by the
board of directors.
50
For debt investments, the Company generally determines the fair
value primarily using an income, or yield, approach that analyzes
the discounted cash flows of interest and principal for the debt
security, as set forth in the associated loan agreements, as well
as the financial position and credit risk of each portfolio
investment. The Company’s estimate of the expected repayment date
is generally the legal maturity date of the instrument. The yield
analysis considers changes in leverage levels, credit quality,
portfolio company performance and other factors. The enterprise
value, a market approach, is generally used to determine the value
of equity and debt investments that are credit impaired, close to
maturity or where the Company also holds a controlling equity
interest. The method for determining enterprise value uses a
multiple analysis, whereby appropriate multiples are applied to the
portfolio company’s revenues or net income before net interest
expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, or
EBITDA.
Equity
We use a combination of the income and market approaches to value
our equity investments. The market approach uses prices and other
relevant information generated by market transactions involving
identical or comparable assets or liabilities (including a
business). The income approach uses valuation techniques to convert
future cash flows or earnings to a single present amount
(discounted). The measurement is based on the value indicated by
current market expectations about those future amounts. In
following these approaches, the types of factors that we may take
into account in fair value pricing our investments include, as
relevant: available current market data, including relevant and
applicable market trading and transaction comparables, applicable
market yields and multiples, the current investment performance
rating, security covenants, call protection provisions, information
rights, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the
portfolio company’s ability to make payments, its earnings and
discounted cash flows, the markets in which the portfolio company
does business, comparisons of financial ratios of peer companies
that are public, transaction comparables, our principal market as
the reporting entity, and enterprise values, among other
factors.
Investments in Funds
In circumstances in which net asset value per share of an
investment is determinative of fair value, we estimate the fair
value of an investment in an investment company using the net asset
value per share of the investment (or its equivalent) without
further adjustment if the net asset value per share of the
investment is determined in accordance with the specialized
accounting guidance for investment companies as of the reporting
entity’s measurement date.
In accordance with the authoritative guidance on fair value
measurements and disclosures under GAAP, we disclose the fair value
of our investments in a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to
valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy
gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active
markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements)
and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3
measurements). The guidance establishes three levels of the fair
value hierarchy as follows:
|
• |
|
Level l — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are
accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted
assets or liabilities;
|
|
• |
|
Level 2 — Quoted prices in markets that are not considered to be
active or financial instruments for which significant inputs are
observable, either directly or indirectly;
|
|
• |
|
Level 3 — Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both
significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.
|
The level of an asset or liability within the fair value hierarchy
is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to
the fair value measurement. However, the determination of what
constitutes “observable” requires significant judgment by
management. For more information about our fair value measurements,
see Note 3 “Investments” in Part II, Item 8 of our Consolidated
Financial Statements in our most recent Annual Report on Form
10-K and Note 3
“Investments” of our Consolidated Financial Statements in in Part
I, Item 1 of our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which is incorporated by
reference into this prospectus.
51
We consider whether the volume and level of activity for the asset
or liability have significantly decreased and identify transactions
that are not orderly in determining fair value. Accordingly, if we
determine that either the volume and/or level of activity for an
asset or liability has significantly decreased (from normal
conditions for that asset or liability) or price quotations or
observable inputs are not associated with orderly transactions,
increased analysis and management judgment will be required to
estimate fair value. Valuation techniques such as an income
approach might be appropriate to supplement or replace a market
approach in those circumstances.
We have adopted the authoritative guidance under GAAP for
estimating the fair value of investments in investment companies
that have calculated net asset value per share in accordance with
the specialized accounting guidance for Investment Companies.
Accordingly, in circumstances in which net asset value per share of
an investment is determinative of fair value, we estimate the fair
value of an investment in an investment company using the net asset
value per share of the investment (or its equivalent) without
further adjustment if the net asset value per share of the
investment is determined in accordance with the specialized
accounting guidance for investment companies as of the reporting
entity’s measurement date. Redemptions are not generally permitted
in our investments in funds.
Determinations in connection with offerings
In connection with certain offerings of shares of our common stock,
our board of directors or one of its committees may be required to
make the determination that we are not selling shares of our common
stock at a price below the then current net asset value of our
common stock at the time at which the sale is made. Our board of
directors or the applicable committee will consider the following
factors, among others, in making any such determination:
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the net asset value of our common stock most recently disclosed by
us in the most recent periodic report that we filed with the
SEC;
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our investment adviser’s assessment of whether any material change
in the net asset value of our common stock has occurred (including
through the realization of gains on the sale of our portfolio
securities) during the period beginning on the date of the most
recently disclosed net asset value of our common stock and ending
two days prior to the date of the sale of our common stock; and
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the magnitude of the difference between the net asset value of our
common stock most recently disclosed by us and our investment
adviser’s assessment of any material change in the net asset value
of our common stock since that determination, and the offering
price of the shares of our common stock in the proposed
offering.
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Importantly, this determination will not require that we calculate
the net asset value of our common stock in connection with each
offering of shares of our common stock, but instead it will involve
the determination by our board of directors or a committee thereof
that we are not selling shares of our common stock at a price below
the then current net asset value of our common stock at the time at
which the sale is made or otherwise in violation of the 1940
Act.
These processes and procedures are part of our compliance policies
and procedures. Records will be made contemporaneously with all
determinations described in this section and these records will be
maintained with other records that we are required to maintain
under the 1940 Act.
52
DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT
PLAN
Please refer to “Distributions” in Part II, Item 5 of our Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed
on March 8, 2021, which is incorporated into this prospectus
by reference, for more information regarding our
dividend reinvestment plan.
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CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX
CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion is a general summary of certain material
U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us and the
purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock, preferred
stock and debt securities. 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 stockholders or debtholders in
light of their particular circumstances. Unless otherwise noted,
this discussion applies only to U.S. stockholders that hold our
common stock or preferred stock as capital assets (within the
meaning of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended (the “Code”)) and to debt securities held as capital
assets by persons who purchase the debt securities for cash upon
original issuance at their “issue price” (the first price at which
a substantial amount of the debt securities is sold for money to
investors, excluding sales to bond houses, brokers or similar
persons or organizations acting in the capacity of underwriter,
placement agent or wholesaler). As used herein, a U.S. holder is a
beneficial owner of the stock or debt securities that is:
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an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United
States,
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a corporation (or any other entity treated as a corporation for
United States federal income tax purposes) that is created or
organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state
thereof or the District of Columbia,
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an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal
income taxation regardless of its source; or
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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 any estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income
tax regardless of its source.
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The term “non-U.S. holder”
means a beneficial owner of the Debt securitis (other than an
entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for United States
federal income tax purposes) that is not a U.S. holder.
If a partnership (or other entity or arrangement treated as a
partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) holds
the debt securities, the tax treatment of a partner generally will
depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the
partnership. If you are a partnership or a partner of a partnership
considering an investment in the debt securities, you should
consult your tax advisors.
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). We
have not and will not seek any rulings from the Internal Revenue
Service (“IRS”) regarding the matters discussed below. There can be
no assurance that the IRS will not take positions concerning the
tax consequences of the purchase, ownership or disposition of the
common or preferred stock or debt securities that are different
from those discussed below. 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,
partnerships or other pass-through entities (or investors therein),
U.S. stockholders whose “functional currency” is not the U.S.
dollar, tax-exempt
organizations, real estate investment trusts, “controlled foreign
corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” dealers in
securities or currencies, traders in securities or commodities that
elect mark to market treatment, U.S. expatriates, or persons that
will hold our common stock or preferred stock 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, or any tax
consequences attributable to persons being required to accelerate
the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to our
common or preferred stock or debt securities 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 (including estate and gift tax
consequences,
54
which this summary does not address) of the purchase, ownership, or
disposition of our common or preferred stock or debt securities, as
well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state,
foreign country or other taxing jurisdiction.
This summary does not discuss the consequences of an investment in
our subscription rights or warrants representing rights to purchase
shares of our preferred stock, common stock or debt securities or
as units in combination with such securities. The U.S. federal
income tax consequences of such an investment will be discussed in
the relevant prospectus supplement and any related free writing
prospectus. In addition, we may issue preferred stock with terms
resulting in U.S. federal income taxation of holders with respect
to such preferred stock in a manner different from as set forth in
this summary. In such instances, such differences will be discussed
in a relevant prospectus supplement or any related free writing
prospectus.
The discussion below assumes that all debt securities issued will
be classified as our indebtedness for United States federal income
tax purposes, and you should note that in the event of an
alternative characterization, the tax consequences to you would
differ from those discussed below. We will summarize any special
United States federal tax considerations relevant to a particular
issue of the debt securities in the applicable prospectus
supplement.
Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company
We have elected to be treated, and intend to qualify each taxable
year, 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 Company 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; (2) 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 (3) diversify
its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable
year of the Company (a) at least 50% of the value of the
Company’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 Company’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 Company’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 Company 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 2b above).
As a RIC, the Company 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 stockholders,
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. The Company will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the
regular corporate rates on any income or capital gains not
distributed (or deemed distributed) to its stockholders.
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 Company
55
must distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal
to the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into
account any capital gains or losses) 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 Company 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 Company in October, November
or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the
Company during January of the following calendar year. Such
distributions will be taxable to stockholders in the calendar year
in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar
year in which the distributions are received.
If the Company failed to qualify as a RIC or failed to satisfy the
90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, the Company 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 stockholders, and all
distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to
stockholders 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 noncorporate
stockholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in
the case of corporate stockholders. In addition, the Company 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.
Distributions
Distributions to stockholders by the Company of ordinary income
(including “market discount” realized by the Company on the sale of
debt securities), and of net short-term capital gains, if any,
realized by the Company will generally be taxable to stockholders
as ordinary income to the extent such distributions are paid out of
the Company’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 stockholder has owned
our common stock or preferred stock. A distribution of an amount in
excess of the Company’s current and accumulated earnings and
profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) will
be treated by a stockholder as a return of capital which will be
applied against and reduce the stockholder’s basis in his or her
shares of common stock or preferred stock. To the extent that the
amount of any such distribution exceeds the stockholder’s basis in
his or her shares of common stock or preferred stock, the excess
will be treated by the stockholder as gain from a sale or exchange
of the common stock or preferred stock. Distributions paid by the
Company 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
stockholders.
Distributions will be treated in the manner described above
regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or
invested in additional shares of common stock pursuant to the
dividend reinvestment plan. Stockholders receiving distributions in
the form of additional shares of common stock will 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,
unless the Company issues additional shares of common stock with a
fair market value equal to or greater than net asset value, in
which case, such stockholders will be treated as receiving a
distribution in the amount of the fair market value of the
distributed shares of common stock. The additional shares of common
stock received by a stockholder pursuant to the dividend
reinvestment plan will have a new holding period commencing on the
day following the day on which the shares of common stock were
credited to the stockholder’s account.
The Company 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, it may designate the retained amount
as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its stockholders, who
will be treated as if each received a distribution of his pro
rata
56
share of such gain, with the result that each stockholder 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
Company on the gain and (iii) increase the tax basis in his or
her shares of common or preferred stock by an amount equal to the
deemed distribution less the tax credit.
The Internal Revenue Service, or the 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 Company issues preferred stock, the Company intends to
allocate capital gain dividends, if any, between its common stock
and preferred stock in proportion to the total dividends paid to
each class with respect to such tax year. Stockholders will be
notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of
distributions, and stockholders receiving distributions in the form
of additional shares of common stock will receive a report as to
the net asset value of those shares.
Nature of the Company’s Investments
Certain of the Company’s investment practices 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 Company 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 stockholders and the Company’s status as a
RIC.
Below Investment Grade Instruments
The Company expects to invest in debt securities that are rated
below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated
below investment grade if they were rated. Investments in these
types of instruments may present special tax issues for the
Company. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about
issues such as when the Company may cease to accrue interest,
original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent
deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how
payments received on obligations in default should be allocated
between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt
obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These
and other issues will be addressed by the Company, 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.
Original Issue Discount and Other Accrued Amounts
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
original issue discount (such as zero coupon securities, debt
instruments with payment-in-kind interest or, in
certain cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments that
were issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a
portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life
of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such
income is received by us in the same taxable year. We may also have
to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in
cash, such as deferred loan origination fees that are paid after
origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants
or stock. Because any original issue discount or other amounts
accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income
for the year of the accrual, we may be required to make a
distribution to our
57
stockholders in order to satisfy the annual distribution
requirement, even though we will not have received any
corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty
meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to qualify
for and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code.
We may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at
prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or
equity capital or forgo new investment opportunities for this
purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we
may not qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment and thus may
become subject to corporate-level income tax.
Market Discount
In general, the Company will be treated as having acquired a
security with market discount if its stated redemption price at
maturity (or, in the case of a security issued with original issue
discount, its revised issue price) exceeds the Company’s initial
tax basis in the security by more than a statutory de minimis
amount. The Company will be required to treat any principal
payments on, or any gain derived from the disposition of, any
securities acquired with market discount as ordinary income to the
extent of the accrued market discount, unless the Company 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
security may be deferred until the Company sells or otherwise
disposes of such security.
Currency Fluctuations
Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to
fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Company accrues
income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated
in a foreign currency and the time the Company 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 Company’s investment in non-U.S. securities may be subject to
non-U.S. withholding taxes.
In that case, the Company’s yield on those securities would be
decreased. Stockholders will generally not be entitled to claim a
credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the
Company.
Preferred Stock or Borrowings
If the Company utilizes leverage through the issuance of preferred
stock or borrowings, it may be restricted by certain covenants with
respect to the declaration of, and payment of, dividends on common
stock in certain circumstances. Limits on the Company’s payments of
dividends on common stock may prevent the Company from meeting the
distribution requirements described above, and may, therefore,
jeopardize the Company’s qualification for taxation as a RIC and
possibly subject the Company to the 4% excise tax. The Company will
endeavor to avoid restrictions on its ability to make dividend
payments.
Certain Tax Considerations for Stockholders
Sale or Exchange of Stock
Upon the sale or other disposition of our common stock or preferred
stock (except pursuant to a repurchase by the Company, as described
below), a stockholder will generally realize a capital gain or loss
in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized
and the stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in the common stock or
preferred stock sold. Such gain or loss will be long-term or
short-term, depending upon the stockholder’s
58
holding period for the common stock or preferred stock. Generally,
a stockholder’s gain or loss will be a long-term gain or loss if
the common stock or preferred stock has been held for more than one
year. For non-corporate
taxpayers, long-term capital gains are currently eligible for
reduced rates of taxation.
No loss will be allowed on the sale or other disposition of common
stock or preferred stock if the owner acquires (including pursuant
to the dividend reinvestment plan) or enters into a contract or
option to acquire securities that are substantially identical to
such common stock or preferred stock 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 stockholder on the sale or exchange of common stock
or preferred stock 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 stock or
preferred stock.
From time to time, the Company may offer to repurchase its
outstanding common stock. Stockholders who tender all shares of
common stock of the Company held, or considered to be held, by them
will generally be treated as having sold their shares of common
stock and generally will realize a capital gain or loss. If a
stockholder tenders fewer than all of its shares of common stock or
fewer than all shares of common stock tendered are repurchased,
such stockholder may be treated as having received a taxable
dividend upon the tender of its shares of common stock. In such a
case, there is a risk that non-tendering stockholders, and
stockholders who tender some but not all of their shares of common
stock or fewer than all of whose shares of common stock are
repurchased, in each case whose percentage interests in the Company
increase as a result of such tender, will be treated as having
received a taxable distribution from the Company. 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 stock of the Company.
Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a stockholder recognizes a loss
with respect to shares of common stock or preferred stock of
$2 million or more for an individual stockholder or
$10 million or more for a corporate stockholder, the
stockholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS
Form 8886. Direct stockholders of portfolio securities are in many
cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current
guidance, stockholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance
may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to
stockholders 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. Stockholders should consult their tax advisors to determine
the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual
circumstances.
Foreign Stockholders
U.S. taxation of a stockholder 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
Stockholder”), depends on whether the income from the Company is
“effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by
the stockholder.
If the income from the Company is not “effectively connected” with
a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign Stockholder,
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
Company 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 Company properly
reports such dividends to stockholders. 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 received directly by a foreign Stockholder,
and that satisfy certain other requirements. A foreign Stockholder
whose income from the Company 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
Company that are designated as undistributed capital gains and any
gains realized upon the sale or exchange of common stock or
preferred stock. However, a foreign Stockholder who is a
nonresident alien
59
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 sale
or exchange gains.
If the income from the Company is “effectively connected” with a
U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign Stockholder, then
distributions of investment company taxable income, any capital
gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Company that are
designated as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized
upon the sale or exchange of common stock or preferred stock will
be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the graduated rates
applicable to U.S. citizens, residents or domestic corporations.
Foreign corporate stockholders may also be subject to the branch
profits tax imposed by the Code.
The Company 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 Stockholder certifies his
or her foreign status under penalties of perjury or otherwise
establishes an exemption.
The tax consequences to a foreign Stockholder entitled to claim the
benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those
described herein. Foreign Stockholders are advised to consult their
own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to
them of an investment in the Company.
Certain Tax Considerations for Debtholders
Stated Interest
Stated interest on the debt securities generally will be taxable to
you as ordinary income at the time it is received or accrued,
depending on your regular method of accounting for United States
federal income tax purposes.
Original Issue Discount
A debt security with an “issue price” (as defined above) that is
less than its stated principal amount generally will be treated as
issued with OID for United States federal income tax purposes in an
amount equal to that difference, unless that difference is less
than a de minimis amount equal to 0.25% of the stated principal
amount multiplied by the number of complete years to maturity (or,
in the case of an amortizing debt security, the weighted average
maturity of the debt security), in which case the debt security
will not be treated as issued with OID. If the debt securities are
issued with OID, you generally must include the OID in gross income
(as ordinary income) as it accrues (on a constant yield to maturity
basis) in advance of the receipt of the cash payment thereof and
regardless of your regular method of accounting for United States
federal income tax purposes. However, you generally will not be
required to include separately in income cash payments received on
the debt securities, even if denominated as interest, to the extent
those payments do not constitute “qualified stated interest,” which
means stated interest that is unconditionally payable in cash or in
property, other than debt instruments of the issuer, and meets all
of the following conditions:
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it is payable at least once per year;
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it is payable over the entire term of the debt security; and
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it is payable at a single fixed rate or, subject to certain
conditions, a rate based on one or more interest indices.
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Notice will be given in the applicable prospectus supplement when
we determine that a particular debt security will be an original
issue discount debt security. Additional OID rules applicable to
debt securities that are denominated in or determined by reference
to a currency other than the U.S. dollar (“foreign currency debt
securities”) are described under “— Foreign Currency Debt
Securities” below.
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If you own a debt security issued with de minimis OID, which is
discount that is not treated as OID because it is less than 0.25%
of the stated redemption price at maturity multiplied by the number
of complete years to maturity (or, in the case of an amortizing
debt security, the weighted average maturity of the note), you
generally must include the de minimis OID in income at the time
principal payments on the debt securities are made. The includible
amount with respect to each payment will be equal to the product of
the total amount of the debt security’s de minimis OID and a
fraction, the numerator of which is the amount of the principal
payment made and the denominator of which is the stated principal
amount of the debt security. Any amount of de minimis OID
includible in income under the preceding sentence is treated as an
amount received in retirement of the debt security and thus as
capital gain.
Certain of the debt securities may contain provisions permitting
them to be redeemed prior to their stated maturity at our option
and/or at your option. Original issue discount debt securities
containing those features may be subject to rules that differ from
the general rules discussed herein. If you are considering the
purchase of original issue discount debt securities with those
features, you should carefully examine the applicable prospectus
supplement and should consult your own tax advisors with respect to
those features since the tax consequences to you with respect to
OID will depend, in part, on the particular terms and features of
such debt securities.
The amount of OID, if any, that you must include in income for any
taxable year with respect to a debt security will generally equal
the sum of the “daily portions” of OID with respect to the debt
security for each day during such taxable year on which you held
that debt security (“accrued OID”). The daily portion is determined
by allocating to each day in any “accrual period” a pro rata
portion of the OID allocable to that accrual period. The “accrual
period” may be of any length and may vary in length over the term
of the debt security, provided that each accrual period is no
longer than one year and each scheduled payment of principal and
interest occurs on the first day or the final day of an accrual
period. The amount of OID allocable to any accrual period other
than the final accrual period is an amount equal to the excess, if
any, of
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the debt security’s “adjusted issue price” at the beginning of the
accrual period multiplied by its yield to maturity, determined on
the basis of compounding at the close of each accrual period and
properly adjusted for the length of the accrual period, over
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the aggregate of any stated interest allocable to the accrual
period.
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OID allocable to a final accrual period is the difference between
the stated principal amount and the adjusted issue price at the
beginning of the final accrual period. Special rules will apply for
calculating OID for an initial short accrual period. The “adjusted
issue price” of a debt security at the beginning of any accrual
period is equal to its issue price increased by the accrued OID, if
any, for each prior accrual period and reduced by any payments
previously made on the debt security other than a payment of
qualified stated interest. Under these rules, you generally will
have to include in income increasingly greater amounts of OID in
successive accrual periods.
Debt securities that provide for a variable rate of interest and
that meet certain other requirements (“floating rate debt
securities”) are subject to special OID rules. In the case of an
original issue discount debt security that is a floating rate debt
security, the “yield to maturity” and “qualified stated interest”
will be determined solely for purposes of calculating the accrual
of OID as though the debt security will bear interest in all
periods at a fixed rate generally equal to the rate that would be
applicable to interest payments on the debt security on its date of
issue or, in the case of certain floating rate debt securities, the
rate that reflects the yield to maturity that is reasonably
expected for the debt security. Additional rules may apply if
either:
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the interest on a floating rate debt security is based on more than
one interest index; or
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the principal amount of the debt security is indexed in any
manner.
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The discussion above generally does not address debt securities
providing for contingent payments. You should carefully examine the
applicable prospectus supplement regarding the United States
federal income tax
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consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of any debt
securities providing for contingent payments.
You may elect to treat all interest on any debt security as OID and
calculate the amount includible in gross income under the constant
yield method described above. For purposes of this election,
interest includes stated interest, acquisition discount, OID, de
minimis OID, market discount, de minimis market discount and
unstated interest, as adjusted by any amortizable bond premium or
acquisition premium. You should consult with your own tax advisors
regarding this election.
Short-Term Debt securities
In the case of debt securities having a term of one year or less
(“short-term debt securities”), all payments, including all stated
interest, will be included in the stated redemption price at
maturity and will not be qualified stated interest. As a result,
you will generally be taxed on the discount instead of stated
interest. The discount will be equal to the excess of the stated
redemption price at maturity over the issue price of a short-term
debt security, unless you elect to compute the discount using tax
basis instead of issue price. In general, individuals and certain
other cash method U.S. holders of short-term debt securities are
not required to include accrued discount in their income currently
unless they elect to do so, but may be required to include stated
interest in income as the income is received. U.S. holders that
report income for United States federal income tax purposes on the
accrual method and certain other U.S. holders are required to
accrue discount on short-term debt securities (as ordinary income)
on a straight-line basis, unless an election is made to accrue the
discount according to a constant yield method based on daily
compounding. If you are not required, and do not elect, to include
discount in income currently, any gain you realize on the sale,
exchange, retirement or other taxable disposition of a short-term
debt security will generally be ordinary income to you to the
extent of the discount accrued by you through the date of the sale,
exchange, retirement or other taxable disposition. In addition, if
you do not elect to currently include accrued discount in income,
you may be required to defer deductions for a portion of your
interest expense with respect to any indebtedness attributable to
the short-term debt securities.
Market Discount
If you purchase a debt security (other than a short-term debt
security) for an amount that is less than its stated redemption
price at maturity (or, in the case of an original issue discount
debt security, its adjusted issue price), the amount of the
difference will be treated as “market discount” for United States
federal income tax purposes, unless that difference is less than a
specified de minimis amount. Under the market discount rules, you
will be required to treat any principal payment on, or any gain on
the sale, exchange, retirement or other taxable disposition of, a
debt security as ordinary income to the extent of the market
discount that you have not previously included in income and are
treated as having accrued on the debt security at the time of the
payment or disposition.
In addition, you may be required to defer, until the maturity of
the debt security or its earlier disposition in a taxable
transaction, the deduction of all or a portion of the interest
expense on any indebtedness attributable to the debt security. You
may elect, on a security-by-security basis, to
deduct the deferred interest expense in a tax year prior to the
year of disposition. You should consult your own tax advisors
regarding this election.
Any market discount will be considered to accrue ratably during the
period from the date of acquisition to the maturity date of the
debt security, unless you elect to accrue on a constant interest
method. You may elect to include market discount in income
currently as it accrues, on either a ratable or constant interest
method, in which case the rule described above regarding deferral
of interest deductions will not apply. An election to accrue market
discount on a current basis will apply to all debt instruments
acquired with market discount that you acquire on or after the
first day of the first taxable year to which the election applies.
The election may not be revoked without the consent of the IRS. You
should consult your own tax advisors regarding this election.
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Acquisition Premium, Amortizable Bond Premium
If you purchase an original issue discount debt security for an
amount that is greater than its adjusted issue price but equal to
or less than the sum of all amounts payable on the debt security
after the purchase date other than payments of qualified stated
interest, you will be considered to have purchased that debt
security at an “acquisition premium.” Under the acquisition premium
rules, the amount of OID that you must include in gross income with
respect to the debt security for any taxable year will be reduced
by the portion of the acquisition premium properly allocable to
that year.
If you purchase a debt security (including an original issue
discount debt security) for an amount in excess of the sum of all
amounts payable on the debt security after the purchase date other
than qualified stated interest, you will be considered to have
purchased the debt security at a “premium” and, if it is an
original issue discount debt security, you will not be required to
include any OID in income. You generally may elect to amortize the
premium over the remaining term of the debt security on a constant
yield method as an offset to interest when includible in income
under your regular accounting method. If you do not elect to
amortize the premium, that premium will decrease the gain or
increase the loss you would otherwise recognize on disposition of
the debt security. An election to amortize premium on a constant
yield method will also apply to all other taxable debt instruments
held or subsequently acquired by you on or after the first day of
the first taxable year for which the election is made. Such an
election may not be revoked without the consent of the IRS. You
should consult your tax advisors regarding this election. Special
rules limit the amortization of premium in the case of convertible
debt instruments.
Sale, Exchange, Retirement, Redemption or Other Taxable
Disposition of Debt Securities
Upon the sale, exchange, retirement, redemption or other taxable
disposition of a debt security, you generally will recognize gain
or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the amount
realized upon the sale, exchange, retirement, redemption or other
taxable disposition (less any amount attributable to accrued and
unpaid stated interest, which will be taxable as interest income to
the extent not previously included in income) and your adjusted tax
basis in the debt security. Your adjusted tax basis in a debt
security will generally be your cost for that debt security,
increased by any OID and market discount previously included in
income and reduced by any amortized premium and any cash payments
on the debt security other than qualified stated interest. Except
as described above with respect to certain short-term debt
securities or market discount, or with respect to gain or loss
attributable to changes in exchange rates as discussed below with
respect to foreign currency debt securities. any gain or loss you
recognize will generally be capital gain or loss and will generally
be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held the debt
security for more than one year. Long-term capital gains of
non-corporate U.S. holders
(including individuals) are eligible for reduced rates of taxation.
The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Extendible Debt securities, Reset Debt securities and Renewable
Debt securities
If so specified in an applicable prospectus supplement relating to
a debt security, we or a holder may have the option to extend the
maturity of a debt security. See “Description of our Debt
Securities.” In addition, we may have the option to reset the
interest rate or the spread. See “Description of our Debt
securities.” The treatment of a U.S. holder of debt securities with
respect to which such an option has been exercised may depend, in
part, on the terms established for such debt securities by us
pursuant to the exercise of such option (the “Revised Terms”). Such
U.S. holder may be treated for United States federal income tax
purposes as having exchanged such debt securities (the “Old Debt
securities”) for new debt securities with the Revised Terms (the
“New Debt securities”). If the exercise of the option by us is not
treated as an exchange of Old Debt securities for New Debt
securities, no gain or loss will be recognized by a U.S. holder as
a result thereof. If the exercise of the option is treated as a
taxable exchange of Old Debt securities for New Debt securities, a
U.S. holder will generally recognize gain or loss equal to the
difference between the issue price of the New Debt securities and
the U.S. holder’s tax basis in the Old Debt securities (although in
certain circumstances, such exchange may qualify as a tax-free recapitalization).
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The presence of such options may also affect the calculation of
OID, among other things. The OID rules provide that, solely for
purposes of the accrual of OID, an issuer of a debt instrument
having an unconditional option or combination of unconditional
options to extend the term of the debt instrument will be presumed
to exercise such option or options in the manner that minimizes the
yield on the debt instrument. Conversely, a holder having an
unconditional put option, an unconditional option to extend the
term of the debt instrument or a combination of such options will
be presumed to exercise such option or options in a manner that
maximizes the yield on the debt instrument. If the exercise of such
option or options to extend the term of the debt instrument
actually occurs or the option to put does not occur, contrary to
the presumption made under the OID rules (a “change in
circumstances”), then, solely for purposes of the accrual of OID,
the debt instrument is treated as reissued on the date of the
change in circumstances for an amount equal to its adjusted issue
price on that date. If you are considering the purchase of
extendible, reset or renewable debt securities, you should
carefully examine the applicable prospectus supplement and consult
your own tax advisors regarding the United States federal income
tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of such
debt securities.
Foreign Currency Debt Securities
Payments of Interest. If you receive interest
payments made in a foreign currency and you use the cash basis
method of accounting for United States federal income tax purposes,
you will be required to include in income the U.S. dollar value of
the amount received, determined by translating the foreign currency
received at the spot rate of exchange (the “spot rate”) in effect
on the date such payment is received regardless of whether the
payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars. You will not
recognize exchange gain or loss with respect to the receipt of such
payment.
If you use the accrual method of accounting for United States
federal income tax purposes, you may determine the amount of income
recognized with respect to such interest in accordance with either
of two methods. Under the first method, you will be required to
include in income for each taxable year the U.S. dollar value of
the interest that has accrued during such year, determined by
translating such interest at the average rate of exchange for the
period or periods (or portions thereof) in such year during which
such interest accrued. Under the second method, you may elect to
translate interest income at the spot rate on the last day of the
accrual period (or the last day of the taxable year if the accrual
period straddles your taxable year) or the date the interest
payment is received if such date is within five business days of
the end of the accrual period.
In addition, if you use the accrual method of accounting, upon
receipt of an interest payment on a debt security (including, upon
the sale or other taxable disposition of a debt security, the
receipt of proceeds which include amounts attributable to accrued
interest previously included in income), you will recognize
exchange gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between
the U.S. dollar value of such payment (determined by translating
the foreign currency received at the spot rate for such foreign
currency on the date such payment is received) and the U.S. dollar
value of the interest income you previously included in income with
respect to such payment. Any such exchange gain or loss will
generally be treated as United States source ordinary income or
loss.
Original Issue Discount. OID on a foreign currency
debt security will be determined for any accrual period in the
applicable foreign currency and then translated into U.S. dollars,
in the same manner as interest income accrued by a holder on the
accrual basis, as described above. You will recognize exchange gain
or loss when OID is paid (including, upon the sale or other taxable
disposition of a debt security, the receipt of proceeds that
include amounts attributable to OID previously included in income)
to the extent of the difference between the U.S. dollar value of
such payment (determined by translating the foreign currency
received at the spot rate for such foreign currency on the date
such payment is received) and the U.S. dollar value of the accrued
OID (determined in the same manner as for accrued interest). For
these purposes, all receipts on a debt security will be viewed:
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first, as the receipt of any qualified stated interest payments
called for under the terms of the debt security;
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second, as receipts of previously accrued OID (to the extent
thereof), with payments considered made for the earliest accrual
periods first; and
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third, as the receipt of principal.
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Market Discount and Bond Premium. The amount of
market discount includible in income with respect to a foreign
currency debt security will generally be determined by translating
the market discount (determined in the foreign currency) into U.S.
dollars at the spot rate on the date the foreign currency debt
security is retired or otherwise disposed of. If you have elected
to accrue market discount currently, then the amount which accrues
is determined in the foreign currency and then translated into U.S.
dollars on the basis of the average exchange rate in effect during
the accrual period. You will recognize exchange gain or loss with
respect to market discount which is accrued currently using the
approach applicable to the accrual of interest income as described
above.
Bond premium on a foreign currency debt security will be computed
in the applicable foreign currency. If you have elected to amortize
such premium, the amortizable bond premium will reduce interest
income in the applicable foreign currency. At the time bond premium
is amortized, exchange gain or loss will be realized with respect
to such amortized premium based on the difference between spot
rates at such time and the time of acquisition of the foreign
currency debt security.
Sale, Exchange, Retirement or other Taxable Disposition of
Foreign Currency Debt securities. Upon the sale, exchange,
retirement or other taxable disposition of a foreign currency debt
security, you will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference
between the amount realized upon the sale, exchange, retirement or
other taxable disposition (less an amount equal to any accrued but
unpaid qualified stated interest, which will be treated as a
payment of interest for United States federal income tax purposes)
and your adjusted tax basis in the foreign currency debt security.
Your initial tax basis in a foreign currency debt security will
generally be your U.S. dollar cost. If you purchased a foreign
currency debt security with foreign currency, your U.S. dollar cost
will generally be the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency
amount paid for such foreign currency debt security, determined by
translating the foreign currency at the spot rate at the time of
such purchase. If your foreign currency debt security is sold,
exchanged, retired or otherwise disposed of for an amount
denominated in foreign currency, then your amount realized
generally will be based on the spot rate of the foreign currency on
the date of the sale, exchange, retirement or other disposition.
If, however, you are a cash method taxpayer and the foreign
currency debt securities are traded on an established securities
market for United States federal income tax purposes, foreign
currency paid or received will be translated into U.S. dollars at
the spot rate on the settlement date of the purchase or sale. An
accrual method taxpayer may elect the same treatment with respect
to the purchase and sale of foreign currency debt securities traded
on an established securities market, provided that the election is
applied consistently.
Except as described above with respect to certain short-term debt
securities or market discount, and subject to the foreign currency
rules discussed below, any gain or loss recognized upon the sale,
exchange, retirement or other taxable disposition of a foreign
currency debt security will generally be capital gain or loss and
will generally be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held
the foreign currency debt security for more than one year.
Long-term capital gains of non-corporate U.S. holders (including
individuals) are eligible for reduced rates of taxation. The
deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. Gain or
loss recognized by you on the sale, exchange, retirement or other
taxable disposition of a foreign currency debt security will
generally be treated as United States source gain or loss.
A portion of your gain or loss with respect to the principal amount
of a foreign currency debt security may be treated as exchange gain
or loss. Exchange gain or loss will generally be treated as United
States source ordinary income or loss. For these purposes, the
principal amount of the foreign currency debt security is your
purchase price for the foreign currency debt security calculated in
the foreign currency on the date of purchase, and the amount of
exchange gain or loss recognized is equal to the difference between
(i) the U.S. dollar value of the principal amount determined
at the spot rate on the date of the sale, exchange, retirement or
other taxable
65
disposition of the foreign currency debt security and (ii) the
U.S. dollar value of the principal amount determined at the spot
rate on the date you purchased the foreign currency debt security
(or, possibly, in the case of cash basis or electing accrual basis
taxpayers, the settlement dates of such purchase and taxable
disposition, if the foreign currency debt security is treated as
traded on an established securities market for United States
federal income tax purposes). The amount of exchange gain or loss
realized on the disposition of the foreign currency debt security
(with respect to both principal and accrued interest) will be
limited to the amount of overall gain or loss realized on the
disposition of the foreign currency debt security.
Exchange Gain or Loss with Respect to Foreign
Currency. Your tax basis in any foreign currency received
as interest on a foreign currency debt security or on the sale,
exchange, retirement or other taxable disposition of a foreign
currency debt security will be the U.S. dollar value thereof at the
spot rate in effect on the date the foreign currency is received.
Any gain or loss recognized by you on a sale, exchange or other
taxable disposition of the foreign currency will generally be
treated as United States source ordinary income or loss.
Dual Currency Debt Securities. If so specified
in an applicable prospectus supplement relating to a foreign
currency debt security, we may have the option to make all payments
of principal and interest scheduled after the exercise of such
option in a currency other than the specified currency. Applicable
United States Treasury regulations generally (i) apply the
principles contained in the regulations governing contingent debt
instruments to dual currency debt securities in the “predominant
currency” of the dual currency debt securities and (ii) apply
the rules discussed above with respect to foreign currency debt
securities with OID for the translation of interest and principal
into U.S. dollars. If you are considering the purchase of dual
currency debt securities, you should carefully examine the
applicable prospectus supplement and should consult your own tax
advisors regarding the United States federal income tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of such
debt securities.
Reportable Transactions. Treasury regulations issued
under the Code meant to require the reporting of certain tax
shelter transactions could be interpreted to cover transactions
generally not regarded as tax shelters, including certain foreign
currency transactions. Under the Treasury regulations, certain
transactions are required to be reported to the IRS, including, in
certain circumstances, a sale, exchange, retirement or other
taxable disposition of a foreign currency debt security or foreign
currency received in respect of a foreign currency debt security to
the extent that such sale, exchange, retirement or other taxable
disposition results in a tax loss in excess of a threshold amount.
If you are considering the purchase of a foreign currency debt
security, you should consult with your own tax advisors to
determine the tax return obligations, if any, with respect to such
an investment, including any requirement to file IRS Form 8886
(Reportable Transaction Disclosure Statement).
Certain Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders of Debt
Securities
The following is a summary of certain United States federal income
tax consequences that will apply to non-U.S. holders of the debt
securities.
United States Federal Withholding Tax
Subject to the discussions of backup withholding and FATCA below,
United States federal withholding tax will not apply to any payment
of interest (which, for purposes of the discussion of non-U.S. holders, includes any OID) on
the debt securities under the “portfolio interest rule,” provided
that:
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interest paid on the debt securities is not effectively connected
with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States;
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you do not actually or constructively own 10% or more of the total
combined voting power of all classes of our voting stock within the
meaning of the Code and applicable United States Treasury
regulations;
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you are not a controlled foreign corporation that is actually or
constructively related to us through stock ownership;
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the interest is not considered contingent interest under
Section 871(h)(4)(A) of the Code and the United States
Treasury regulations thereunder;
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you are not a bank whose receipt of interest on the debt securities
is described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code; and
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either (1) you provide your name and address on an applicable
IRS Form W-8, and certify,
under penalties of perjury, that you are not a United States person
as defined under the Code or (2) you hold your debt securities
through certain foreign intermediaries and satisfy the
certification requirements of applicable United States Treasury
regulations. Special certification rules apply to non-U.S. holders that are pass-through
entities rather than corporations or individuals.
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If you cannot satisfy the requirements described above, payments of
interest made to you will be subject to a 30% United States federal
withholding tax, unless you provide the applicable withholding
agent with a properly executed:
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IRS Form W-8BEN or Form
W-8BEN-E (or other applicable
form) claiming an exemption from or reduction in withholding under
the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty; or
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IRS Form W-8ECI (or other
applicable form) certifying that interest paid on the debt
securities is not subject to withholding tax because it is
effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in
the United States (as discussed below under “— United States
Federal Income Tax”).
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United States Federal Income Tax
If you are engaged in a trade or business in the United States and
interest on the debt securities is effectively connected with the
conduct of that trade or business (and, if required by an
applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States
permanent establishment), then you generally will be subject to
United States federal income tax on that interest on a net income
basis in the same manner as if you were a United States person as
defined under the Code (although you will be exempt from the 30%
United States federal withholding tax described above, provided the
certification requirements discussed above in “— United States
Federal Withholding Tax” are satisfied). In addition, if you are a
foreign corporation, you may be subject to a branch profits tax
equal to 30% (or a lower applicable income tax treaty rate) of your
effectively connected earnings and profits, subject to
adjustments.
Subject to the discussion of backup withholding below, any gain
realized on the sale, exchange, retirement or other taxable
disposition of a Debt security generally will not be subject to
United States federal income tax unless:
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the gain is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or
business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable
income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent
establishment), in which case such gain generally will be subject
to United States federal income tax (and possibly branch profits
tax) in the same manner as effectively connected interest as
described above; or
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you are an individual who is present in the United States for 183
days or more in the taxable year of that disposition and certain
other conditions are met, in which case, unless an applicable
income tax treaty provides otherwise, you generally will be subject
to a 30% United States federal income tax on any gain recognized,
which may be offset by certain United States source losses.
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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
The Company may be required to withhold from all distributions,
interest and principal payments (including accruals of OID, if
any), redemption proceeds, and the proceeds from a sale or other
taxable disposition
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(including a retirement or redemption) of a debt security paid to
you (unless you are an exempt recipient) payable to U.S.
stockholders and debtholders who fail to provide the Company 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 stockholders and debtholders
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
stockholder’s or debtholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability,
provided the required information is timely furnished to the
IRS.
U.S. Holders
In general, information reporting requirements will apply to
payments of stated interest on the debt securities, accruals of OID
(if any) and the proceeds from a sale or other taxable disposition
(including a retirement or redemption) of a debt security paid to
you (unless you are an exempt recipient). Backup withholding may
apply to any payments described in the preceding sentence if you
fail to provide a taxpayer identification number or a certification
of exempt status, or if you fail to report in full dividend and
interest income.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts
withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a
refund or a credit against your United States federal income tax
liability provided the required information is timely furnished to
the IRS.
Non-U.S. Holders
Generally, the amount of interest (including any OID) paid to you
and the amount of tax, if any, withheld with respect to those
payments will be reported to the IRS. Copies of the information
returns reporting such interest payments and any withholding may
also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in
which you reside under the provisions of an applicable income tax
treaty.
In general, you will not be subject to backup withholding with
respect to payments of interest (including any OID) on the Debt
securities that we make to you, provided that the applicable
withholding agent does not have actual knowledge or reason to know
that you are a United States person as defined under the Code and
such withholding agent has received from you the statement
described above in the sixth bullet point under “— Certain Tax
Consequences to Non-U.S.
Holders of Debt Securities — United States Federal Withholding
Tax.”
Information reporting and, depending on the circumstances, backup
withholding will apply to the proceeds of a sale or other taxable
disposition (including a retirement or redemption) of debt
securities within the United States or conducted through certain
United States-related financial intermediaries, unless you certify
to the payor under penalties of perjury that you are a non-U.S. holder (and the payor does not
have actual knowledge or reason to know that you are a United
States person as defined under the Code), or you otherwise
establish an exemption.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts
withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a
refund or a credit against your United States federal income tax
liability provided the required information is timely furnished to
the IRS.
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 or any interest (including any OID)
paid on the debt securities that the Company pays to (i) a
“foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined in the
Code and whether such foreign financial institution is the
beneficial owner or an intermediary), which does not provide
sufficient documentation, typically on IRS Form W-8BEN-E, evidencing either
(x) an exemption from FATCA,
68
or (y) its compliance (or deemed compliance) with FATCA (which
may alternatively be in the form of compliance with an
intergovernmental agreement with the United States) in a manner
which avoids withholding or (ii) a “non-financial foreign entity,” (as
specifically defined in the Code and whether such nonfinancial
foreign entity is the beneficial owner or an intermediary) which
does not provide sufficient documentation, typically on IRS Form
W-8BEN-E, evidencing either
(x) an exemption from FATCA, or (y) adequate information
regarding certain substantial United States beneficial owners of
such entity (if any). 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. If an interest payment is both subject to withholding under
FATCA and subject to the withholding tax discussed above under “—
Certain Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders of Debt Securities —
United States Federal Withholding Tax,” an applicable withholding
agent may credit the withholding under FATCA against, and therefore
reduce, such other withholding tax. While withholding under FATCA
would also have applied to payments of gross proceeds from the sale
or other taxable disposition of the debt securities, proposed
United States Treasury regulations (upon which taxpayers may rely
until final regulations are issued) eliminate FATCA withholding on
payments of gross proceeds entirely. You should consult your own
tax adviser regarding FATCA and whether it may be relevant to your
ownership and disposition of our common or preferred stock or debt
securities.
Other Taxation
Stockholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on
their distributions from the Company. Stockholders are advised to
consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax
consequences to them of an investment in the Company.
69
SALES OF COMMON STOCK BELOW NET
ASSET VALUE
We may submit to our stockholders, for their approval, a
proposal seeking authorization to make sales of our common stock at
prices below our most recently determined NAV per share. Pursuant
to the approval of our Board of Directors, we have made such sales
in the past, and we may continue to do so under this prospectus if
we seek and receive stockholder approval.
Any offering of common stock below NAV per share will be designed
to raise capital for investment in accordance with our investment
objectives and business strategies.
In making a determination that an offering below NAV per share is
in our and our stockholders’ best interests, our Board of Directors
would consider a variety of factors including:
|
• |
|
The effect that an offering below NAV per share would have on our
stockholders, including the potential dilution they would
experience as a result of the offering;
|
|
• |
|
The amount per share by which the offering price per share and the
net proceeds per share are less than the most recently determined
NAV per share;
|
|
• |
|
The relationship of recent market prices of our common stock to NAV
per share and the potential impact of the offering on the market
price per share of our common stock;
|
|
• |
|
Whether the proposed offering price would closely approximate the
market value of our shares;
|
|
• |
|
The potential market impact of being able to raise capital during
the current financial market difficulties;
|
|
• |
|
The nature of any new investors anticipated to acquire shares in
the offering;
|
|
• |
|
The anticipated rate of return on and quality, type and
availability of investments to be funded with the proceeds from the
offering, if any; and
|
|
• |
|
The leverage available to us, both before and after any offering,
and the terms thereof.
|
Sales by us of our common stock at a discount from NAV pose
potential risks for our existing stockholders whether or not they
participate in the offering, as well as for new investors who
participate in the offering.
The following three headings and accompanying tables will explain
and provide hypothetical examples on the impact of an offering at a
price less than NAV per share on three different sets of
investors:
|
• |
|
existing stockholders who do not purchase any shares in the
offering;
|
|
• |
|
existing stockholders who purchase a relatively small amount of
shares in the offering or a relatively large amount of shares in
the offering; and
|
|
• |
|
new investors who become stockholders by purchasing shares in the
offering.
|
Impact on Existing Stockholders who do not Participate in the
Offering
Our existing stockholders who do not participate in an offering
below NAV per share or who do not buy additional shares in the
secondary market at the same or lower price we obtain in the
offering (after expenses and commissions) face the greatest
potential risks. All stockholders will experience an immediate
decrease (often called dilution) in the NAV of the shares they
hold. Stockholders who do not participate in the offering will also
experience a disproportionately greater decrease in their
participation in our earnings and assets and their voting power
than stockholders who do participate in the offering. All
stockholders may also experience a decline in the market price of
their shares, which often reflects to some degree announced or
potential decreases in NAV per share. This decrease could be more
pronounced as the size of the offering and level of discount to NAV
increases.
70
The following table illustrates the level of NAV dilution that
would be experienced by a nonparticipating stockholder in different
hypothetical offerings of different sizes and levels of discount
from NAV per share. Actual sales prices and discounts may differ
from the presentation below.
The examples assume that Company XYZ has 3,000,000 common shares
outstanding, $40,000,000 in total assets and $10,000,000 in total
liabilities. The current net asset value and NAV are thus
$30,000,000 and $10.00, respectively. The table illustrates the
dilutive effect on nonparticipating Stockholder A of (1) an
offering of 300,000 shares (10% of the outstanding shares) with
proceeds to the Company XYZ at $9.00 per share after offering
expenses and commissions, and (2) an offering of 600,000
shares (20% of the outstanding shares) with proceeds to the Company
at $0.001 per share after offering expenses and commissions (a 100%
discount from net asset value).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prior to
Sale Below
NAV |
|
|
Example 1
10% Offering
at 10% Discount |
|
|
Example 2
20% Offering
at 100% Discount |
|
|
Following
Sale |
|
|
%
Change |
|
|
Following
Sale |
|
|
%
Change |
|
Offering Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Price per Share to Public(1)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
9.47 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
0.001 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Net Proceeds per Share to Issuer
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
9.00 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
0.001 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Decrease to NAV
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Shares Outstanding
|
|
|
3,000,000 |
|
|
|
3,300,000 |
|
|
|
10.00 |
% |
|
|
3,600,000 |
|
|
|
20.00 |
% |
NAV per Share
|
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
$ |
9.91 |
|
|
|
(0.90 |
)% |
|
$ |
8.33 |
|
|
|
(16.67 |
)% |
Share Dilution to Stockholder
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares Held by Stockholder A
|
|
|
30,000 |
|
|
|
30,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
30,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Percentage of Shares Held by Stockholder A
|
|
|
1.00 |
% |
|
|
0.91 |
% |
|
|
(9.09 |
)% |
|
|
0.83 |
% |
|
|
(16.67 |
)% |
Total Asset Values
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total NAV Held by Stockholder A
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
297,273 |
|
|
|
(0.90 |
)% |
|
$ |
250,005 |
|
|
|
(16.67 |
)% |
Total Investment by Stockholder A (Assumed to Be $10.00 per
Share)
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total Dilution to Stockholder A (Change in Total NAV Held By
Stockholder)
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
(2,727 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
(49,995 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Per Share Amounts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NAV per Share Held by Stockholder A
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
9.91 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
8.33 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Investment per Share Held by Stockholder A (Assumed to be $10.00
per Share on Shares Held Prior to Sale)
|
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Dilution per Share Held by Stockholder A
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
(0.09 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
(1.67 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Percentage Dilution per Share Held by Stockholder A
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(0.90 |
)% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(16.67 |
)% |
(1) |
Assumes 5% in selling compensation and expenses paid
by Company XYZ.
|
Impact on Existing Stockholders who do Participate in the
Offering
Our existing stockholders who participate in an offering below NAV
per share or who buy additional shares in the secondary market at
the same or lower price as we obtain in the offering (after
expenses and commissions) will experience the same types of NAV
dilution as the nonparticipating stockholders, albeit at a lower
level, to the extent they purchase less than the same percentage of
the discounted offering as their interest in our shares immediately
prior to the offering. The level of NAV dilution on an aggregate
basis will decrease as the number of shares such stockholders
purchase increases. Existing stockholders who buy more than their
proportionate percentage will experience NAV dilution but will, in
contrast to existing stockholders who purchase less than their
proportionate share of the offering, experience an increase (often
called accretion) in NAV per share over
71
their investment per share and will also experience a
disproportionately greater increase in their participation in our
earnings and assets and their voting power than our increase in
assets, potential earning power and voting interests due to the
offering. The level of accretion will increase as the excess number
of shares purchased by such stockholder increases. Even a
stockholder who over-participates will, however, be subject to the
risk that we may make additional discounted offerings in which such
stockholder does not participate, in which case such a stockholder
will experience NAV dilution as described above in such subsequent
offerings. These stockholders may also experience a decline in the
market price of their shares, which often reflects to some degree
announced or potential decreases in NAV per share. This decrease
could be more pronounced as the size of the offering and the level
of discount to NAV increases.
The following chart illustrates the level of dilution and accretion
in the hypothetical 20% discount offering from the prior chart
(Example 3) for a stockholder that acquires shares equal to (1) 50%
of its proportionate share of the offering (i.e., 3,000 shares,
which is 0.5% of an offering of 600,000 shares rather than its 1.0%
proportionate share) and (2) 150% of such percentage (i.e., 9,000
shares, which is 1.5% of an offering of 600,000 shares rather than
its 1.0% proportionate share). The prospectus supplement pursuant
to which any discounted offering is made will include a chart for
this example based on the actual number of shares in such offering
and the actual discount from the most recently determined NAV per
share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prior to
Sale Below
NAV |
|
|
50%
Participation |
|
|
150%
Participation |
|
|
Following
Sale |
|
|
%
Change |
|
|
Following
Sale |
|
|
%
Change |
|
Offering Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Price per Share to Public(1)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
8.42 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
8.42 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Net Proceeds per Share to Issuer
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
8.00 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
8.00 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Increase in Shares and Decrease to NAV
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Shares Outstanding
|
|
|
3,000,000 |
|
|
|
3,600,000 |
|
|
|
20.00 |
% |
|
|
3,600,000 |
|
|
|
20.00 |
% |
NAV per Share
|
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
$ |
9.67 |
|
|
|
(3.33 |
)% |
|
$ |
9.67 |
|
|
|
(3.33 |
)% |
Dilution/Accretion to Participating Stockholder A
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share Dilution/Accretion |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares Held by Stockholder A
|
|
|
30,000 |
|
|
|
33,000 |
|
|
|
10.00 |
% |
|
|
39,000 |
|
|
|
30.00 |
% |
Percentage Outstanding Held by Stockholder A
|
|
|
1.00 |
% |
|
|
0.92 |
% |
|
|
(8.33 |
)% |
|
|
1.08 |
% |
|
|
8.33 |
% |
NAV Dilution/Accretion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total NAV Held by Stockholder A
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
319,000 |
|
|
|
6.33 |
% |
|
$ |
377,000 |
|
|
|
25.67 |
% |
Total Investment by Stockholder A (Assumed to be $10.00 per Share
on Shares Held Prior to Sale)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
325,260 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
375,780 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total Dilution/Accretion to Stockholder A (Total NAV Less Total
Investment)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
(6,260 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
1,220 |
|
|
|
— |
|
NAV Dilution/Accretion per Share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NAV per Share Held by Stockholder A
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
9.67 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
9.67 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Investment per Share Held by Stockholder A (Assumed to be $10.00
per Share on Shares Held Prior to Sale)
|
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
$ |
9.86 |
|
|
|
(1.44 |
)% |
|
$ |
9.64 |
|
|
|
(3.65 |
)% |
NAV Dilution/Accretion per Share Experienced by Stockholder A (NAV
per Share Less Investment per Share)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
(0.19 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
0.03 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Percentage NAV Dilution/Accretion Experienced by Stockholder A (NAV
Dilution/Accretion per Share Divided by Investment per Share)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(1.96 |
)% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
0.32 |
% |
(1) |
Assumes 5% in selling compensation and expenses paid
by Company XYZ.
|
72
Impact on New Investors
Investors who are not currently stockholders, but who participate
in an offering below NAV and whose investment per share is greater
than the resulting NAV per share (due to selling compensation and
expenses paid by us) will experience an immediate decrease, albeit
small, in the NAV of their shares and their NAV per share compared
to the price they pay for their shares. Investors who are not
currently stockholders and who participate in an offering below NAV
per share and whose investment per share is also less than the
resulting NAV per share will experience an immediate increase in
the NAV of their shares and their NAV per share compared to the
price they pay for their shares. All these investors will
experience a disproportionately greater participation in our
earnings and assets and their voting power than our increase in
assets, potential earning power and voting interests. These
investors will, however, be subject to the risk that we may make
additional discounted offerings in which such new stockholder does
not participate, in which case such new stockholder will experience
dilution as described above in such subsequent offerings. These
investors may also experience a decline in the market price of
their shares, which often reflects to some degree announced or
potential decreases in NAV per share. This decrease could be more
pronounced as the size of the offering and level of discount to NAV
increases.
The following chart illustrates the level of dilution or accretion
for new investors that would be experienced by a new investor in
the same hypothetical 10% and 100% discounted offerings as
described in the first chart above. The illustration is for a new
investor who purchases the same percentage (1.00%) of the shares in
the offering as Stockholder A in the prior examples held
immediately prior to the offering. The prospectus supplement
pursuant to which any discounted offering is made will include a
chart for these examples based on the actual number of shares in
such offering and the actual discount from the most recently
determined NAV per share.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prior to
Sale Below
NAV |
|
|
Example 1
10% Offering
at 10% Discount |
|
|
Example 2
20% Offering
at 100% Discount |
|
|
Following
Sale |
|
|
%
Change |
|
|
Following
Sale |
|
|
%
Change |
|
Offering Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Price per Share to Public(1)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
9.47 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
0.001 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Net Proceeds per Share to Issuer
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
9.00 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
0.001 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Increase in Shares and Decrease to NAV
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Shares Outstanding
|
|
|
3,000,000 |
|
|
|
3,300,000 |
|
|
|
10.00 |
% |
|
|
3,600,000 |
|
|
|
20.00 |
% |
NAV per Share
|
|
$ |
10.00 |
|
|
$ |
9.91 |
|
|
|
(0.91 |
)% |
|
$ |
8.33 |
|
|
|
(16.67 |
)% |
Dilution/Accretion to New Investor A
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share Dilution
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares Held by Investor A
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
3,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
6,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Percentage Outstanding Held by Investor A
|
|
|
0.00 |
% |
|
|
0.09 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
0.17 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
NAV Dilution
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total NAV Held by Investor A
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
29,727 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
50,001 |
|
Total Investment by Investor A (At Price to Public)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
28,421 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
6 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total Dilution/Accretion to Investor A (Total NAV Less Total
Investment)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
1,306 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
49,995 |
|
|
|
— |
|
NAV Dilution per Share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NAV per Share Held by Investor A
|
|
$ |
9.91 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
8.33 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
Investment per Share Held by Investor A
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
9.47 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
0.001 |
|
|
|
— |
|
NAV Dilution/Accretion per Share Experienced by Investor A (NAV per
Share Less Investment per Share)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
0.44 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
8.33 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Percentage NAV Dilution/Accretion Experienced by Investor A (NAV
Dilution/Accretion per Share Divided by Investment per Share)
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
4.60 |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
791,582.50 |
% |
(1) |
Assumes 5% in selling compensation and expenses paid
by Company XYZ.
|
73
DESCRIPTION OF OUR CAPITAL
STOCK
The following description is based in part on relevant portions of
the Maryland General Corporation Law and on our charter and bylaws.
This summary is not necessarily complete, and we refer you to the
Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter and bylaws for a
more detailed description of the provisions summarized below.
Stock
Our authorized stock consists of 100,000,000 shares of stock, par
value $0.01 per share, all of which are initially designated as
common stock. Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global
Select Market under the ticker symbol “LRFC.” There are no
outstanding options or warrants to purchase our stock. No stock has
been authorized for issuance under any equity compensation plans.
Under Maryland law, our stockholders generally are not personally
liable for our debts or obligations.
The following are our outstanding classes of securities as of
December 10, 2021:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Title of Class
|
|
Amount
Authorized |
|
|
Amount Held by
Us or for Our
Account |
|
|
Amount
Outstanding
Exclusive of
Amounts Shown
Under (3) |
|
Common stock
|
|
|
100,000,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2,711,068 |
|
Under our charter, our Board of Directors is authorized to classify
and reclassify any unissued shares of stock into other classes or
series of stock without obtaining stockholder approval. As
permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, our charter
provides that the Board of Directors, without any action by our
stockholders, may amend the charter from time to time to increase
or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number
of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to
issue.
Common Stock
All shares of our common stock have equal rights as to earnings,
assets, voting, and distributions and, when they are issued, will
be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
Distributions may be paid to the holders of our common stock if, as
and when authorized by our Board of Directors and declared by us
out of assets legally available therefor. Shares of our common
stock have no preemptive, conversion or redemption rights and are
freely transferable, except where their transfer is restricted by
federal and state securities laws or by contract. In the event of
our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each share of our
common stock would be entitled to share ratably in all of our
assets that are legally available for distribution after we pay all
debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights
of holders of our preferred stock, if any preferred stock is
outstanding at such time. Each share of our common stock is
entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of
stockholders, including the election of directors. Except as
provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the
holders of our common stock will possess exclusive voting power.
There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors, which
means that holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of
common stock can elect all of our directors, and holders of less
than a majority of such shares will be unable to elect any
director.
Preferred Stock
Our charter authorizes our Board of Directors to classify and
reclassify any unissued shares of stock into other classes or
series of stock, including preferred stock. The cost of any such
reclassification would be borne by our existing common
stockholders. Prior to issuance of shares of each class or series,
the Board of Directors is required by Maryland law and by our
charter to set the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights,
voting
74
powers, restrictions, limitations as to distributions,
qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class
or series. Thus, the Board of Directors could authorize the
issuance of shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions
which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a
transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium
price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best
interest. You should note, however, that any issuance of preferred
stock must comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act. The 1940
Act requires, among other things, that (1) immediately after
issuance and before any distribution is made with respect to our
common stock and before any purchase of common stock is made, such
preferred stock together with all other senior securities must not
exceed an amount equal to 50% of our gross assets after deducting
the amount of such distribution or purchase price, as the case may
be, and (2) the holders of shares of preferred stock, if any
are issued, must be entitled as a class to elect two directors at
all times and to elect a majority of the directors if distributions
on such preferred stock are in arrears by two full years or more.
Certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the
holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock. We believe
that the availability for issuance of preferred stock will provide
us with increased flexibility in structuring future financings and
acquisitions. However, we do not currently have any plans to issue
preferred stock.
Limitation on Liability of Directors and Officers;
Indemnification and Advance of Expenses
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its
charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and
officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages
except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an
improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or
(b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final
judgment as being material to the cause of action. Our charter
contains such a provision which eliminates directors’ and officers’
liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, subject
to the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Our charter authorizes us, to the maximum extent permitted by
Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to
indemnify any present or former director or officer or any
individual who, while serving as our director or officer and at our
request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate
investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee
benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or
trustee, from and against any claim or liability to which that
person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason
of his or her service in such capacity and to pay or reimburse
their reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a
proceeding. Our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted
by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to
indemnify any present or former director or officer or any
individual who, while serving as our director or officer and at our
request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate
investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a
director, officer, partner, trustee, manager or member and who is
made, or threatened to be made, a party to the proceeding by reason
of his or her service in that capacity from and against any claim
or liability to which that person may become subject or which that
person may incur by reason of his or her service in any such
capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in
advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The charter and
bylaws also permit us to indemnify and advance expenses to any
person who served a predecessor of us in any of the capacities
described above and any of our employees or agents or any employees
or agents of our predecessor. In accordance with the 1940 Act, we
will not indemnify any person for any liability to which such
person would be subject by reason of such person’s willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of
the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides
otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or
officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to
which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party by
reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits
a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and
officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines,
settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in
connection with any proceeding to which they may be made a party by
reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is
established that (a) the act or omission of the director or
officer was material to the matter giving rise to the
75
proceeding and (1) was committed in bad faith or (2) was
the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or
officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money,
property or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding,
the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the
act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a
Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a
suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of
liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly
received unless, in either case, a court orders indemnification,
and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a
corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer
upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by
the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or
she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification
by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or her
or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by
the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of
conduct was not met.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors.
The indemnification agreements provide our directors the maximum
indemnification permitted under Maryland law and the 1940 Act.
Our insurance policy does not currently provide coverage for
claims, liabilities and expenses that may arise out of activities
that our present or former directors or officers have performed for
another entity at our request. There is no assurance that such
entities will in fact carry such insurance. However, we note that
we do not expect to request our present or former directors or
officers to serve another entity as a director, officer, partner or
trustee unless we can obtain insurance providing coverage for such
persons for any claims, liabilities or expenses that may arise out
of their activities while serving in such capacities.
Certain Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and
Our Charter and Bylaws
The Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter and bylaws
contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a
potential acquirer to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy
contest or otherwise. These provisions are expected to discourage
certain coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids
and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to
negotiate first with our Board of Directors. We believe that the
benefits of these provisions outweigh the potential disadvantages
of discouraging any such acquisition proposals because, among other
things, the negotiation of such proposals may improve their
terms.
Classified Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes of directors
serving staggered three-year terms. Upon expiration of their
current terms, directors of each class will be elected to serve for
three-year terms and until their successors are duly elected and
qualify and each year one class of directors will be elected by the
stockholders. A classified board may render a change in control of
us or removal of our incumbent management more difficult. We
believe, however, that the longer time required to elect a majority
of a classified Board of Directors will help to ensure the
continuity and stability of our management and policies.
Election of Directors
Our bylaws provide that the affirmative vote of the holders of a
plurality of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote in
the election of directors cast at a meeting of stockholders duly
called and at which a quorum is present will be required to elect a
director. Pursuant to our charter, our Board of Directors may amend
the bylaws to alter the vote required to elect directors.
Number of Directors; Vacancies; Removal
Our charter provides that the number of directors will be set only
by the Board of Directors in accordance with our bylaws. Our bylaws
provide that a majority of our entire Board of Directors may at any
time increase or
76
decrease the number of directors. However, unless our bylaws are
amended, the number of directors may never be less than one nor
more than twelve. Our charter provides that, at such time as we
have at least three independent directors and our common stock is
registered under the Exchange Act, we elect to be subject to the
provision of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the Maryland General
Corporation Law regarding the filling of vacancies on the Board of
Directors. Accordingly, at such time, except as may be provided by
the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series
of preferred stock, any and all vacancies on the Board of Directors
may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the
remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do
not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy
will serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship
in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and
qualifies, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940
Act.
Our charter provides that a director may be removed only for cause,
as defined in our charter, and then only by the affirmative vote of
at least two-thirds of the
votes entitled to be cast in the election of directors.
Action by Stockholders
Under the Maryland General Corporation Law, stockholder action can
be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders or
(unless the charter provides for stockholder action by less than
unanimous written consent, which our charter does not) by unanimous
written consent in lieu of a meeting. These provisions, combined
with the requirements of our bylaws regarding the calling of a
stockholder-requested special meeting of stockholders discussed
below, may have the effect of delaying consideration of a
stockholder proposal until the next annual meeting.
Advance Notice Provisions for Stockholder Nominations and
Stockholder Proposals
Our bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of
stockholders, nominations of persons for election to the Board of
Directors and the proposal of business to be considered by
stockholders may be made only (a) pursuant to our notice of the
meeting, (b) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or
(c) by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record both at the
time of giving notice by the stockholder and at the time of the
annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has
complied with the advance notice procedures of our bylaws. With
respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business
specified in our notice of the meeting may be brought before the
meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of
Directors at a special meeting may be made only (1) by or at the
direction of the Board of Directors or (2) provided that the
special meeting has been called in accordance with our bylaws for
the purposes of electing directors, by a stockholder who is a
stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice and at
the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the
meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of
the bylaws.
The purpose of requiring stockholders to give us advance notice of
nominations and other business is to afford our Board of Directors
a meaningful opportunity to consider the qualifications of the
proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed
business and, to the extent deemed necessary or desirable by our
Board of Directors, to inform stockholders and make recommendations
about such qualifications or business, as well as to provide a more
orderly procedure for conducting meetings of stockholders. Although
our bylaws do not give our Board of Directors any power to
disapprove stockholder nominations for the election of directors or
proposals recommending certain action, they may have the effect of
precluding a contest for the election of directors or the
consideration of stockholder proposals if proper procedures are not
followed and of discouraging or deterring a third-party from
conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of
directors or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether
consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or
beneficial to us and our stockholders.
Calling of Special Meetings of Stockholders
Our bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be
called by our Board of Directors and certain of our officers.
Additionally, our bylaws provide that, subject to the satisfaction
of certain procedural and
77
informational requirements by the stockholders requesting the
meeting, a special meeting of stockholders will be called by the
secretary of the corporation upon the written request of
stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the
votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
Approval of Extraordinary Corporate Action; Amendment of
Charter and Bylaws
Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot
dissolve, amend its charter, merge, sell all or substantially all
of its assets, engage in a share exchange or engage in similar
transactions outside the ordinary course of business, unless
approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast
at least two-thirds of the
votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, a Maryland
corporation may provide in its charter for approval of these
matters by a lesser percentage, but not less than a majority of all
of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter
generally provides for approval of charter amendments and
extraordinary transactions by the stockholders entitled to cast at
least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Our charter also provides that (1) certain charter amendments, (2)
any proposal for our conversion, whether by charter amendment,
merger or otherwise, from a closed-end company to an open-end
company, (3) any merger, consolidation, share exchange or sale or
exchange of all or substantially all of our assets that the
Maryland General Corporation Law requires be approved by the
stockholders of the Corporation, and (4) any proposal for our
liquidation or dissolution requires the approval of the
stockholders entitled to cast at least 80% of the votes entitled to
be cast on such matter. However, if such amendment or proposal is
approved by a majority of our continuing directors (in addition to
approval by our Board of Directors), such amendment or proposal may
be approved by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on such
a matter. The “continuing directors” are defined in our charter as
(1) our current directors, (2) those directors whose
nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by
the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of our
current directors then on the Board of Directors or (3) any
successor directors whose nomination for election by the
stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies
is approved by a majority of continuing directors or the successor
continuing directors then in office. In any event, in accordance
with the requirements of the 1940 Act, any amendment or proposal
that would have the effect of changing the nature of our business
so as to cause us to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a
BDC would be required to be approved by a majority of our
outstanding voting securities, as defined under the 1940 Act.
Our charter and bylaws provide that the Board of Directors will
have the exclusive power to make, alter, amend or repeal any
provision of our bylaws.
No Appraisal Rights
Except with respect to appraisal rights arising in connection with
the Control Share Act discussed below, as permitted by the Maryland
General Corporation Law, our charter provides that stockholders
will not be entitled to exercise appraisal rights unless a majority
of the Board of Directors shall determine such rights apply.
Control Share Acquisitions
The Maryland General Corporation Law provides that control shares
of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition
have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of
two-thirds of the votes
entitled to be cast on the matter (the “Control Share Act”). Shares
owned by the acquirer, by officers or by directors who are
employees of the corporation are excluded from shares entitled to
vote on the matter. Control shares are voting shares of stock
which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the
acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer is able to exercise or
direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a
revocable proxy), would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting
power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of
voting power:
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one-tenth or more but less
than one-third;
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one-third or more but less
than a majority; or
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a majority or more of all voting power.
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78
The requisite stockholder approval must be obtained each time an
acquirer crosses one of the thresholds of voting power set forth
above. Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is
then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained
stockholder approval. A control share acquisition means the
acquisition of control shares, subject to certain exceptions.
A person who has made or proposes to make a control share
acquisition may compel the Board of Directors of the corporation to
call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of
demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. The right to
compel the calling of a special meeting is subject to the
satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay
the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made,
the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders
meeting.
If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the
acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as
required by the statute, then the corporation may redeem for fair
value any or all of the control shares, except those for which
voting rights have previously been approved. The right of the
corporation to redeem control shares is subject to certain
conditions and limitations, including compliance with the 1940 Act.
Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting
rights for the control shares, as of the date of the last control
share acquisition by the acquirer or of any meeting of stockholders
at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not
approved. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a
stockholders meeting and the acquirer becomes entitled to vote a
majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may
exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as
determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than
the highest price per share paid by the acquirer in the control
share acquisition.
The Control Share Act does not apply (a) to shares acquired in
a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a
party to the transaction or (b) to acquisitions approved or
exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation. Our bylaws
contain a provision exempting from the Control Share Act any and
all acquisitions by any person of our shares of stock. There can be
no assurance that such provision will not be amended or eliminated
at any time in the future, to the extent permitted by the 1940
Act.
Business Combinations
Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland
corporation and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an
interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most
recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an
interested stockholder (the “Business Combination Act”). These
business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share
exchange or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset
transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. An
interested stockholder is defined as:
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any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of
the corporation’s outstanding voting stock; or
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an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time
within the two-year period
prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or
more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock of
the corporation.
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A person is not an interested stockholder under this statute if the
Board of Directors approved in advance the transaction by which the
stockholder otherwise would have become an interested stockholder.
However, in approving a transaction, the board of directors may
provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the
time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the
board.
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After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between
the Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder generally
must be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation
and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
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80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding
shares of voting stock of the corporation; and
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two-thirds of the votes
entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation
other than shares held by the interested stockholder with whom or
with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or
held by an affiliate or associate of the interested
stockholder.
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These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the
corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price, as
defined under Maryland law, for their shares in the form of cash or
other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the
interested stockholder for its shares.
The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions,
including business combinations that are exempted by the Board of
Directors before the time that the interested stockholder becomes
an interested stockholder. Our Board of Directors has adopted a
resolution that any business combination between us and any other
person is exempted from the provisions of the Business Combination
Act, provided that the business combination is first approved by
the Board of Directors, including a majority of the directors who
are not interested persons as defined in the 1940 Act. This
resolution may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any
time. If this resolution is repealed, or the Board of Directors
does not otherwise approve a business combination, the statute may
discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase
the difficulty of consummating any offer.
Conflict with 1940 Act
Our bylaws provide that, if and to the extent that any provision of
the Maryland General Corporation Law, including the Control Share
Act (if we amend our bylaws to be subject to such Act) and the
Business Combination Act, or any provision of our charter or bylaws
conflicts with any provision of the 1940 Act, the applicable
provision of the 1940 Act will control.
80
DESCRIPTION OF OUR PREFERRED
STOCK
In addition to shares of common stock, our charter authorizes the
issuance of preferred stock. We may issue preferred stock from time
to time, although we have no immediate intention to do so. If we
offer preferred stock under this prospectus, we will issue an
appropriate prospectus supplement. We may issue preferred stock
from time to time in one or more classes or series, without
stockholder approval. Prior to issuance of shares of each class or
series, our board of directors is required by Maryland law and by
our charter to set the terms, preferences, conversion or other
rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or
other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of
redemption for each class or series. Any such an issuance must
adhere to the requirements of the 1940 Act, Maryland law and any
other limitations imposed by law.
The following is a general description of the terms of the
preferred stock we may issue from time to time. Particular terms of
any preferred stock we offer will be described in the prospectus
supplement relating to such preferred stock.
If we issue preferred stock, it will pay dividends to the holders
of the preferred stock at either a fixed rate or a rate that will
be reset frequently based on short-term interest rates, as
described in a prospectus supplement accompanying each preferred
share offering.
The 1940 Act requires, among other things, that
(1) immediately after issuance and before any distribution is
made with respect to common stock, the liquidation preference of
the preferred stock, together with all other senior securities,
must not exceed an amount equal to 66.7% of our total assets
(taking into account such distribution), (2) the holders of shares
of preferred stock, if any are issued, must be entitled as a class
to elect two directors at all times and to elect a majority of the
directors if dividends on the preferred stock are in arrears by two
years or more and (3) such shares be cumulative as to
dividends and have a complete preference over our common stock to
payment of their liquidation preference in the event of a
dissolution.
For any series of preferred stock that we may issue, our board of
directors will determine and the articles supplementary and
prospectus supplement relating to such series will describe:
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the designation and number of shares of such series;
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the rate, whether fixed or variable, and time at which any
dividends will be paid on shares of such series, as well as whether
such dividends are participating or non-participating;
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any provisions relating to convertibility or exchangeability of the
shares of such series;
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the rights and preferences, if any, of holders of shares of such
series upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our
affairs;
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the voting powers, if any, of the holders of shares of such
series;
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any provisions relating to the redemption of the shares of such
series;
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any limitations on our ability to pay dividends or make
distributions on, or acquire or redeem, other securities while
shares of such series are outstanding;
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any conditions or restrictions on our ability to issue additional
shares of such series or other securities;
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if applicable, a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax
considerations; and
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any other relative powers, preferences and participating, optional
or special rights of shares of such series, and the qualifications,
limitations or restrictions thereof.
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All shares of preferred stock that we may issue will be identical
and of equal rank except as to the particular terms thereof that
may be fixed by our board of directors, and all shares of each
series of preferred stock will be identical and of equal rank
except as to the dates from which dividends, if any, thereon will
be cumulative. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus
supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to
be provided to you related to any preferred stock being offered, as
well as the complete articles supplementary that contain the terms
of the applicable series of preferred stock.
81
DESCRIPTION OF OUR SUBSCRIPTION
RIGHTS
General
We may issue subscription rights to our stockholders to purchase
shares of our securities or a combination of our securities.
Subscription rights may be issued independently or together with
any other offered security and may or may not be transferable by
the person purchasing or receiving the subscription rights. In
connection with a subscription rights offering to our stockholders,
we would distribute certificates evidencing the subscription rights
and a prospectus supplement to our stockholders on the record date
that we set for receiving subscription rights in such subscription
rights offering. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus
supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to
be provided to you related to any subscription rights offering.
The applicable prospectus supplement would describe the following
terms of subscription rights in respect of which this prospectus is
being delivered:
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the period of time the offering would remain open (which shall be
open a minimum number of days such that all record holders would be
eligible to participate in the offering and shall not be open
longer than 120 days);
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the title of such subscription rights;
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the exercise price for such subscription rights (or method of
calculation thereof);
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the ratio of the offering (which, in the case of transferable
rights, will require a minimum of three shares to be held of record
before a person is entitled to purchase an additional share);
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the number of such subscription rights issued to each
stockholder;
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the extent to which such subscription rights are transferable and
the market on which they may be traded if they are
transferable;
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if applicable, a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax
considerations applicable to the issuance or exercise of such
subscription rights;
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the date on which the right to exercise such subscription rights
shall commence, and the date on which such right shall expire
(subject to any extension);
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the extent to which such subscription rights include an
over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities
and the terms of such over-subscription privilege;
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any termination right we may have in connection with such
subscription rights offering; and
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any other terms of such subscription rights, including exercise,
settlement and other procedures and limitations relating to the
transfer and exercise of such subscription rights.
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Exercise Of Subscription Rights
Each subscription right would entitle the holder of the
subscription right to purchase for cash such amount of shares of
common stock at such exercise price as shall in each case be set
forth in, or be determinable as set forth in, the prospectus
supplement relating to the subscription rights offered thereby.
Subscription rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of
business on the expiration date for such subscription rights set
forth in the prospectus supplement. After the close of business on
the expiration date, all unexercised subscription rights would
become void.
Subscription rights may be exercised as set forth in the prospectus
supplement relating to the subscription rights offered thereby.
Upon receipt of payment and the subscription rights certificate
properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office
of the subscription rights agent or any other office indicated in
the prospectus supplement we will forward, as soon as practicable,
the shares of common stock purchasable upon
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such exercise. To the extent permissible under applicable law, we
may determine to offer any unsubscribed offered securities directly
to persons other than stockholders, to or through agents,
underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods,
as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Dilutive Effects
Any stockholder who chooses not to participate in a rights offering
should expect to own a smaller interest in Logan Ridge upon
completion of such rights offering. Any rights offering will dilute
the ownership interest and voting power of stockholders who do not
fully exercise their subscription rights. Further, because the net
proceeds per share from any rights offering may be lower than our
then current net asset value per share, the rights offering may
reduce our net asset value per share. The amount of dilution that a
stockholder will experience could be substantial, particularly to
the extent we engage in multiple rights offerings within a limited
time period. In addition, the market price of our common stock
could be adversely affected while a rights offering is ongoing as a
result of the possibility that a significant number of additional
shares may be issued upon completion of such rights offering. All
of our stockholders will also indirectly bear the expenses
associated with any rights offering we may conduct, regardless of
whether they elect to exercise any rights.
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR
WARRANTS
The following is a general description of the terms of the warrants
we may issue from time to time. Particular terms of any warrants we
offer will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to
such warrants. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus
supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to
be provided to you related to any warrants offering.
We may issue warrants representing rights to purchase shares of our
securities or any combination of our securities. Such warrants may
be issued independently or together with shares of common stock,
preferred stock or debt securities and may be attached or separate
from such shares of common stock, preferred stock or debt
securities. We will issue each series of warrants under a separate
warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant
agent. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent and will not
assume any obligation or relationship of agency for or with holders
or beneficial owners of warrants.
A prospectus supplement will describe the particular terms of any
series of warrants we may issue, including the following:
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the title of such warrants;
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the aggregate number of such warrants;
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the price or prices at which such warrants will be issued;
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the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in
which the price of such warrants may be payable;
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if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with
which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued
with each such security or each principal amount of such
security;
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in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal
amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant
and the price at which and the currency or currencies, including
composite currencies, in which this principal amount of debt
securities may be purchased upon such exercise;
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in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred
stock, the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as
the case may be, purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the
price at which and the currency or currencies, including composite
currencies, in which these shares may be purchased upon such
exercise;
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the date on which the right to exercise such warrants shall
commence and the date on which such right will expire;
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whether such warrants will be issued in registered form or bearer
form;
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if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants which
may be exercised at any one time;
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if applicable, the number of such warrants issued with each share
of common stock;
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if applicable, the date on and after which such warrants and the
related shares of common stock will be separately transferable;
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information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;
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if applicable, a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax
considerations; and
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any other terms of such warrants, including terms, procedures and
limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such
warrants.
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Logan Ridge and the warrant agent may amend or supplement the
warrant agreement for a series of warrants without the consent of
the holders of the warrants issued thereunder to effect changes
that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the warrants and
that do not materially and adversely affect the interests of the
holders of the warrants.
Prior to exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not
have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable
upon such exercise, including, in the case of warrants to purchase
debt securities, the right to receive principal, premium, if any,
or interest payments, on the debt securities purchasable upon
exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture or, in
the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock,
the right to receive dividends, if any, or payments upon our
liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise any voting
rights.
Under the 1940 Act, we may generally only offer warrants provided
that (1) the warrants expire by their terms within ten years;
(2) the exercise or conversion price is not less than the
current market value at the date of issuance; (3) our
stockholders authorize the proposal to issue such warrants, and our
board of directors approves such issuance on the basis that the
issuance is in the best interests of Logan Ridge and its
stockholders; and (4) if the warrants are accompanied by other
securities, the warrants are not separately transferable unless no
class of such warrants and the securities accompanying them has
been publicly distributed. The 1940 Act also provides that the
amount of our voting securities that would result from the exercise
of all outstanding warrants at the time of issuance may not exceed
25.0% of our outstanding voting securities.
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR DEBT
SECURITIES
We may issue debt securities in one or more series. The specific
terms of each series of debt securities will be described in the
particular prospectus supplement relating to that series. The
prospectus supplement may or may not modify the general terms found
in this prospectus and will be filed with the SEC. For a complete
description of the terms of a particular series of debt securities,
you should read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus
supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to
be provided to you relating to that particular offering of debt
securities.
As required by federal law for all bonds and notes of companies
that are publicly offered, the debt securities are governed by a
document called an “indenture.” An indenture is a contract between
us and the financial institution acting as trustee on your behalf,
and is subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939,
as amended. The trustee has two main roles. First, the trustee can
enforce your rights against us if we default. There are some
limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on your behalf,
described in the second paragraph under “— Events of Default —
Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs.” Second, the trustee
performs certain administrative duties for us with respect to our
debt securities.
This section includes a description of the material provisions of
the indenture. Because this section is a summary, however, it does
not describe every aspect of the debt securities and the indenture.
We urge you to read the indenture because it, and not this
description, defines your rights as a holder of debt securities. A
copy of the form of indenture is attached as, or incorporated by
reference to, an exhibit to the registration statement of which
this prospectus is a part. We will file a supplemental indenture
with the SEC in connection with any debt offering, at which time
the supplemental indenture would be publicly available. See
“Available Information” for information on how to obtain a copy of
the indenture.
The prospectus supplement, which will accompany this prospectus,
will describe the particular series of debt securities being
offered by including:
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the designation or title of the series of debt securities;
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the total principal amount of the series of debt securities;
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the percentage of the principal amount at which the series of debt
securities will be offered;
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the date or dates on which principal will be payable;
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the rate or rates (which may be either fixed or variable) and/or
the method of determining such rate or rates of interest, if
any;
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the date or dates from which any interest will accrue, or the
method of determining such date or dates, and the date or dates on
which any interest will be payable;
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whether any interest may be paid by issuing additional securities
of the same series in lieu of cash (and the terms upon which any
such interest may be paid by issuing additional securities);
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the terms for redemption, extension or early repayment, if any;
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the currencies in which the series of debt securities are issued
and payable;
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whether the amount of payments of principal, premium or interest,
if any, on a series of debt securities will be determined with
reference to an index, formula or other method (which could be
based on one or more currencies, commodities, equity indices or
other indices) and how these amounts will be determined;
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the place or places, if any, other than or in addition to the
Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York, of payment, transfer,
conversion and/or exchange of the debt securities;
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the denominations in which the offered debt securities will be
issued (if other than $1,000 and any integral multiple
thereof);
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the provision for any sinking fund;
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any restrictive covenants;
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any Events of Default (as defined in “Events of Default”
below);
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whether the series of debt securities are issuable in certificated
form;
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any provisions for defeasance or covenant defeasance;
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any special U.S. federal income tax implications, including, if
applicable, U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to
original issue discount;
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whether and under what circumstances we will pay additional amounts
in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge and, if
so, whether we will have the option to redeem the debt securities
rather than pay the additional amounts (and the terms of this
option);
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any provisions for convertibility or exchangeability of the debt
securities into or for any other securities;
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whether the debt securities are subject to subordination and the
terms of such subordination;
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whether the debt securities are secured and the terms of any
security interest;
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the listing, if any, on a securities exchange; and
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The debt securities may be secured or unsecured obligations. Unless
the prospectus supplement states otherwise, principal (and premium,
if any) and interest, if any, will be paid by us in immediately
available funds.
We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple
classes of indebtedness if our asset coverage, as defined in the
1940 Act, is at least equal to 200% immediately after each such
issuance after giving effect to any exemptive relief granted to us
by the SEC (or 150%, if certain conditions are met, after
November 1, 2019). For a discussion of the risks associated
with leverage, see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business
and Structure — Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect
our ability to raise additional capital and the way in which we do
so. As a BDC, the necessity of raising additional capital may
expose us to risks, including the typical risks associated with
leverage.”
General
The indenture provides that any debt securities proposed to be sold
under this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement
(“offered debt securities”) and any debt securities issuable upon
the exercise of warrants or upon conversion or exchange of other
offered securities (“underlying debt securities”) may be issued
under the indenture in one or more series.
For purposes of this prospectus, any reference to the payment of
principal of, or premium or interest, if any, on, debt securities
will include additional amounts if required by the terms of the
debt securities.
The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that may
be issued thereunder from time to time. Debt securities issued
under the indenture, when a single trustee is acting for all debt
securities issued under the indenture, are called the “indenture
securities.” The indenture also provides that there may be more
than one trustee thereunder, each with respect to one or more
different series of indenture securities. See “— Resignation of
Trustee” below. At a time when two or more trustees are acting
under the indenture, each with respect to only certain series, the
term “indenture securities” means the one or more series of debt
securities with respect to which each respective trustee is acting.
In the event that there is more than one trustee under the
indenture, the
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powers and trust obligations of each trustee described in this
prospectus will extend only to the one or more series of indenture
securities for which it is trustee. If two or more trustees are
acting under the indenture, then the indenture securities for which
each trustee is acting would be treated as if issued under separate
indentures.
Except as described under “— Events of Default” and “— Merger or
Consolidation” below, the indenture does not contain any provisions
that give you protection in the event we issue a large amount of
debt or we are acquired by another entity.
We refer you to the prospectus supplement for information with
respect to any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the
Events of Default or our covenants, as applicable, that are
described below, including any addition of a covenant or other
provision providing event risk protection or similar
protection.
We have the ability to issue indenture securities with terms
different from those of indenture securities previously issued and,
without the consent of the holders thereof, to reopen a previous
issue of a series of indenture securities and issue additional
indenture securities of that series unless the reopening was
restricted when that series was created.
Conversion and Exchange
If any debt securities are convertible into or exchangeable for
other securities, the prospectus supplement will explain the terms
and conditions of the conversion or exchange, including the
conversion price or exchange ratio (or the calculation method), the
conversion or exchange period (or how the period will be
determined), if conversion or exchange will be mandatory or at the
option of the holder or us, provisions for adjusting the conversion
price or the exchange ratio, and provisions affecting conversion or
exchange in the event of the redemption of the underlying debt
securities. These terms may also include provisions under which the
number or amount of other securities to be received by the holders
of the debt securities upon conversion or exchange would be
calculated according to the market price of the other securities as
of a time stated in the prospectus supplement.
Issuance of Securities in Registered Form
We may issue the debt securities in registered form, in which case
we may issue them either in book-entry form only or in
“certificated” form. Debt securities issued in book-entry form will
be represented by global securities. We expect that we will usually
issue debt securities in book-entry only form represented by global
securities.
Book-Entry Holders
We will issue registered debt securities in book-entry form only,
unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus
supplement. This means debt securities will be represented by one
or more global securities registered in the name of a depositary
that will hold them on behalf of financial institutions that
participate in the depositary’s book-entry system. These
participating institutions, in turn, hold beneficial interests in
the debt securities held by the depositary or its nominee. These
institutions may hold these interests on behalf of themselves or
customers.
Under the indenture, only the person in whose name a debt security
is registered is recognized as the holder of that debt security.
Consequently, for debt securities issued in book-entry form, we
will recognize only the depositary as the holder of the debt
securities and we will make all payments on the debt securities to
the depositary. The depositary will then pass along the payments it
receives to its participants, which in turn will pass the payments
along to their customers who are the beneficial owners. The
depositary and its participants do so under agreements they have
made with one another or with their customers; they are not
obligated to do so under the terms of the debt securities.
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As a result, investors will not own debt securities directly.
Instead, they will own beneficial interests in a global security,
through a bank, broker or other financial institution that
participates in the depositary’s book-entry system or holds an
interest through a participant. As long as the debt securities are
represented by one or more global securities, investors will be
indirect holders, and not holders, of the debt securities.
Street Name Holders
In the future, we may issue debt securities in certificated form or
terminate a global security. In these cases, investors may choose
to hold their debt securities in their own names or in “street
name.” Debt securities held in street name are registered in the
name of a bank, broker or other financial institution chosen by the
investor, and the investor would hold a beneficial interest in
those debt securities through the account he or she maintains at
that institution.
For debt securities held in street name, we will recognize only the
intermediary banks, brokers and other financial institutions in
whose names the debt securities are registered as the holders of
those debt securities, and we will make all payments on those debt
securities to them. These institutions will pass along the payments
they receive to their customers who are the beneficial owners, but
only because they agree to do so in their customer agreements or
because they are legally required to do so. Investors who hold debt
securities in street name will be indirect holders, and not
holders, of the debt securities.
Legal Holders
Our obligations, as well as the obligations of the applicable
trustee and those of any third parties employed by us or the
applicable trustee, run only to the legal holders of the debt
securities. We do not have obligations to investors who hold
beneficial interests in global securities, in street name or by any
other indirect means. This will be the case whether an investor
chooses to be an indirect holder of a debt security or has no
choice because we are issuing the debt securities only in
book-entry form.
For example, once we make a payment or give a notice to the holder,
we have no further responsibility for the payment or notice even if
that holder is required, under agreements with depositary
participants or customers or by law, to pass it along to the
indirect holders but does not do so. Similarly, if we want to
obtain the approval of the holders for any purpose (for example, to
amend an indenture or to relieve us of the consequences of a
default or of our obligation to comply with a particular provision
of an indenture), we would seek the approval only from the holders,
and not the indirect holders, of the debt securities. Whether and
how the holders contact the indirect holders is up to the
holders.
When we refer to you in this Description of Our Debt Securities, we
mean those who invest in the debt securities being offered by this
prospectus, whether they are the holders or only indirect holders
of those debt securities. When we refer to your debt securities, we
mean the debt securities in which you hold a direct or indirect
interest.
Special Considerations for Indirect Holders
If you hold debt securities through a bank, broker or other
financial institution, either in book-entry form or in street name,
we urge you to check with that institution to find out:
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how it handles securities payments and notices;
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whether it imposes fees or charges;
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how it would handle a request for the holders’ consent, if ever
required;
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whether and how you can instruct it to send you debt securities
registered in your own name so you can be a holder, if that is
permitted in the future for a particular series of debt
securities;
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how it would exercise rights under the debt securities if there
were a default or other event triggering the need for holders to
act to protect their interests; and
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if the debt securities are in book-entry form, how the depositary’s
rules and procedures will affect these matters.
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Global Securities
As noted above, we usually will issue debt securities as registered
securities in book-entry form only. A global security represents
one or any other number of individual debt securities. Generally,
all debt securities represented by the same global securities will
have the same terms.
Each debt security issued in book-entry form will be represented by
a global security that we deposit with and register in the name of
a financial institution or its nominee that we select. The
financial institution that we select for this purpose is called the
depositary. Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable
prospectus supplement, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New
York, known as DTC, will be the depositary for all debt securities
issued in book-entry form.
A global security may not be transferred to or registered in the
name of anyone other than the depositary or its nominee, unless
special termination situations arise. We describe those situations
below under “— Termination of a Global Security.” As a result
of these arrangements, the depositary, or its nominee, will be the
sole registered owner and holder of all debt securities represented
by a global security, and investors will be permitted to own only
beneficial interests in a global security. Beneficial interests
must be held by means of an account with a broker, bank or other
financial institution that in turn has an account with the
depositary or with another institution that has an account with the
depositary. Thus, an investor whose security is represented by a
global security will not be a holder of the debt security, but only
an indirect holder of a beneficial interest in the global
security.
Special Considerations for Global Securities
As an indirect holder, an investor’s rights relating to a global
security will be governed by the account rules of the investor’s
financial institution and of the depositary, as well as general
laws relating to securities transfers. The depositary that holds
the global security will be considered the holder of the debt
securities represented by the global security.
If debt securities are issued only in the form of a global
security, an investor should be aware of the following:
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an investor cannot cause the debt securities to be registered in
his or her name and cannot obtain certificates for his or her
interest in the debt securities, except in the special situations
we describe below;
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an investor will be an indirect holder and must look to his or her
own bank or broker for payments on the debt securities and
protection of his or her legal rights relating to the debt
securities, as we describe under “— Issuance of Securities in
Registered Form” above;
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an investor may not be able to sell interests in the debt
securities to some insurance companies and other institutions that
are required by law to own their securities in non-book-entry form;
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an investor may not be able to pledge his or her interest in a
global security in circumstances where certificates representing
the debt securities must be delivered to the lender or other
beneficiary of the pledge in order for the pledge to be
effective;
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the depositary’s policies, which may change from time to time, will
govern payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to
an investor’s interest in a global security. We and the trustee
have no responsibility for any aspect of the depositary’s actions
or for its records of ownership interests in a global security. We
and the trustee also do not supervise the depositary in any
way;
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if we redeem less than all the debt securities of a particular
series being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the
amount to be redeemed from each of its participants holding that
series;
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an investor is required to give notice of exercise of any option to
elect repayment of its debt securities, through its participant, to
the applicable trustee and to deliver the related debt securities
by causing its participant to transfer its interest in those debt
securities, on DTC’s records, to the applicable trustee;
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DTC requires that those who purchase and sell interests in a global
security deposited in its book- entry system use immediately
available funds; your broker or bank may also require you to use
immediately available funds when purchasing or selling interests in
a global security; and
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financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s
book-entry system, and through which an investor holds its interest
in a global security, may also have their own policies affecting
payments, notices and other matters relating to the debt
securities; there may be more than one financial intermediary in
the chain of ownership for an investor; we do not monitor and are
not responsible for the actions of any of those intermediaries.
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Termination of a Global Security
If a global security is terminated for any reason, interests in it
will be exchanged for certificates in non-book-entry form (certificated
securities). After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold the
certificated debt securities directly or in street name will be up
to the investor. Investors must consult their own banks or brokers
to find out how to have their interests in a global security
transferred on termination to their own names, so that they will be
holders. We have described the rights of legal holders and street
name investors under “— Issuance of Securities in Registered Form”
above.
The prospectus supplement may list situations for terminating a
global security that would apply only to the particular series of
debt securities covered by the prospectus supplement. If a global
security is terminated, only the depositary, and not we or the
applicable trustee, is responsible for deciding the investors in
whose names the debt securities represented by the global security
will be registered and, therefore, who will be the holders of those
debt securities.
Payment and Paying Agents
We will pay interest to the person listed in the applicable
trustee’s records as the owner of the debt security at the close of
business on a particular day in advance of each due date for
interest, even if that person no longer owns the debt security on
the interest due date. That day, usually about two weeks in advance
of the interest due date, is called the “record date.” Because we
will pay all the interest for an interest period to the holders on
the record date, holders buying and selling debt securities must
work out between themselves the appropriate purchase price. The
most common manner is to adjust the sales price of the debt
securities to prorate interest fairly between buyer and seller
based on their respective ownership periods within the particular
interest period. This prorated interest amount is called “accrued
interest.”
Payments on Global Securities
We will make payments on a global security in accordance with the
applicable policies of the depositary as in effect from time to
time. Under those policies, we will make payments directly to the
depositary, or its nominee, and not to any indirect holders who own
beneficial interests in the global security. An indirect holder’s
right to those payments will be governed by the rules and practices
of the depositary and its participants, as described under “—
Special Considerations for Global Securities.”
Payments on Certificated Securities
We will make payments on a certificated debt security as follows.
We will pay interest that is due on an interest payment date to the
holder of debt securities as shown on the trustee’s records as of
the close of business
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on the regular record date at our office and/or at other offices
that may be specified in the prospectus supplement. We will make
all payments of principal and premium, if any, by check at the
office of the applicable trustee and/or at other offices that may
be specified in the prospectus supplement or in a notice to holders
against surrender of the debt security.
Alternatively, at our option, we may pay any cash interest that
becomes due on the debt security by mailing a check to the holder
at his, her or its address shown on the trustee’s records as of the
close of business on the regular record date or by transfer to an
account at a bank in the United States, in either case, on the due
date.
Payment When Offices Are Closed
If any payment is due on a debt security on a day that is not a
business day, we will make the payment on the next day that is a
business day. Payments made on the next business day in this
situation will be treated under the indenture as if they were made
on the original due date, except as otherwise indicated in the
attached prospectus supplement. Such payment will not result in a
default under any debt security or the indenture, and no interest
will accrue on the payment amount from the original due date to the
next day that is a business day.
Book-entry and other indirect holders should consult their banks or
brokers for information on how they will receive payments on their
debt securities.
Events of Default
You will have rights if an Event of Default occurs in respect of
the debt securities of your series and is not cured, as described
later in this subsection.
The term “Event of Default” in respect of the debt securities of
your series means any of the following:
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we do not pay the principal of, or any premium on, a debt security
of the series within five days of its due date;
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we do not pay interest on a debt security of the series when due,
and such default is not cured within 30 days;
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we remain in breach of a covenant in respect of debt securities of
the series for 60 days after we receive a written notice of default
stating we are in breach (the notice must be sent by either the
trustee or holders of at least 25% of the principal amount of the
debt securities of the series);
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we file for bankruptcy or certain other events of bankruptcy,
insolvency or reorganization occur and remain undischarged or
unstayed for a period of 90 days;
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the series of debt securities has an asset coverage, as such term
is defined in the 1940 Act, of less than 100% on the last business
day of each of twenty-four consecutive calendar months, after
giving effect to any exemptive relief granted to the Company by the
SEC; or
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any other Event of Default in respect of debt securities of the
series described in the prospectus supplement occurs.
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An Event of Default for a particular series of debt securities does
not necessarily constitute an Event of Default for any other series
of debt securities issued under the same or any other indenture.
The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of the debt
securities of any default, except in the payment of principal,
premium, interest, or sinking or purchase fund installment, if it
in good faith considers the withholding of notice to be in the
interest of the holders.
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Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs
If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the trustee
or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the
outstanding debt securities of the affected series may (and the
trustee shall at the request of such holders) declare the entire
principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be
due and immediately payable. This is called a declaration of
acceleration of maturity. In certain circumstances, a declaration
of acceleration of maturity may be canceled by the holders of a
majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of
the affected series if (1) we have deposited with the trustee
all amounts due and owing with respect to the securities (other
than principal that has become due solely by reason of such
acceleration) and certain other amounts, and (2) any other
Events of Default have been cured or waived.
The trustee is not required to take any action under the indenture
at the request of any holders unless the holders offer the trustee
protection from expenses and liability reasonably satisfactory to
it (called an “indemnity”). If indemnity reasonably satisfactory to
the trustee is provided, the holders of a majority in principal
amount of the outstanding debt securities of the relevant series
may direct the time, method and place of conducting any lawsuit or
other formal legal action seeking any remedy available to the
trustee. The trustee may refuse to follow those directions in
certain circumstances. No delay or omission in exercising any right
or remedy will be treated as a waiver of that right, remedy or
Event of Default.
Before you are allowed to bypass your trustee and bring your own
lawsuit or other formal legal action or take other steps to enforce
your rights or protect your interests relating to the debt
securities, the following must occur:
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you must give the trustee written notice that an Event of Default
with respect to the relevant debt securities has occurred and
remains uncured;
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the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of all outstanding
debt securities of the relevant series must make a written request
that the trustee take action because of the default and must offer
the trustee indemnity, security or both reasonably satisfactory to
it against the cost, expenses, and other liabilities of taking that
action;
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the trustee must not have taken action for 60 days after receipt of
the above notice and offer of indemnity and/or security; and
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the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
debt securities of that series must not have given the trustee a
direction inconsistent with the above notice during that
60-day period.
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However, you are entitled at any time to bring a lawsuit for the
payment of money due on your debt securities on or after the due
date.
Book-entry and other indirect holders should consult their banks
or brokers for information on how to give notice or direction to or
make a request of the trustee and how to declare or cancel an
acceleration of maturity.
Each year, we will furnish to each trustee a written statement of
certain of our officers certifying that to their knowledge we are
in compliance with the indenture and the debt securities, or else
specifying any default.
Waiver of Default
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt
securities of the affected series may waive any past defaults other
than a default:
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in the payment of principal or interest; or
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in respect of a covenant that cannot be modified or amended without
the consent of each holder.
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Merger or Consolidation
Under the terms of the indenture, we are generally permitted to
consolidate or merge with another entity. We are also permitted to
sell all or substantially all of our assets to another entity.
However, we may not take any of these actions unless all the
following conditions are met:
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where we merge out of existence or convey or transfer our assets
substantially as an entirety, the resulting entity must agree to be
legally responsible for our obligations under the debt
securities;
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the merger or sale of assets must not cause a default on the debt
securities and we must not already be in default (unless the merger
or sale would cure the default). For purposes of this no-default test, a default would
include an Event of Default that has occurred and has not been
cured, as described under “Events of Default” above. A default for
this purpose would also include any event that would be an Event of
Default if the requirements for giving us a notice of default or
our default having to exist for a specific period of time were
disregarded;
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we must deliver certain certificates and documents to the trustee;
or
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we must satisfy any other requirements specified in the prospectus
supplement relating to a particular series of debt securities.
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Modification or Waiver
There are three types of changes we can make to the indenture and
the debt securities issued thereunder.
Changes Requiring Your Approval
First, there are changes that we cannot make to your debt
securities without your specific approval. The following is a list
of those types of changes:
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change the stated maturity of the principal of or interest on a
debt security or the terms of any sinking fund with respect to any
security;
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reduce any amounts due on a debt security;
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reduce the amount of principal payable upon acceleration of the
maturity of an original issue discount or indexed security
following a default or upon the redemption thereof or the amount
thereof provable in a bankruptcy proceeding;
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adversely affect any right of repayment at the holder’s option;
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change the place or currency of payment on a debt security (except
as otherwise described in the prospectus or prospectus
supplement);
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impair your right to sue for payment;
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adversely affect any right to convert or exchange a debt security
in accordance with its terms;
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modify the subordination provisions in the indenture in a manner
that is adverse to outstanding holders of the debt securities;
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reduce the percentage of holders of debt securities whose consent
is needed to modify or amend the indenture;
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reduce the percentage of holders of debt securities whose consent
is needed to waive compliance with certain provisions of the
indenture or to waive certain defaults;
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modify any other aspect of the provisions of the indenture dealing
with supplemental indentures with the consent of holders, waiver of
past defaults, changes to the quorum or voting requirements or the
waiver of certain covenants; and
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change any obligation we have to pay additional amounts.
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Changes Not Requiring Approval
The second type of change does not require any vote by the holders
of the debt securities. This type is limited to clarifications,
establishment of the form or terms of new securities of any series
as permitted by the indenture and certain other changes that would
not adversely affect holders of the outstanding debt securities in
any material respect. We also do not need any approval to make any
change that affects only debt securities to be issued under the
indenture after the change takes effect.
Changes Requiring Majority Approval
Any other change to the indenture and the debt securities would
require the following approval:
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if the change affects only one series of debt securities, it must
be approved by the holders of a majority in principal amount of
that series; and
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if the change affects more than one series of debt securities
issued under the same indenture, it must be approved by the holders
of a majority in principal amount of all of the series affected by
the change, with all affected series voting together as one class
for this purpose.
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In each case, the required approval must be given by written
consent.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of a series of debt
securities issued under the indenture, voting together as one class
for this purpose, may waive our compliance with some of our
covenants applicable to that series of debt securities. However, we
cannot obtain a waiver of a payment default or of any of the
matters covered by the bullet points included above under “—
Changes Requiring Your Approval.”
Further Details Concerning Voting
When taking a vote, we will use the following rules to decide how
much principal to attribute to a debt security:
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for original issue discount securities, we will use the principal
amount that would be due and payable on the voting date if the
maturity of these debt securities were accelerated to that date
because of a default;
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for debt securities whose principal amount is not known (for
example, because it is based on an index), we will use the
principal face amount at original issuance or a special rule for
that debt security described in the prospectus supplement; and
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for debt securities denominated in one or more foreign currencies,
we will use the U.S. dollar equivalent.
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Debt securities will not be considered outstanding, and therefore
not eligible to vote, if we have deposited or set aside in trust
money for their payment or redemption or if we, any other obligor,
or any affiliate of us or any obligor own such debt securities.
Debt securities will also not be eligible to vote if they have been
fully defeased as described later under “— Defeasance — Full
Defeasance.”
We will generally be entitled to set any day as a record date for
the purpose of determining the holders of outstanding indenture
securities that are entitled to vote or take other action under the
indenture. However, the record date may not be more than 30 days
before the date of the first solicitation of holders to vote on or
take such action. If we set a record date for a vote or other
action to be taken by holders of one or more series, that vote or
action may be taken only by persons who are holders of outstanding
indenture securities of those series on the record date and must be
taken within eleven months following the record date.
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Book-entry and other indirect holders should consult their banks
or brokers for information on how approval may be granted or denied
if we seek to change the indenture or the debt securities or
request a waiver.
Defeasance
The following provisions will be applicable to each series of debt
securities unless we state in the applicable prospectus supplement
that the provisions of covenant defeasance and full defeasance will
not be applicable to that series.
Covenant Defeasance
Under current U.S. federal tax law and the indenture, we can make
the deposit described below and be released from some of the
restrictive covenants in the indenture under which the particular
series was issued. This is called “covenant defeasance.” In that
event, you would lose the protection of those restrictive covenants
but would gain the protection of having money and government
securities set aside in trust to repay your debt securities. If we
achieved covenant defeasance and your debt securities were
subordinated as described under “— Indenture Provisions —
Subordination” below, such subordination would not prevent the
trustee under the indenture from applying the funds available to it
from the deposit described in the first bullet below to the payment
of amounts due in respect of such debt securities for the benefit
of the subordinated debt holders. In order to achieve covenant
defeasance, we must do the following:
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we must deposit in trust for the benefit of all holders of a series
of debt securities a combination of cash (in such currency in which
such securities are then specified as payable at stated maturity)
or government obligations applicable to such securities (determined
on the basis of the currency in which such securities are then
specified as payable at stated maturity) that will generate enough
cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the debt
securities on their various due dates and any mandatory sinking
fund payments or analogous payments;
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we must deliver to the trustee a legal opinion of our counsel
confirming that, under current U.S. federal income tax law, we may
make the above deposit without causing you to be taxed on the debt
securities any differently than if we did not make the deposit;
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we must deliver to the trustee a legal opinion of our counsel
stating that the above deposit does not require registration by us
under the 1940 Act, as amended, and a legal opinion and officers’
certificate stating that all conditions precedent to covenant
defeasance have been complied with;
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defeasance must not result in a breach or violation of, or result
in a default under, of the indenture or any of our other material
agreements or instruments;
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no default or event of default with respect to such debt securities
shall have occurred and be continuing and no defaults or events of
default related to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization shall
occur during the next 90 days; and
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satisfy the conditions for covenant defeasance contained in any
supplemental indentures.
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If we accomplish covenant defeasance, you can still look to us for
repayment of the debt securities if there were a shortfall in the
trust deposit or the trustee is prevented from making payment. For
example, if one of the remaining Events of Default occurred (such
as our bankruptcy) and the debt securities became immediately due
and payable, there might be such a shortfall. However, there is no
assurance that we would have sufficient funds to make payment of
the shortfall.
Full Defeasance
If there is a change in U.S. federal tax law or we obtain an IRS
ruling, as described in the second bullet below, we can legally
release ourselves from all payment and other obligations on the
debt securities of a
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particular series (called “full defeasance”) if we put in place the
following other arrangements for you to be repaid:
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we must deposit in trust for the benefit of all holders of a series
of debt securities a combination of cash (in such currency in which
such securities are then specified as payable at stated maturity)
or government obligations applicable to such securities (determined
on the basis of the currency in which such securities are then
specified as payable at stated maturity) that will generate enough
cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the debt
securities on their various due dates and any mandatory sinking
fund payments or analogous payments;
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we must deliver to the trustee a legal opinion confirming that
there has been a change in current U.S. federal tax law or an IRS
ruling that allows us to make the above deposit without causing you
to be taxed on the debt securities any differently than if we did
not make the deposit. Under current U.S. federal tax law, the
deposit and our legal release from the debt securities would be
treated as though we paid you your share of the cash and notes or
bonds at the time the cash and notes or bonds were deposited in
trust in exchange for your debt securities and you would recognize
gain or loss on the debt securities at the time of the deposit;
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we must deliver to the trustee a legal opinion of our counsel
stating that the above deposit does not require registration by us
under the 1940 Act, as amended, and a legal opinion and officers’
certificate stating that all conditions precedent to defeasance
have been complied with;
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defeasance must not result in a breach or violation of, or
constitute a default under, of the indenture or any of our other
material agreements or instruments;
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no default or event of default with respect to such debt securities
shall have occurred and be continuing and no defaults or events of
default related to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization shall
occur during the next 90 days; and
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satisfy the conditions for full defeasance contained in any
supplemental indentures.
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If we ever did accomplish full defeasance, as described above, you
would have to rely solely on the trust deposit for repayment of the
debt securities. You could not look to us for repayment in the
unlikely event of any shortfall. Conversely, the trust deposit
would most likely be protected from claims of our lenders and other
creditors if we ever became bankrupt or insolvent. If your debt
securities were subordinated as described later under “— Indenture
Provisions — Subordination”, such subordination would not prevent
the trustee under the indenture from applying the funds available
to it from the deposit referred to in the first bullet of the
preceding paragraph to the payment of amounts due in respect of
such debt securities for the benefit of the subordinated debt
holders.
Form, Exchange and Transfer of Certificated Registered
Securities
If registered debt securities cease to be issued in book-entry
form, they will be issued:
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only in fully registered certificated form;
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without interest coupons; and
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unless we indicate otherwise in the prospectus supplement, in
denominations of $1,000 and amounts that are multiples of
$1,000.
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Holders may exchange their certificated securities for debt
securities of smaller denominations or combined into fewer debt
securities of larger denominations, as long as the total principal
amount is not changed and as long as the denomination is greater
than the minimum denomination for such securities.
Holders may exchange or transfer their certificated securities at
the office of the trustee. We have appointed the trustee to act as
our agent for registering debt securities in the names of holders
transferring debt securities. We may appoint another entity to
perform these functions or perform them ourselves.
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Holders will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or
exchange their certificated securities, but they may be required to
pay any tax or other governmental charge associated with the
transfer or exchange. The transfer or exchange will be made only if
our transfer agent is satisfied with the holder’s proof of legal
ownership.
If we have designated additional transfer agents for your debt
security, they will be named in the prospectus supplement. We may
appoint additional transfer agents or cancel the appointment of any
particular transfer agent. We may also approve a change in the
office through which any transfer agent acts.
If any certificated securities of a particular series are
redeemable and we redeem less than all the debt securities of that
series, we may block the transfer or exchange of those debt
securities during the period beginning 15 days before the day we
mail the notice of redemption and ending on the day of that
mailing, in order to freeze the list of holders to prepare the
mailing. We may also refuse to register transfers or exchanges of
any certificated securities selected for redemption, except that we
will continue to permit transfers and exchanges of the unredeemed
portion of any debt security that will be partially redeemed.
If a registered debt security is issued in book-entry form, only
the depositary will be entitled to transfer and exchange the debt
security as described in this subsection, since it will be the sole
holder of the debt security.
Resignation of Trustee
Each trustee may resign or be removed with respect to one or more
series of indenture securities provided that a successor trustee is
appointed to act with respect to these series and has accepted such
appointment. In the event that two or more persons are acting as
trustee with respect to different series of indenture securities
under the indenture, each of the trustees will be a trustee of a
trust separate and apart from the trust administered by any other
trustee.
Indenture Provisions — Subordination
Upon any distribution of our assets upon our dissolution, winding
up, liquidation or reorganization, the payment of the principal of
(and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on any indenture
securities denominated as subordinated debt securities is to be
subordinated to the extent provided in the indenture in right of
payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness (as
defined below), but our obligation to you to make payment of the
principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such
subordinated debt securities will not otherwise be affected. In
addition, no payment on account of principal (or premium, if any),
sinking fund or interest, if any, may be made on such subordinated
debt securities at any time unless full payment of all amounts due
in respect of the principal (and premium, if any), sinking fund and
interest on Senior Indebtedness has been made or duly provided for
in money or money’s worth.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment by us
is received by the trustee in respect of subordinated debt
securities or by the holders of any of such subordinated debt
securities, upon our dissolution, winding up, liquidation or
reorganization before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, the
payment or distribution received by the trustee in respect of such
subordinated debt securities or by the holders of any of such
subordinated debt securities must be paid over to the holders of
the Senior Indebtedness or on their behalf for application to the
payment of all the Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid until all
the Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full, after giving effect
to any concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of the
Senior Indebtedness. Subject to the payment in full of all Senior
Indebtedness upon this distribution by us, the holders of such
subordinated debt securities will be subrogated to the rights of
the holders of the Senior Indebtedness to the extent of payments
made to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness out of the
distributive share of such subordinated debt securities.
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By reason of this subordination, in the event of a distribution of
our assets upon our insolvency, certain of our senior creditors may
recover more, ratably, than holders of any subordinated debt
securities or the holders of any indenture securities that are not
Senior Indebtedness. The indenture provides that these
subordination provisions will not apply to money and securities
held in trust under the defeasance provisions of the indenture.
Senior Indebtedness is defined in the indenture as the principal of
(and premium, if any) and unpaid interest on:
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our indebtedness (including indebtedness of others guaranteed by
us), whenever created, incurred, assumed or guaranteed, for money
borrowed, that we have designated as “Senior Indebtedness” for
purposes of the indenture and in accordance with the terms of the
indenture (including any indenture securities designated as Senior
Indebtedness), and
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renewals, extensions, modifications and refinancings of any of this
indebtedness.
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If this prospectus is being delivered in connection with the
offering of a series of indenture securities denominated as
subordinated debt securities, the accompanying prospectus
supplement will set forth the approximate amount of our Senior
Indebtedness and of our other Indebtedness outstanding as of a
recent date.
Secured Indebtedness and Ranking
Certain of our indebtedness, including certain series of indenture
securities, may be secured. The prospectus supplement for each
series of indenture securities will describe the terms of any
security interest for such series and will indicate the approximate
amount of our secured indebtedness as of a recent date. Any
unsecured indenture securities will effectively rank junior to any
secured indebtedness, including any secured indenture securities,
that we incur to the extent of the value of the assets securing
such secured credit facilities or secured indebtedness. The debt
securities, whether secured or unsecured, of the Company will rank
structurally junior to all existing and future indebtedness
(including trade payables) incurred by our subsidiaries, financing
vehicles, or similar facilities.
In the event of our bankruptcy, liquidation, reorganization or
other winding up, any of our assets that secure secured debt will
be available to pay obligations on unsecured debt securities only
after all indebtedness under such secured debt has been repaid in
full from such assets. We advise you that there may not be
sufficient assets remaining to pay amounts due on any or all
unsecured debt securities then outstanding after fulfillment of
this obligation. As a result, the holders of unsecured indenture
securities may recover less, ratably, than holders of any of our
secured indebtedness.
The Trustee under the Indenture
U.S. Bank National Association serves as the trustee under the
indenture.
Certain Considerations Relating to Foreign Currencies
Debt securities denominated or payable in foreign currencies may
entail significant risks. These risks include the possibility of
significant fluctuations in the foreign currency markets, the
imposition or modification of foreign exchange controls and
potential illiquidity in the secondary market. These risks will
vary depending upon the currency or currencies involved and will be
more fully described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Book-Entry Procedures
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement,
the debt securities will be issued in book-entry form, and the
Depository Trust Company, or DTC, will act as securities depository
for the debt
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securities. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus
supplement, the debt securities will be issued as fully registered
securities registered in the name of Cede & Co. (DTC’s
partnership nominee) or such other name as may be requested by an
authorized representative of DTC. One fully-registered certificate
will be issued for the debt securities, in the aggregate principal
amount of such issue, and will be deposited with DTC.
DTC is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York
Banking Law, a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New
York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a
“clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform
Commercial Code, and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the
provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC holds and
provides asset servicing for over 3.5 million issues of U.S.
and non-U.S. equity,
corporate and municipal debt issues, and money market instruments
from over 100 countries that DTC’s participants, or Direct
Participants, deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the post-trade
settlement among Direct Participants of sales and other securities
transactions in deposited securities through electronic
computerized book-entry transfers and pledges between Direct
Participants’ accounts. This eliminates the need for physical
movement of securities certificates. Direct Participants include
both U.S. and non-U.S.
securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing
corporations, and certain other organizations. DTC is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing
Corporation, or DTCC.
DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing
Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are
registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its
regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available
to others such as both U.S. and non-U.S. securities brokers and
dealers, banks, trust companies and clearing corporations that
clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Direct
Participant, either directly or indirectly, or Indirect
Participants. DTC has a Standard & Poor’s rating of AA+.
The DTC Rules applicable to its participants are on file with the
SEC. More information about DTC can be found at www.dtcc.com and
www.dtc.org.
Purchases of debt securities under the DTC system must be made by
or through Direct Participants, which will receive a credit for the
debt securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of each
actual purchaser of each security, or the “Beneficial Owner,” is in
turn to be recorded on the Direct and Indirect Participants’
records. Beneficial Owners will not receive written confirmation
from DTC of their purchase. Beneficial Owners are, however,
expected to receive written confirmations providing details of the
transaction, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from
the Direct or Indirect Participant through which the Beneficial
Owner entered into the transaction. Transfers of ownership
interests in the debt securities are to be accomplished by entries
made on the books of Direct and Indirect Participants acting on
behalf of Beneficial Owners. Beneficial Owners will not receive
certificates representing their ownership interests in debt
securities, except in the event that use of the book-entry system
for the debt securities is discontinued.
To facilitate subsequent transfers, all debt securities deposited
by Direct Participants with DTC are registered in the name of DTC’s
partnership nominee, Cede & Co. or such other name as may
be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of
debt securities with DTC and their registration in the name of
Cede & Co. or such other DTC nominee do not effect any
change in beneficial ownership. DTC has no knowledge of the actual
Beneficial Owners of the debt securities; DTC’s records reflect
only the identity of the Direct Participants to whose accounts such
debt securities are credited, which may or may not be the
Beneficial Owners. The Direct and Indirect Participants will remain
responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of
their customers.
Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to Direct
Participants, by Direct Participants to Indirect Participants, and
by Direct Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial
Owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any
statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time
to time.
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Redemption notices shall be sent to DTC. If less than all of the
debt securities within an issue are being redeemed, DTC’s practice
is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each Direct
Participant in such issue to be redeemed.
Redemption proceeds, distributions, and interest payments on the
debt securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other
nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC.
DTC’s practice is to credit Direct Participants’ accounts upon
DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us
or the trustee on the payment date in accordance with their
respective holdings shown on DTC’s records. Payments by
Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by standing
instructions and customary practices, as is the case with
securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or
registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such
Participant and not of DTC nor its nominee, the trustee, or us,
subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in
effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds,
distributions, and interest payments to Cede & Co. (or
such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized
representative of DTC) is the responsibility of us or the trustee,
but disbursement of such payments to Direct Participants will be
the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of such payments to the
Beneficial Owners will be the responsibility of Direct and Indirect
Participants.
DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depository
with respect to the debt securities at any time by giving
reasonable notice to us or to the trustee. Under such
circumstances, in the event that a successor securities depository
is not obtained, certificates are required to be printed and
delivered. We may decide to discontinue use of the system of
book-entry-only transfers through DTC (or a successor securities
depository). In that event, certificates will be printed and
delivered to DTC.
The information in this section concerning DTC and DTC’s book-entry
system has been obtained from sources that we believe to be
reliable, but we take no responsibility for the accuracy
thereof.
101
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings or
series, our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities,
subscription rights to purchase shares of our securities or a
combination of our securities, and warrants representing rights to
purchase shares of our securities or a combination of the
foregoing, which we refer to, collectively, as the “securities.” We
may sell the securities through underwriters or dealers, directly
to one or more purchasers, including existing stockholders in a
rights offering, through agents or through a combination of any
such methods of sale. In the case of a rights offering, the
applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the number of
shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of each right
and the other terms of such rights offering. Any underwriter or
agent involved in the offer and sale of the securities will be
named in the applicable prospectus supplement. A prospectus
supplement or supplements will also describe the terms of the
offering of the securities, including: the purchase price of the
securities and the proceeds we will receive from the sale; any
options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities
from us; any agency fees or underwriting discounts and other items
constituting agents’ or underwriters’ compensation; the public
offering price; any discounts or concessions allowed or
re-allowed or paid to
dealers; and any securities exchange or market on which the
securities may be listed. Only underwriters named in the prospectus
supplement will be underwriters of the shares offered by the
prospectus supplement.
The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to
time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which
may be changed, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at
prices related to such prevailing market prices, or at negotiated
prices, provided, however, that the offering price per share of our
common stock, less any underwriting commissions or discounts, must
equal or exceed the net asset value per share of our common stock
at the time of the offering except (i) in connection with a
rights offering to our existing stockholders, (ii) with the
prior approval of the majority (as defined in the 1940 Act) of our
common stockholders (1) the outstanding shares of our common stock
and (2) the outstanding shares of the our common stock held by
persons that are not affiliated persons of the Company, or
(iii) under such other circumstances as the SEC may permit.
Any offering of securities by us that requires the consent of the
majority of our common stockholders, must occur, if at all, within
one year after receiving such consent. The price at which the
securities may be distributed may represent a discount from
prevailing market prices.
In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters or
agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the
securities, for whom they may act as agents, in the form of
discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the
securities to or through dealers and such dealers may receive
compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions
from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for
whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that
participate in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to
be underwriters under the Securities Act, and any discounts and
commissions they receive from us and any profit realized by them on
the resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting
discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Any such
underwriter or agent will be identified and any such compensation
received from us will be described in the applicable prospectus
supplement. The maximum aggregate commission or discount to be
received by any member of FINRA or independent broker-dealer,
including any reimbursements to underwriters or agents for certain
fees and legal expenses incurred by them, will not be greater than
8.0% of the gross proceeds of the sale of shares offered pursuant
to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.
Any underwriter may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing
transactions, short-covering transactions and penalty bids in
accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Over-allotment
involves sales in excess of the offering size, which create a short
position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the
underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a
specified maximum price.
Syndicate-covering or other short-covering transactions involve
purchases of the securities, either through exercise of the option
to purchase additional shares from us or in the open market after
the distribution is completed, to cover short positions. Penalty
bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a
dealer when the securities originally sold by the dealer are
purchased in a stabilizing or covering transaction to
102
cover short positions. Those activities may cause the price of the
securities to be higher than it would otherwise be. If commenced,
the underwriters may discontinue any of the activities at any
time.
Any underwriters that are qualified market makers on the NASDAQ
Global Select Market may engage in passive market making
transactions in our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market
in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, during the
business day prior to the pricing of the offering, before the
commencement of offers or sales of our common stock. Passive market
makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and
must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive
market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the
highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids
are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the
passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain
purchase limits are exceeded. Passive market making may stabilize
the market price of the shares at a level above that which might
otherwise prevail in the open market and, if commenced, may be
discontinued at any time.
We may sell securities directly or through agents we designate from
time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and
sale of securities and we will describe any commissions we will pay
the agent in the prospectus supplement. Unless the prospectus
supplement states otherwise, our agent will act on a best-efforts
basis for the period of its appointment.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement,
each class or series of securities will be a new issue with no
trading market, other than our common stock, which is traded on the
NASDAQ Global Select Market, our 2022 Notes, which are traded on
the NASDAQ Global Select Market, and our 2022 Convertible Notes,
which are traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market. We may elect to list
any other class or series of securities on any exchanges, but we
are not obligated to do so. We cannot guarantee the liquidity of
the trading markets for any securities.
Under agreements that we may enter, underwriters, dealers and
agents who participate in the distribution of our securities may be
entitled to indemnification by us against certain liabilities,
including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution
with respect to payments that the agents or underwriters may make
with respect to these liabilities. Underwriters, dealers and agents
may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the
ordinary course of business.
If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will
authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to
solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase our securities
from us pursuant to contracts providing for payment and delivery on
a future date. Institutions with which such contracts may be made
include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension
funds, investment companies, educational and charitable
institutions and others, but in all cases such institutions must be
approved by us. The obligations of any purchaser under any such
contract will be subject to the condition that the purchase of our
securities shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under
the laws of the jurisdiction to which such purchaser is subject.
The underwriters and such other agents will not have any
responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of such
contracts. Such contracts will be subject only to those conditions
set forth in the prospectus supplement, and the prospectus
supplement will set forth the commission payable for solicitation
of such contracts.
We may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or
sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in
privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus
supplement indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the
third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and
the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale
transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by
us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close
out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities
received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out
any related open borrowings of stock. The third parties in such
sale transactions will be underwriters and, if not identified in
this prospectus, will be identified in the applicable prospectus
supplement.
In order to comply with the securities laws of certain states, if
applicable, our securities offered hereby will be sold in such
jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or
dealers.
103
CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AND
DISTRIBUTION PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR
Our securities are held under a custody agreement by U.S. Bank
National Association. The address of the custodian is 615 East
Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company, LLC will act as our transfer
agent, distribution paying agent and registrar. The principal
business address of our transfer agent is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New
York 11219.
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER
PRACTICES
We will generally acquire and dispose of our investments in
privately negotiated transactions, so we will infrequently use
brokers in the normal course of our business. Subject to policies
established by our Board of Directors, our investment adviser will
be primarily responsible for the execution of the publicly traded
securities portion of our portfolio transactions and the allocation
of brokerage commissions. Our investment adviser does not expect to
execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer, but
will seek to obtain the best net results for Logan Ridge, taking
into account such factors as price (including the applicable
brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty
of execution, and operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s
risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities. While our
investment adviser generally will seek reasonably competitive trade
execution costs, Logan Ridge will not necessarily pay the lowest
spread or commission available. Subject to applicable legal
requirements, our investment adviser may select a broker based
partly upon brokerage or research services provided to the
investment adviser and Logan Ridge and any other clients. In return
for such services, we may pay a higher commission than other
brokers would charge if the investment adviser determines in good
faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the
services provided.
LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters in connection with the securities offered
hereby will be passed upon for us by Simpson Thacher &
Barlett LLP, Washington, DC and by Venable LLP, as Maryland
Counsel. Certain legal matters in connection with the offering will
be passed upon for the underwriters, if any, by the counsel named
in the applicable prospectus supplement. Simpson Thacher &
Bartlett LLP may rely as to certain matters of Maryland law on the
opinion of Venable LLP, Baltimore, Maryland.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM
The consolidated financial statements of Logan Ridge Finance
Corporation at December 31, 2020 and 2019, and for each of the
three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, appearing
in this prospectus and Registration Statement have been audited by
Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting
firm, as set forth in their report thereon appearing elsewhere
herein, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the
authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC on Form N-2,
including amendments, relating to the securities we are offering.
This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth
in the registration statement, including any exhibits and schedules
it may contain. For further information concerning us or the
securities we are offering, please refer to the registration
statement. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the
contents of any contract or other document referred to describe the
material terms thereof but are not necessarily complete and in each
instance reference is made to the copy of any contract or other
document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. Each
statement is qualified in all respects by this reference.
104
We file with or submit to the SEC annual, quarterly and current
periodic reports, proxy statements and other information meeting
the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. You may inspect
and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information, as
well as the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a
part and the related exhibits and schedules, at the Public
Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public
Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Copies of
these reports, proxy and information statements and other
information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by
electronic request at the following e-mail address:
publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference
Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-0102. In
addition, the SEC maintains an Internet website that contains
reports, proxy and information statements and other information
filed electronically by us with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
We maintain a website at www.apolloic.com and we make all of our
annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other
publicly filed information available, free of charge, on or through
this website. Information contained on our website is not
incorporated by reference into this prospectus and should not be
considered to be part of this prospectus.
No person is authorized to give any information or represent
anything not contained in this prospectus, any accompanying
prospectus supplement, any applicable pricing supplement, and any
related free writing supplement. We are only offering the
securities in places where sales of those securities are permitted.
The information contained in this prospectus, any accompanying
prospectus supplement, any applicable pricing supplement, and any
related free writing supplement, as well as information
incorporated by reference, is current only as of the date of that
information. Our business, financial condition, results of
operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
105
PART C — OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 25. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
1. Financial Statements
The following financial statements have been incorporated by
reference in Part A of this Registration Statement.
|
Annual Audited Financial Statements
|
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and
December 31, 2019
|
Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2020,
December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018
|
Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the years ended December
31, 2020, December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018
|
Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2020,
December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018
|
Schedules of Investments as of December 31, 2020 and December 31,
2019
|
Notes to Financial Statements
|
|
Unaudited Financial Statements
|
Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities
as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 |
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 |
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2021
|
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine
months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 |
Consolidated Schedules of Investments as of
September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 |
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements as of
and for the period ended September 30, 2021 |
C-1
2. Exhibits
|
|
|
Exhibit
Number
|
|
Description
|
|
|
a.1 |
|
Articles of Amendment and Restatement(1) |
|
|
b.1 |
|
Bylaws(12) |
|
|
d.1 |
|
Form of Common Stock Certificate(12) |
|
|
d.2 |
|
Form of Base Indenture(2) |
|
|
d.3 |
|
Form of Second Supplemental Indenture relating to the 6.00% notes
due 2022, by and between the Registrant and U.S. Bank National
Association, as trustee, including the form of Global
Note(6) |
|
|
d.4 |
|
Form of the Third Supplemental Indenture relating to the 5.75%
convertible notes due 2022, by and between the Registrant and U.S.
Bank National Association, as trustee, including the form of Global
Note(7) |
|
|
d.5 |
|
Form of Fourth Supplemental Indenture relating to the 5.25% notes
due 2026, by and between the Registrant and U.S. National Bank
Association, as trustee, including the form of Global
Note(14) |
|
|
d.6 |
|
Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1(13) |
|
|
e. |
|
Form of Dividend Reinvestment Plan(12) |
|
|
g. |
|
Form of Investment Advisory Agreement by and between Registrant and
Mount Logan Management LLC(1) |
|
|
h. |
|
Form of Underwriting Agreement** |
|
|
j. |
|
Form of Custodian Agreement(12) |
|
|
k.1 |
|
Form of Administration Agreement by and between Registrant and BC
Partners Management LLC(1) |
|
|
k.2 |
|
Form of
Indemnification Agreement by and between Registrant and each of its
directors* |
|
|
k.3 |
|
Form of Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, dated
October 17, 2014, among Registrant, as Borrower, the lenders
party thereto, and ING Capital LLC, as Administrative Agent,
Arranger and Bookrunner(3) |
|
|
k.4 |
|
Form of Guarantee, Pledge and Security Agreement, dated
October 17, 2014, among Registrant, as Borrower, the
subsidiary guarantors party thereto, ING Capital LLC, as Revolving
Administrative Agent for the Revolving Lenders and as Collateral
Agent, and each Financing Agent and Designated Indebtedness Holder
party thereto (3) |
|
|
k.5 |
|
Form of Incremental Assumption Agreement, dated January 6,
2015, relating to the Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement,
dated as of October 17, 2014, among Capitala Finance Corp.,
as borrower, the lenders from time to time party thereto, and ING
Capital LLC, as administrative agent, arranger and
bookrunner(4) |
|
|
k.6 |
|
Form of Incremental Assumption Agreement, dated August 19,
2015, relating to the Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement,
dated as of October 17, 2014, among Capitala Finance Corp.,
as borrower, the lenders from time to time party thereto, and ING
Capital LLC, as administrative agent, arranger and
bookrunner(5) |
|
|
k.7 |
|
Form of Amendment No. 2 to Senior Secured Revolving Credit
Agreement dated June 16, 2017, among Capitala Finance Corp.,
as Borrower, the lenders party thereto, and ING Capital LLC, as
administrative agent, arranger, and bookrunner(8) |
|
|
k.8 |
|
Form of Amendment No. 1 to Guarantee, Pledge and Security
Agreement dated June 16, 2017, among Capitala Finance Corp.,
as Borrower, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, ING Capital
LLC, as Revolving Administrative Agent for the Revolving Lenders
and as Collateral Agent, and each Financing Agent and Designated
Indebtedness Holder party thereto(8) |
C-2
|
|
|
Exhibit
Number
|
|
Description
|
|
|
k.9 |
|
Form of Amendment No. 3, dated as of July 19, 2018, to
the Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of
October 17, 2014, among Capitala Finance Corp., as borrower,
the lenders from time to time party thereto, and ING Capital LLC,
as administrative agent, arranger and bookrunner, and First
National Bank of Pennsylvania, as documentation agent.(9) |
|
|
k.10 |
|
Form of Amendment No. 4, dated as of February 22, 2019,
to the Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of
October 17, 2014, among Capitala Finance Corp., as borrower,
the lenders from time to time party thereto, and ING Capital LLC,
as administrative agent, arranger and bookrunner, and First
National Bank of Pennsylvania, as documentation agent.(10) |
|
|
k.11 |
|
Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of
Capitala Senior Loan Fund II, LLC(11) |
|
|
k.12 |
|
Form of Registration Rights Agreement dated October 29, 2021
between the Registrant and the several purchasers of the 5.25%
Notes due 2026(14) |
|
|
l.1 |
|
Opinion and Consent
of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP* |
|
|
l.2 |
|
Opinion and Consent
of Venable LLP* |
|
|
n.1 |
|
Consent of Ernst
& Young LLP* |
|
|
r. |
|
Code of Ethics of
Registrant and Mount Logan Management LLC* |
|
|
99.1 |
|
Code of Business
Conduct of Registrant* |
** |
To be filed by amendment.
|
(1) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
report on Form 8-K filed on
July 1, 2021.
|
(2) |
Previously filed in connection with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to
the Registrant’s registration statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-193374) filed on May 21,
2014.
|
(3) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
report on Form 8-K filed on
October 21, 2014.
|
(4) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
report on Form 8-K filed on
January 8, 2015.
|
(5) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
report on Form 8-K filed on
August 25, 2015.
|
(6) |
Previously filed in connection with Post-Effective
Amendment No. 5 the Registrant’s registration statement on
Form N-2 (File No. 333-204582) filed on May 16,
2017.
|
(7) |
Previously filed in connection with Post-Effective
Amendment No. 6 to the Registrant’s registration statement on
Form N-2 (File No. 333-204582) filed on May 26,
2017.
|
(8) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
report on Form 8-K filed on
June 21, 2017.
|
(9) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
report on Form 8-K filed on
July 20, 2018.
|
(10) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
report on Form 8-K filed on
February 28, 2019.
|
(11) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
report on Form 10-K filed
on March 4, 2019.
|
(12) |
Previously filed in connection with the Pre-Effective
Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form
N-2 (File No. 333-188956) filed on September 9, 2013.
|
(13) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
registration statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-230336) filed on
March 15, 2019.
|
(14) |
Previously filed in connection with the Registrant’s
report on Form 8-K filed on November 1, 2021.
|
ITEM 26. MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS
The information contained under the heading “Plan of Distribution”
in the prospectus that is part of this Registration Statement is
incorporated herein by reference.
C-3
ITEM 27. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND
DISTRIBUTION
|
|
|
|
|
SEC registration fee
|
|
$ |
54,550 |
|
FINRA filing fee
|
|
$ |
500 |
|
NASDAQ Global Select Market
|
|
$ |
65,000 |
|
Printing and postage
|
|
$ |
40,000 |
|
Legal fees and expenses
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
Accounting fees and expenses
|
|
$ |
150,000 |
|
Miscellaneous
|
|
$ |
10,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$ |
520,050 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note: All listed amounts are estimates except for the SEC
registration fee and FINRA filing fee.
ITEM 28: PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON
CONTROL
The following list sets forth each of Logan Ridge Finance
Corporation’s subsidiaries, the state under whose laws the
subsidiary is organized and the voting securities owned by Logan
Ridge Finance Corporation, directly, in such subsidiary:
|
|
|
|
|
CapitalSouth Fund II Limited Partnership (North Carolina)
|
|
|
100 |
% |
CapitalSouth F-II, LLC
(North Carolina)
|
|
|
100 |
% |
CapitalSouth Fund III, L.P. (Delaware)
|
|
|
100 |
% |
CapitalSouth F-III, LLC
(North Carolina)
|
|
|
100 |
% |
CPTA Master Blocker, Inc. (Georgia)
|
|
|
100 |
% |
Currently, each of Logan Ridge Finance Corporation’s subsidiaries
is consolidated with Logan Ridge Finance Corporation for financial
reporting purposes.
In addition, we may be deemed to control certain portfolio
companies. See “Portfolio Companies” in the prospectus that is part
of this Registration Statement.
ITEM 29. NUMBER OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
The following table sets forth the number of record holders of the
Registrant’s common stock at December 10, 2021.
|
|
|
Title of Class
|
|
Number of
Record Holders |
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
|
|
31 |
ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION
Directors and Officers
Reference is made to Section 2-418 of the Maryland
General Corporation Law, Article VII of the Registrant’s charter
and Article XI of the Registrant’s bylaws.
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its
charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and
officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages
except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an
improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or
(b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final
judgment as being material to the cause of action. The Registrant’s
charter contains such a provision which eliminates directors’ and
officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland
law, subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the “1940
C-4
Act”). The Registrant’s charter authorizes the Registrant, to the
maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the
requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former
director or officer or any individual who, while serving as the
Registrant’s director or officer and at the Registrant’s request,
serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment
trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or
other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee, from
and against any claim or liability to which that person may become
subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her
service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse their
reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a
proceeding. The Registrant’s bylaws obligate the Registrant, to the
maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the
requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former
director or officer or any individual who, while serving as the
Registrant’s director or officer and at the Registrant’s request,
serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment
trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or
other enterprise as a director, officer, partner, trustee, manager
or member and who is made, or threatened to be made, a party to the
proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity from
and against any claim or liability to which that person may become
subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her
service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her
reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a
proceeding. The charter and bylaws also permit the Registrant to
indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a
predecessor of the Registrant in any of the capacities described
above and any of the Registrant’s employees or agents or any
employees or agents of the Registrant’s predecessor. In accordance
with the 1940 Act, the Registrant will not indemnify any person for
any liability to which such person would be subject by reason of
such person’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or
her office.
Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides
otherwise, which the Registrant’s charter does not) to indemnify a
director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any
proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a
party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland
law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former
directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties,
fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by
them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made,
or threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in
those or other capacities unless it is established that
(a) the act or omission of the director or officer was
material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and
(1) was committed in bad faith or (2) was the result of
active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer
actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property
or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the
director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or
omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland
corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by
or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability
on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received
unless, in either case, a court orders indemnification, and then
only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation
to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer in advance
of final disposition of a proceeding upon the corporation’s receipt
of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his
or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of
conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and
(b) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her
behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if
it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not
met.
Investment Adviser and Administrator
The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that, absent willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of
its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and
obligations, Mount Logan Management LLC (the “investment adviser”)
and its officers, managers, agents, employees, controlling persons,
members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are
entitled to indemnification from the Registrant for any damages,
liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’
fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the
rendering of the investment adviser’s services under the Investment
Advisory Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the
Registrant.
C-5
The Administration Agreement provides that, absent willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of
its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and
obligations, BC Partners Management LLC and its officers, managers,
agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other
person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification
from the Registrant for any damages, liabilities, costs and
expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts
reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of BC
Partners Management LLC’s services under the Administration
Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Registrant.
The law also provides for comparable indemnification for corporate
officers and agents. Insofar as indemnification for liability
arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers and
controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing
provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in
the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant
of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication
of such issue.
The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its
directors. The indemnification agreements are intended to provide
the Registrant’s directors the maximum indemnification permitted
under Maryland law and the 1940 Act. Each indemnification agreement
provides that the Registrant shall indemnify the director who is a
party to the agreement (an “Indemnitee”), including the advancement
of legal expenses, if, by reason of his or her corporate status,
the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be, made a party to or a
witness in any threatened, pending, or completed proceeding, other
than a proceeding by or in the right of the Registrant.
ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT
ADVISER
A description of any other business, profession, vocation, or
employment of a substantial nature in which the investment adviser,
and each managing director, director or executive officer of the
investment adviser, is or has been during the past two fiscal
years, engaged in for his or her own account or in the capacity of
director, officer, employee, partner or trustee, is set forth in
Part A of this Registration Statement in the sections titled
“Management — Board of Directors,” “Investment Advisory Agreement”
and “Portfolio Management — Investment Personnel.” Additional
information regarding the investment adviser and its officers and
directors is set forth in its Form ADV, as filed with the SEC (SEC
File No. 801-119731),
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and is
incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 32. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS
All accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained
by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder are
maintained at the offices of:
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(1) |
the Registrant, Logan Ridge Finance Corporation, 650
Madison Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, New
York 10022;
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(2) |
the Transfer Agent, American Stock Transfer &
Trust Company, LLC, 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New
York 11219;
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|
(3) |
the Custodian, U.S. Bank National Association, 615
East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202; and
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(4) |
the investment adviser, Mount Logan Management LLC,
650 Madison Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, New
York 10022.
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C-6
ITEM 33. MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Not applicable.
ITEM 34. UNDERTAKINGS
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a. |
that, for the purpose of determining any liability
under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment to the
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration
statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of those securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.
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b. |
to remove from registration by means of a
post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered
which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
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c. |
that, for the purpose of determining liability under
the Securities Act to any purchaser that:
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|
(1) |
if we are relying on Rule 430B:
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(A) each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be
deemed to be part of the Registration Statement as of the date the
filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the
Registration Statement; and
(B) each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule
424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in
reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule
415(a)(1)(i), (x), or (xi) for the purpose of providing the
information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act
shall be deemed to be part of and included in the Registration
Statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is
first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of
sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As
provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any
person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be
deemed to be a new effective date of the Registration Statement
relating to the securities in the Registration Statement to which
that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at
that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a
registration statement or prospectus that is part of the
Registration Statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed
incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or
prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement will, as to a
purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective
date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the
Registration Statement or prospectus that was part of the
Registration Statement or made in any such document immediately
prior to such effective date; or
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(2) |
if we are subject to Rule 430C under the Securities
Act, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the
Securities Act as part of this Registration Statement relating to
an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule
430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A,
shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration
statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness,
provided, however, that no statement made in a registration
statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement
or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by
reference into the Registration Statement or prospectus that is
part of the Registration Statement will, as to a purchaser with a
time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersedes or
modify any statement that was made in the Registration Statement or
prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in
any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
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C-7
|
d. |
that for the purpose of determining our liability
under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial
distribution of securities, we undertake that in a primary offering
of our securities pursuant to this Registration Statement,
regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities
to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such
purchaser by means of any of the following communications, we will
be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or
sell such securities to the purchaser:
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|
(1) |
any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of us
relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424
under the Securities Act;
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(2) |
Free writing prospectuses relating to the offering
prepared by or on behalf of us or used or referred to by us;
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(3) |
the portion of any other free writing prospectuses or
advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the Securities Act
relating to the offering containing material information about us
or our securities provided by or on behalf of us; and
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|
(4) |
any other communication that is an offer in the
offering made by us to the purchaser.
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5. |
We hereby undertake that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of our annual
report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference
into the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein,
and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to
be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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6. |
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising
under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors,
officers and controlling persons, we have been advised that in the
opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by us of expenses
incurred or paid by any of our directors, officers or controlling
persons in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the securities being registered, we
undertake, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, to submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification
by us is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and we will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issue.
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|
7. |
We hereby undertake to send by first class mail or
other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery, within two
business days of receipt of a written or oral request, any
prospectus or Statement of Additional Information.
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C-8
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, the Registrant has duly caused the Registration Statement
on Form N-2 to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the
City of New York, in the State of New York, on the 20th day of
December 2021.
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Logan Ridge Finance Corporation |
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By: |
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/s/ Edward Goldthorpe
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|
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Chief Executive Officer, President and |
|
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Chairman of the Board of Directors |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, the Registration Statement on Form N-2 has been signed by the
following persons on behalf of the Registrant, and in the
capacities indicated, on the 20th day of December 2021.
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|
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Signature
|
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Title
|
|
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/s/ Edward Goldthorpe
Edward Goldthorpe
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Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of
the Board of Directors (Principal Executive Officer) |
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/s/ Jason Roos
Jason Roos
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Chief Financial Officer |
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*
Alexander Duka
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Director |
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*
George Grunebaum
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Director |
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*
Robert Warshauer
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Director |
* |
Signed by Edward Goldthorpe pursuant to a power of
attorney signed by each individual on October 11, 2021.
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