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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2003

OR

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM                TO                

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 0-33377

MCG CAPITAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 703-247-7500

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Title of each class

Common Stock, par value

$0.01 per share

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes x    No  ¨.

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2)   Yes x    No  ¨.

The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of June 30, 2003 was approximately $275,980,069 based on the closing price on the Nasdaq National Market. For purposes of this computation, shares held by certain stockholders and by directors and executive officers of the Registrant have been excluded. Such exclusion of shares held by such persons is not intended, nor shall it be deemed, to be an admission that such persons are affiliates of the Registrant. There were 38,732,948 shares of the Registrant’s common stock outstanding as of March 10, 2004.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to the 2003 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K as indicated herein.

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MCG CAPITAL CORPORATION

2003 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT

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PART I

In this Annual Report, the “Company”, “MCG”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to MCG Capital Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries and its affiliated securitization trusts unless the context otherwise requires.

Item 1.    Business

GENERAL

We are a solutions-focused financial services company providing financing and advisory services to a variety of small and medium-sized companies throughout the United States with a focus on growth oriented companies. Currently, our portfolio consists mostly of companies in the communications, information services, media, and technology, including software and technology-enabled business services, industry sectors. Our capital is generally used by our portfolio companies to finance acquisitions, recapitalizations, management buyouts, organic growth and working capital.

Our investment objective is to achieve current income and capital gains. To meet this objective, we employ an “expert-activist” investment philosophy to identify attractive investment opportunities and develop strong customer relationships. As an expert, we are highly knowledgeable about our target markets and customers. As an activist, we work with our customers’ management teams and owners to create and execute effective capital deployment strategies. In addition, we use a “flexible funding” approach that permits adjustments to transaction terms, including pricing terms, to accommodate the shifting corporate development needs of our customers. The ongoing consulting and research services we also offer support our customers’ growth and risk management strategies.

We have built our portfolio through disciplined underwriting and investment approval processes and focused portfolio management. We typically lend to and invest in companies with $10 million to $150 million in annual revenues that operate in our target industry sectors. As of December 31, 2003, we had outstanding commercial loans of approximately $605.6 million, and equity investments of approximately $93.4 million. As of December 31, 2003, our geographically diverse customer base consisted of 81 companies with headquarters in 27 states and Washington, D.C. Many of our transactions are with existing customers. Through December 31, 2003, approximately 44% of the companies that have been our customers for one year or more had completed two or more transactions with us and approximately 23% had completed three or more transactions with us.

Our investment decisions are based on extensive analysis of potential customers’ business operations and asset valuations supported by an in-depth understanding of the quality of their recurring revenues and cash flow, variability of costs and the inherent value of their proprietary intangible assets and intellectual property. We have developed specialized risk management metrics, pricing tools, due diligence methodologies and data management processes that are designed to help us manage risk and maximize our return on investment.

CORPORATE HISTORY AND OFFICES

We were formed in 1998 by our management and affiliates of Goldman, Sachs & Co. to purchase a loan portfolio and certain other assets from First Union National Bank (now Wachovia Bank, National Association) in a management buyout. Prior to this purchase, we had conducted our business since 1990 as a division of Signet Bank. This separate division was known as the media communications group. Signet Banking Corporation, the parent of Signet Bank, was acquired by First Union Corporation (now Wachovia Corporation) on November 28, 1997.

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We are an internally managed, non-diversified, closed-end investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or the “1940 Act”. As a business development company, we are required to meet regulatory tests, the most significant of which relate to our investments and borrowings. A business development company is required to invest at least 70% of its total assets in private or thinly traded public U.S.-based companies. A business development company also must meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200%. See “Regulation as a Business Development Company”. In addition, we elected to be treated for federal income tax purposes as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code with the filing of our federal corporate income tax return for 2002, which election was effective as of January 1, 2002. See “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”.

MCG was organized as a Delaware corporation on March 18, 1998. In addition, on March 18, 1998, we changed our name from MCG, Inc. to MCG Credit Corporation and on June 14, 2001, we changed our name from MCG Credit Corporation to MCG Capital Corporation. Our executive offices are located at 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 3000, Arlington, Virginia 22209 and our telephone number is (703) 247-7500. In addition, we have an office in Richmond, Virginia. Our Internet site address is www.mcgcapital.com. Information contained on our web site is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report and you should not consider information contained on our web site to be part of this Annual Report. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments to those reports are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file them with, or furnish them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

MARKET OPPORTUNITY

We believe that the small- and medium-sized business segment is becoming more significant to the U.S. economy, and that it is attractively sized with good growth characteristics. We believe that many such businesses, including our target customers, have increasing demand for and less access to high-quality differentiated corporate financial services. We also believe this trend is likely to continue given the broad-based and on-going consolidation in the financial services industry. Our focus on selected markets with strong growth prospects, combined with our customers’ growing demand for capital and the corporate finance and consulting services we offer enhance our market opportunity. We have organized our investment activities around a few clearly defined market opportunities leveraging our strong credit culture and our expert-activist, knowledge based investment philosophy. We believe these market opportunities are large enough to provide continued growth. However, our focus is narrow enough to allow us to gain a special understanding of the needs of our target customers. This allows us to provide innovative financing solutions to our customers.

We target only those market opportunities deemed attractive by our investment committee. Before we target a new market, industry sector or industry sub-sector, our research team performs an opportunity analysis and identifies specific operational norms and risks of that market, sector or sub-sector. Management, working with our credit committee, then develops our lending and investment criteria for that market, sector or sub-sector. We analyze new markets and industries in conjunction with refining and revalidating investment approaches for our existing markets and industry sectors. Also, on an ongoing basis, our investment committee and credit committee monitor the level of diversification within the portfolio for risk associated with market, asset class, geographic and industry sector concentration.

We currently focus on investments across the capital structure in the communications, information services, media and technology, including software and technology-enabled business services, industry sectors. In connection with these investments we utilize, among other things, proprietary data, enhanced knowledge and substantial experience to create competitive advantage. We also focus on buyout, growth and recapitalization financing opportunities in conjunction with private equity firms. In these circumstances our credit analysis skills, systematic underwriting processes and timely responses, among other things, provide a competitive advantage to our targeted customers.

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We believe that traditional financial services providers typically lack infrastructure and dedicated expertise to focus on small- and medium-sized companies within these markets. We believe that each of these markets has distinct characteristics in terms of risk, capital requirements, industry and general economic cycles, stage of development and rates of return. Many of our industry sectors are characterized by ongoing consolidation and convergence and by new business formation. We also believe that these sectors have a number of common features, including private equity investing, favorable regulatory environments, rising projected revenue growth rates, recurring revenue characteristics and enterprise values that depend significantly on intangible assets and intellectual property. As a result, we believe we have a large market opportunity in our target industry sectors.

STRATEGY

We seek to achieve favorable risk-adjusted rates of return in the form of current yield and capital appreciation, while maintaining credit and investment quality in our asset portfolio. We believe our financial performance is a product of our industry knowledge and insight, effectiveness in targeting potential customers and serving them, risk-based pricing techniques and disciplined portfolio acquisition and risk management techniques. We make investments in the $1 to $50 million range and base our investment activity on fundamental analysis of growth oriented small- and medium- sized businesses. We apply well establish credit processes to the assessment of risk and price our loans accordingly. We have developed proprietary analytics, data and knowledge to support our business activities.

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Our investment process is designed to achieve the following strategic objectives:

Expert-Activist Philosophy

Our “expert-activist” philosophy is one of the foundations of our investment process. It enables us to make lending and investment decisions quickly and confidently because we have a firm understanding of the funding needs of our targeted customers and the operating characteristics of our customers’ businesses and their associated industry sectors. We enhance our detailed understanding of our targeted industry sectors through continuous engagement with existing and prospective customers. We gather and manage the knowledge and insights gained through this process using customized databases and workflow management methodologies. We use this information to enhance the quality of our research and the effectiveness of our credit and investment analysis. We refine and revalidate our investment approaches within particular markets, sectors and sub-sectors.

We work with our customers and targeted customers to understand the costs and benefits of their corporate development initiatives, business opportunities, threats to their businesses and acceptable risks and returns. This understanding, together with our flexible funding approach, enables us to facilitate customers’ corporate development decisions even in some cases where short-term financial performance may suffer. We believe that this approach differentiates us from most other commercial lenders and helps to create strong and long-term relationships with our customers. We believe that our approach to date also has enabled us to originate loans based on the value we help to create rather than solely on the basis of our cost of capital in order to achieve attractive risk-adjusted investment returns.

OPERATIONS

To achieve our goal of being a leading provider of solutions-focused financial services to small- and medium-sized companies in our target markets, we foster a credit and business culture that strives to protect our capital, principal and interest, generate capital gains on our equity investments and support gains in our customers’ enterprise values.

Identifying Prospective Customers

We identify and source new customers by actively engaging our network of private equity investors. We also acquire new customers by utilizing direct marketing to prospects identified through various data services, customized Internet searches, industry associations, investment bankers, accountants and lawyers. Although some customers initiate their first contact with us, we find that we generally acquire most of our customers through our own initiative. After our initial contact with a prospective customer, we then conduct ongoing reviews of its financial reports and corporate development activity by analyzing the source data and information regarding the prospects gathered from third-party databases, industry sector reports, trade and consumer magazines, newspapers and newsletters. We maintain the data from these sources in an internal database that not only supports the identification of potential customer opportunities, but also assists us in understanding our target markets. We market on a national scale. We also participate in a variety of industry associations and our employees attend and give presentations at numerous forums, conferences and meetings annually.

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Research

Our unique research capabilities create the foundation for our “expert-activist” philosophy of investing and give us a competitive advantage. Our contact with customers in our targeted industries helps us to continuously refine and validate our investment philosophy. Our research group’s function is to support and augment the business development process through the identification of attractive industry sectors and emerging trends, investment and risk analysis and marketing of our industry expertise.

Through strategic industry analysis, we update our investment perspective in our target industry sectors and develop investment hypotheses for new industry sub-sectors. Our research capabilities and findings also are valuable in attracting customers who are able to draw from our industry expertise to help refine their strategic plans, identify acquisition opportunities and set appropriate financial and operating benchmarks.

Our research department writes and distributes publications to portfolio companies, prospective customers, investors, and others to facilitate a dialogue, promote a common strategic outlook and a shared perception of industry risk and opportunity. This shared perception helps us and our customers develop mutually agreeable financing structures that mitigate risk to us and our customers. Our publications also increase our visibility within our target industry sectors and support our expert-activist investment methodology.

Our research department publishes the following reports:

In addition, our research department supports our active engagement with third-party publishers who seek articles from our professionals for their various publications and reports.

Underwriting

We place primary emphasis on credit and risk analysis and have incorporated the underwriting function directly into the business development process. Our underwriting team consists of investment professionals who perform due diligence, credit and corporate financial analyses, deal sponsors who possess specific industry expertise and are responsible for originating and managing the transaction, a member of our credit committee and our in-house counsel. Since we became an independent company in June 1998, our deal sponsors have led our underwriting teams in originating approximately 200 transactions with an aggregate value of approximately $980 million in loan commitments. To ensure consistent underwriting, we use our sector-specific due diligence methodologies, developed over the last 13 years, which include standard due diligence on financial performance and customized analysis of the operations, systems, accounting policies, human resources and the legal and regulatory framework of a prospective customer. The members of the underwriting team work together to conduct due diligence and understand the relationships among the customer’s business plan, operations and financial performance.

As part of our evaluation of a proposed investment, the underwriting team prepares an investment memorandum for presentation to the credit committee and, in some instances, the investment committee. In

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preparing the investment memorandum, the underwriting team assembles information critical to the investment decision and regularly seeks information from the research department on macroeconomic viewpoints, forecasted trends and firm valuation. The investment memorandum serves as the framework for underwriting the transaction and generally consists of:

Business Description.    The business description of a prospective customer presents the history, organization and product lines of the customer. In addition, we analyze the prospective customer’s industry sector and sub-sector, competition and market share, obsolescence and substitution risk, customers and markets served, legal and regulatory framework and technology issues. The business description also explicitly discusses unique risks associated with a proposed transaction. In particular, we analyze the following risks:

Financial and Customer Risk Assessment.    As part of our financial and customer risk assessment process, we try to determine comparable levels of risk across industry sectors and customers. From this analysis, we have developed sector-specific risk acceptance criteria to help us evaluate the financial risk of a prospect. Our financial analysis is based on an integrated financial model that is built upon the historical and projected financial performance of a prospect. The model also presents the pro forma post-funding capital structure, along with the sources and uses of funding in the proposed transaction.

Each model incorporates historical financial results and an underlying set of assumptions for operating margins, growth rates, capital structure, rates of return, working capital investment and fixed asset expenditures. This integrated financial model goes beyond forecasting financial statements by incorporating cash flow coverage forecasts, covenant compliance tests, valuation matrices, and an executive summary, which details investment-specific terms.

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We also assess the intangible attributes of a transaction typically embodied in a prospect’s management’s track record, business plan, judgments about its products and other subjective characteristics that may significantly affect the ultimate risk of a transaction. Quantitative attributes we evaluate include sector-specific comparisons such as cash flow margins, product and cash flow diversification, revenue growth rates, cost structure and other operating benchmarks that are derived from historical financial statements. Qualitative attributes we evaluate may include management skill and depth, industry risk, substitution risk, cyclicality, geographic diversification, facilities infrastructure, administration requirements and product quality and ranking. Based on this assessment, we assign a low, medium or high volatility factor to the prospect.

Collateral Valuation.    To assess the credit exposure of the potential investment and to quantify the underlying value of the enterprise in which we are investing, we employ a series of standard valuation techniques. We prepare comparative private market transactions analyses using our database of transactions in our target sectors. We also perform a valuation using discounted cash flow models based on our projections of the future free cash flows of the business and industry derived capital costs. Finally, we look to comparable public companies to benchmark the enterprise using public market data to derive collateral value. Using these methods provides us with multiple views of the underlying value of the investment’s collateral, giving us a key risk metric, which is loan-to-value.

Investment Structure.    In underwriting prospective customers, we also focus on investment structure, payment priority, collateral or asset value, management qualities, and financial support from guarantors and other credit enhancements. We use loan structure to mitigate the higher risk associated with a higher volatility factor by requiring better financial and collateral coverage thresholds for those prospects. In most of our loans, we receive a perfected, first priority security interest in substantially all of our customers’ assets, which entitles us to a preferred position on payments in the event of liquidation, and a pledge of the equity by the equity owners. In addition, we structure loan covenants to assist in the management of risk. Our loan documents ordinarily include affirmative covenants that require the customers to take specific actions such as periodic financial reporting, notification of material events and compliance with laws, restrictive covenants that prevent customers from taking a range of significant actions such as incurring additional indebtedness or making acquisitions without our consent, covenants requiring the customer to maintain or achieve specified financial ratios such as debt to cash flow, interest coverage and fixed charge coverage, and operating covenants requiring them to maintain certain operational benchmarks such as minimum revenue or minimum cash flow. Our loan documents also contain customary events of default such as non-payment, breach of representation, breach of covenant, insolvency and change of control. Our direct equity investments at the time they are made are typically pari passu with or senior to the customers’ other equity securities.

Flexible Funding

We recognize that growth-oriented companies regularly make corporate development decisions that impact their financial performance, valuation and risk profile. Often these decisions can favorably impact enterprise value at the expense of short-term financial performance where appropriate. Our “flexible funding” strategy allows us to adjust the return on our capital through risk-based pricing grids that account for shifts in the customer’s financial performance associated with these decisions. Our loan structures take into account our customers’ potentially varying financial performance so that customers can retain access to committed capital at different stages in their growth and development. For example, a loan’s interest rate may increase or decrease based on certain risk measures such as the ratio of debt to cash flow. We calculate rates of return based on a combination of up-front fees, current and deferred interest rates and residual values in the form of equity interests, such as warrants, appreciation rights or future contract payments. Our internal rates of return on invested capital and the customer’s cost of debt capital are generally highest when our customer utilizes high levels of leverage.

We believe that this method of flexible performance-based pricing allows our customers to build a long-term relationship with us, as a preferred provider. We also believe our approach presents debt as a viable

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alternative to raising additional equity, which permits our customers to avoid the permanently dilutive effect on existing equity holders associated with equity financing transactions.

Most of our loans typically include a variable interest rate component designed to reflect credit risk, which allows the interest rates our customers pay to increase or decrease automatically based on changes in their operating and financial performance. For example, if a customer fails to achieve the operating or financial performance targets set forth in the loan agreement, the interest rate payable on our loan typically increases automatically to reflect the increased credit risk. Conversely, if the customer outperforms, the interest rate payable would typically decrease to reflect our decreased credit risk. However, in such a scenario, our decrease in interest income as a result of the favorable interest rate adjustment is likely to be offset for certain loans by increases in the value of our upside investments, such as warrants, stock appreciation rights or direct equity investments. We may, however, price certain loan transactions on a fixed basis.

Investment Approval Process

Our credit committee approves all of our investments, while the investment committee of our board of directors also must approve certain investments. The four members of our credit committee are Bryan J. Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer; Steven F. Tunney, our President and Chief Operating Officer; Robert J. Merrick, our Chief Credit Officer; and B. Hagen Saville, one of our Executive Vice Presidents. Credit committee approval requires the approval of Mr. Merrick and two of the three other members of the credit committee. The investment committee of our board must approve loans to any customer exceeding $10 million and all equity investments. The members of our investment committee are Messrs. Mitchell, Tunney, Alpert, Gleberman, Millner, Merrick and O’Keefe.

Loan Servicing

After a loan is approved and funded, the underwriting team, along with the loan administration group and the compliance administration group, remain involved in the transaction by reviewing covenant compliance and quarterly financial performance and by collecting additional industry sector data for inclusion in our databases.

Loan Administration Group.    This group administers the loans on our loan administration system and is responsible for:

Compliance Administration Group.    This group tracks covenant compliance and oversees a monthly review of our critical functions to ensure adherence with our internal policies and procedures. The compliance administration staff is responsible for:

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Loan Monitoring and Restructuring Procedures.    We monitor individual customer’s financial trends in order to assess the appropriate course of action with respect to each customer and to evaluate overall portfolio quality. We closely monitor the status and performance of each individual investment on a quarterly and, in some cases, a monthly or more frequent basis. Because we are a provider of long-term privately negotiated investment capital to growth-oriented companies and we actively manage our investments through our contract structure, we do not believe that contract exceptions such as breaches of contractual covenants or late delivery of financial statements are necessarily an indication of deterioration in the credit quality or the need to pursue remedies or an active workout of a portfolio investment.

When principal and interest on a loan is not paid within the applicable grace period, our loan administration group will contact the customer for collection. At that time, we will make a determination as to the extent of the problem, if any. We will then pursue a commitment for immediate payment and will begin to more actively monitor the investment. We will formulate strategies to optimize the resolution process and begin the process of restructuring the investment to better reflect the current financial performance of the customer. Such a restructuring may, among other items, involve deferring payments of principal and interest, adjusting interest rates or warrant positions, imposing additional fees, amending financial or operating covenants or converting debt to equity. In general, in order to compensate us for any enhanced risk, we receive appropriate compensation from the customer in connection with a restructuring. During the process of monitoring a loan in default, we will in appropriate circumstances send a notice of non-compliance outlining the specific defaults that have occurred and preserving our remedies, and initiate a review of the collateral. When a restructuring is not the most appropriate course of action, we may determine to pursue remedies available under our loan documents or at law to minimize any potential losses, including initiating foreclosure and/or liquidation proceedings.

When a loan becomes 90 days or more past due, or if we otherwise do not expect the customer to be able to service its debt and other obligations, we will, as a general matter, place the loan on non-accrual status and cease recognizing interest income on that loan until all principal has been paid. However, we may make exceptions to this policy if the investment is well secured and in the process of collection. For federal income tax purposes, this interest income is included in taxable income.

Portfolio Overview

Our investments are primarily senior secured commercial loans, subordinated debt and equity-based investments. Some of our loans include warrants, options, success fees, equity co-investments and other equity-like features. Currently, our customer base includes primarily small- and medium-sized private companies in the communications, information services, media, and technology, including software and technology-enabled business services, industry sectors. Our capital is generally used by our portfolio companies to finance acquisitions, recapitalizations, management buyouts, organic growth and working capital. In addition, we have occasionally made loans to individuals who are principals in these companies where the proceeds are used by or in connection with the operations or capitalization of such companies. At December 31, 2003, our largest customer, Superior Publishing Corporation, represented approximately 8.1% of the fair value of our investments and our ten largest customers represented approximately 40.1% of the total fair value of our investments.

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Our senior debt instruments generally provide for a contractual variable interest rate between 4% and 14%, a portion of which may be deferred or paid-in-kind (PIK). In addition, approximately 53% of the loan portfolio, based on amounts outstanding at fair value as of December 31, 2003, has floors of between 1.25% and 3% on the LIBOR base index. Approximately 84% of the loans in our portfolio, based on amounts outstanding at fair value as of December 31, 2003, were at variable rates determined on the basis of a benchmark LIBOR or prime rate and approximately 16% were at fixed rates. The weighted average rate spread over LIBOR on interest bearing investments at December 31, 2003 was 11.2%. Our subordinated secured debt instruments generally provide for a contractual rate of interest between 14% and 20%, a portion of which may be deferred or paid-in-kind (PIK).

Our loans generally have stated maturities at origination that range from 2 to 8 years. The weighted average maturity of our loan portfolio at December 31, 2003 was approximately 5.8 years. The weighted average maturity of our loan portfolio excluding our investments in the newspaper sub-sector was 5.3 years. Our customers typically pay us an origination fee based on a percentage of the commitment amount, and in some instances our customers are permitted to prepay our loans without penalty. They also often pay us a fee based on any undrawn commitments.

At December 31, 2003, approximately 54% of our loans had detachable warrants or an option to purchase warrants, stock appreciation rights or other equity interests or other provisions designed to provide us with an enhanced internal rate of return. These equity and equity-like instruments generally do not produce a current return, but are held for potential investment appreciation and capital gains. The warrants and options to purchase warrants typically are exercisable immediately and typically remain exercisable for 10 years. The exercise prices on the warrants vary from nominal exercise prices to exercise prices that are at or above the current fair market value of the equity for which we are receiving warrants. In some cases, some or all of the deferred interest may be used to pay the exercise price on the warrants or option to purchase warrants. The equity interests and warrants and options to purchase warrants often include registration rights, which allow us to register the securities after a public offering. We intend to continue to obtain equity and equity-like instruments with similar features from our customers.

In most cases, the warrants and options to purchase warrants have a put right that requires the customer to repurchase our equity position after a specified period of time at its market value or at a formula price generally designed to approximate its market value. The warrants and options to purchase warrants also typically contain customary anti-dilution protection and preemptive rights. Many of the warrants also give us the right to obtain a seat on the customer’s board of directors if and when we exercise the warrants. The warrants and options to purchase warrants are generally freely transferable in accordance with applicable law, although some of the warrants and options to purchase warrants contain rights of first refusal and restrictions on transfers to competitors. We expect that we will generally have similar rights with respect to equity and equity-like investments we make in the future.

While the majority of our investment portfolio continues to be senior debt investments, we have increased our investment activity in subordinated debt investments and equity investments and have increased the percentage of our investment portfolio that is in majority-owned and control companies. Our two largest transactions in 2003 were our control investments in Superior Publishing Corporation and Telecom North Corp. We invested across the capital structure in various debt and equity securities of Superior Publishing Corporation. Our investment in Telecomm North Corp. is also part of a strategy to consolidate a number of UNE-P CLEC telecommunications companies into several larger CLECs. As we continue to make control investments, we intend to be selective about the companies in which we acquire a controlling interest.

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Investment Rating System

In addition to various risk management and monitoring tools, we also use an investment rating system to characterize and monitor our expected level of returns on each investment in our portfolio. We use the following 1 to 5 investment rating scale. Below is a description of the conditions associated with each investment rating:

We monitor and, when appropriate, recommend changes to investment ratings. Our president and chief credit officer review the recommendations and affirm or change the investment ratings at least quarterly.

The following table shows the distribution of our investments on the 1 to 5 investment rating scale at fair value as of December 31, 2003 and 2002:

We monitor loan concentrations in our portfolio, both on an individual investment basis and on a sector or industry basis, to manage overall portfolio performance due to specific customer issues or specific industry issues. At December 31, 2003, of the investments with a 5 rating, $2.6 million were loans, all of which were on non-accrual. Of the investments with a 4 rating, $32.3 million were loans, of which $12.0 million were on non-accrual. At December 31, 2002, of the investments with a 5 rating, $18.0 million were loans, of which $16.9 million were on non-accrual. Of the investments with a 4 rating, $35.4 million were loans, of which $19.6 million were on non-accrual.

COMPETITION

We compete with a large number of financial services companies, including specialty and commercial finance companies, commercial banks and private mezzanine funds, and other sources of financing such as private equity funds, venture capital companies, investment banks and other equity and non-equity based investment funds. Although we do not have a direct competitor that competes in all of our product lines, industry sectors and geographic regions, we compete with financial services companies that target some of our chosen

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industry sectors or geographic areas, or which may only provide corporate finance services to larger companies. Some of the companies we have competed with in the past include community banks that are located in our customers’ and targeted prospects’ home markets. These community banks typically do not focus on our target industry sectors. We also compete against regional and national financial institutions. These include banks such as FleetBoston Financial Corporation, Union Bank of California, Comerica Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and Wells Fargo & Company; commercial finance companies such as The CIT Group and CapitalSource, Inc.; and finance subsidiaries of large industrial corporations such as General Electric Capital Corporation and Textron Financial Corporation.

We do not seek to compete primarily based on the interest rates we offer, and we believe that some of our competitors make senior secured commercial loans with interest rates that are comparable to or lower than the rates we offer. We believe we compete based on:

OUR SUBSIDIARIES

We conduct some of our activities through our wholly owned subsidiaries, MCG Finance I, LLC, MCG Finance II, LLC, MCG Finance III, LLC, MCG Finance IV, LLC and MCG Finance Corporation IH. From time to time, MCG Finance I, LLC and MCG Finance Corporation IH may originate or be the holder of certain loans and investments we make.

We originate loans and sell them to MCG Finance II, a wholly owned special purpose finance subsidiary. MCG Finance II in turn sells the loans to MCG Master Trust, a Delaware business trust we formed in connection with the securitization facility we established in June 2000. The loans MCG Finance II sells to MCG Master Trust must satisfy specific criteria to be eligible for sale. These criteria are established in our loan agreements and credit policy and lending standards. These transactions are structured as on-balance sheet securitizations for accounting purposes.

We also originate loans and sell them to MCG Finance III, another wholly owned special purpose finance subsidiary. MCG Finance III in turn sells the loans to MCG Commercial Loan Trust 2001-1, a Delaware business trust we formed in connection with the securitization facility we established in December 2001. These transactions are structured as on-balance sheet securitizations for accounting purposes.

We also originate loans and sell them to MCG Finance IV, another wholly owned special purpose finance subsidiary. MCG Finance IV in turn sells the loans to MCG Commercial Loan Trust 2003-1, a Delaware business trust we formed in connection with the securitization facility we established in January 2004. These transactions are structured as on-balance sheet securitizations for accounting purposes.

INVESTMENT POLICIES

Our investment policies provide that we will not:

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All of the above policies and the investment and lending guidelines set by our board of directors or any committees, including our investment objective to achieve current income and capital gains, are not “fundamental” as defined under the 1940 Act. Therefore, our board may change them without notice to or approval by our stockholders, but any change may require the consent of our lenders.

Other than the restriction pertaining to the issuance of senior securities discussed earlier, the percentage restrictions on investments generally apply at the time a transaction is effected. A subsequent change in a percentage resulting from market fluctuations or any cause other than an action by us will not require us to dispose of portfolio securities or to take other action to satisfy the percentage restriction.

We will at all times conduct our business so as to retain our status as a business development company. In order to retain that status, we may not acquire any assets, other than non-investment assets necessary and appropriate to our operations as a business development company, if after giving effect to such acquisition the value of our “qualifying assets” is less than 70% of the value of our total assets.

We concentrate our investments in the communications, information services, media, and technology, including software and technology-enabled business services, industry sectors. From time to time, we may add new sectors or subsectors.

EMPLOYEES

As of December 31, 2003, we employed 53 employees in our two offices, including investment and portfolio management professionals, operations professionals, in-house legal counsel, and administrative staff. We believe that our relations with our employees are good.

CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

Through December 31, 2001, we were subject to tax as an ordinary corporation under Subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code. We elected to be treated as a “regulated investment company” or “RIC” under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code with the filing of our federal corporate income tax return for 2002, which election was effective as of January 1, 2002. As a RIC, we generally will not have to pay corporate taxes on any income we distribute to our stockholders as dividends, which will allow us to reduce or eliminate our corporate-level tax liability.

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One requirement to qualify as a RIC was that, by December 31, 2002, we were required to eliminate the earnings and profits accumulated while we were taxable under Subchapter C. We accomplished this by paying cash dividends to our stockholders in 2002. The cash dividend of $0.86 per share declared in December 2001 and paid in the first quarter of 2002 represented the distribution of substantially all of our earnings and profits for the period from our inception through December 31, 2001. Of the $0.46 cash dividend declared in September 2002, $0.03 per share represented the remaining distribution of our earnings and profits for the period from our inception through December 31, 2001.

Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company

If we:

we will be entitled to deduct, and therefore will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on, the portion of our income we distribute to stockholders other than any built-in gain recognized between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2011.

In general, distributions of our investment company taxable income will be taxable to stockholders as ordinary income. Distributions of capital gain (including deemed distributions) generally will be taxable to stockholders as capital gain. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rate on any income not distributed (or deemed distributed).

We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax to the extent we do not distribute (actually or on a deemed basis) 98% of our income (both ordinary income and net capital gains). The excise tax will apply to the excess of 98% of our income over the amount of income actually (or deemed) distributed to our stockholders. We generally will endeavor in each taxable year to avoid any U.S. federal excise taxes on our earnings.

In order to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes, we must, among other things:

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We may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount, 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 also may have to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as paid-in-kind interest, contractual interest on non-accrual loans and deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid as non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. Additionally, we will have to include in income amounts previously deducted with respect to certain restricted stock granted to our employees, if such stock is forfeited. Because any original issue discount or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our stockholders in the amount of that non-cash income in order to satisfy the 90% Distribution Requirement, even though we will not have received any cash representing such income.

If we fail to satisfy the 90% Distribution Requirement or otherwise fail to qualify as a RIC in any taxable year, we will be subject to tax in that year on all of our taxable income, regardless of whether we make any distributions to our stockholders. In that case, all of our income will be subject to corporate-level tax, reducing the amount available to be distributed to our stockholders, and all of our distributions to our stockholders will be characterized as ordinary dividends (to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits). Such dividends will be subject to tax to U.S. Stockholders at a maximum rate of 15 percent.

Treatment of Pre-Conversion Built-in Gain

As of January 1, 2002, we held substantial assets (including intangible assets not reflected on the balance sheet, such as goodwill) with built-in gain (i.e., with a fair market value in excess of tax basis). Under a special tax rule that applies to corporations that convert from taxation under Subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code to taxation as a RIC, we are required to pay corporate level tax on the amount of any net built-in gains we recognize within ten years after the effective date of our election to be treated as a RIC. Any such corporate level tax will be payable at the time those gains are recognized (which, generally, will be the years in which we sell or dispose of the built-in gain assets in a taxable transaction). Based on the assets we currently anticipate selling within the ten-year period beginning January 1, 2002 and ending December 31, 2011, we expect we may have to pay a built-in gain tax of up to $1.1 million at current corporate tax rates. The amount of this tax will vary depending on the assets that are actually sold by us in this ten-year period and applicable tax rates. Under Treasury Regulations, recognized built-in gains (or losses) will generally retain their character as capital gain or ordinary income (or capital or ordinary losses). Recognized built-in gains that are ordinary in character will be included in our investment company taxable income, and we must distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of any such built-in gains recognized within the ten-year period, net of the corporate taxes paid by us on the built-in gains. Any such amount distributed will be taxable to stockholders as ordinary income. Recognized built-in gains within the ten-year period, net of taxes, that are capital gains will be distributed or deemed distributed to our stockholders. Any such amount distributed or deemed distributed will be taxable to stockholders as a capital gain.

REGULATION AS A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

A business development company is regulated by the 1940 Act. A business development company must be organized in the United States for the purpose of investing in or lending to primarily private companies and making managerial assistance available to them. A business development company may use capital provided by public shareholders and from other sources to invest in long-term, private investments in businesses. A business development company provides shareholders 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.

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As a business development company, we may not acquire any asset other than “qualifying assets” unless, at the time we make the acquisition, the value of our qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the value of our total assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are:

To include certain securities described above as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, a business development company must offer to make available to the issuer of those securities significant managerial assistance such as providing guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations, or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company. We offer to provide managerial assistance to each portfolio company.

As a business development company, we are required to meet a coverage ratio of the value of total assets to total senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200%. 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 Securities and Exchange Commission.

We are periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act.

As with other companies regulated by the 1940 Act, a business development company 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 business development company. Furthermore, as a business development company, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to the company or our shareholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

As a business development company under the 1940 Act, we are entitled to provide loans to our employees in connection with the purchase of shares of our common stock. However, as a result of certain provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we are prohibited from making new loans to, or materially modifying existing loans with, our executive officers for that purpose.

As required by the 1940 Act, we maintain a code of ethics 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.

You may read and copy the code of ethics at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by

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calling the Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-202-942-8090. In addition, the code of ethics is available on the EDGAR Database on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. You may obtain copies of the code of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following Email address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549.

We may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a business development company 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: (i) 67% or more of such company’s shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company. We do not anticipate any substantial change in the nature of our business.

On July 30, 2002, President Bush signed into law the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act imposes a wide variety of new regulatory requirements on publicly-held companies and their insiders. Many of these requirements will affect us. For example:

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act has required us to review our current policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes –Oxley Act and the new regulations promulgated thereunder. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all future regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and will take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.

In addition, the NASDAQ Stock Market has adopted corporate governance changes to its listing standards. We have adopted certain policies and procedures intended to comply with the NASDAQ Stock 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.

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

We determine the net asset value per share of our common stock quarterly. The net asset value per share is equal to the value of our total assets minus liabilities and any preferred stock outstanding divided by the total number of shares of common stock outstanding. At the time of this filing, we do not have any preferred stock outstanding.

At December 31, 2003, approximately 88% of our total assets represented investments recorded at fair value. Value, as defined in Section 2(a)(41) of 1940 Act, is (i) the market price for those securities for which a market quotation is readily available and (ii) for all other securities and assets, fair value is as determined in good faith by the board of directors. Since there is typically no readily ascertainable market value for the investments in our portfolio, we value substantially all of our investments at fair value as determined in good faith by the board of directors pursuant to a valuation policy and a consistent valuation process. Because of the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily ascertainable market value, the fair value of our investments determined in good faith by the board of directors may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for the investments, and the differences could be material. See further discussion in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies.

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Item 2.    Properties

Neither we nor any of our subsidiaries own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation or any of our subsidiaries. Currently, we lease approximately 30,008 square feet of office space in Arlington, Virginia for our corporate headquarters. We also lease office space in Richmond, Virginia.

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

On January 29, 2003, a purported securities class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against us, certain of our officers and the underwriters of our initial public offering. The complaint alleged that the defendants made certain misstatements in violation of Sections 11, 12(a) (2) and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b), Rule 10b-5 and Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Specifically, the complaint asserted that members of the plaintiff class purchased our common stock at purportedly inflated prices during the period from November 28, 2001 to November 1, 2002 as a result of certain misstatements regarding the academic degree of our chief executive officer. The complaint sought unspecified compensatory and other damages, along with costs and expenses. On June 16, 2003, a consolidated amended class action complaint was filed in the proceedings captioned In re MCG Capital Corporation Securities Litigation, 1:03cv0114-A. The consolidated amended complaint named only us and certain of our officers and directors as defendants, and alleged violations of Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated amended class action complaint. On September 12, 2003, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed the lawsuit in its entirety. The plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal to seek review of the district court decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and on February 27, 2004, they filed a Plaintiffs-Appellants’ Opening Brief. The appeal is pending.

We are also a party to certain legal proceedings incidental to the normal course of our business including the enforcement of our rights under contracts with our portfolio companies. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot at this time be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.

Item 4.    Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

Not Applicable.

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PART II

PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol “MCGC.” The following table sets forth the range of high and low closing prices of our common stock as reported on the Nasdaq National Market.

As of March 10, 2004, we had approximately 113 shareholders of record. Such number of shareholders of record does not reflect shareholders who beneficially own common stock in nominee or street name.

SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES

During the three months ended December 31, 2003, we issued a total of 2,477 shares of common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933. The aggregate offering price for the shares of common stock sold under the dividend reinvestment plan was approximately $ 0.04 million.

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

We did not repurchase any shares of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2003.

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DIVIDEND POLICY

Prior to becoming a business development company, we did not make distributions to our stockholders, but instead retained all of our income. As a business development company that elected to be treated as a regulated investment company, we are required to (i) distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income and 90% of any ordinary pre-RIC built in gains we recognize between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2011, less any taxes due on those gains to avoid corporate level taxes on the amount distributed to stockholders (other than any built in gain recognized between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2011) and (ii) distribute (actually or on a deemed basis) at least 98% of our income (both ordinary income and net capital gains) to avoid an excise tax. We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our stockholders of all of our income, except for certain net capital gains and adjustments for long-term incentive compensation expense. We intend to make deemed distributions to our stockholders of any retained net capital gains.

We may not be able to achieve operating results that will allow us to make distributions at a specific level or to increase the amount of these distributions from time to time. In addition, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions due to the asset coverage test for borrowings applicable to us as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and due to provisions in our credit facilities. If we do not distribute a certain percentage of our income annually, we will suffer adverse tax consequences, including possible loss of our status as a regulated investment company. We cannot assure shareholders that they will receive any distributions or distributions at a particular level.

The following table summarizes our dividends declared to date:

The aggregate dividend of $0.86 per share in December 2001 consisted of a dividend of $0.25 per share for the fourth quarter of 2001 and an additional dividend of $0.61 per share representing the distribution of substantially all of our earnings and profits since inception through December 31, 2001. The aggregate dividend of $0.46 declared in September 2002 consisted of a dividend of $0.43 per share for the third quarter of 2002 and an additional dividend of $0.03 per share which represented the remaining distribution of our earnings and profits since inception through December 31, 2001. The aggregate dividend declared in December 2001 along with the $0.03 dividend declared in September, 2002 were required for us to qualify as a regulated investment company. Dividends are paid on all shares including restricted stock.

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Item 6.    Selected Financial Data

The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with our “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto. As discussed in Note A to the Consolidated Financial Statements, we completed an initial public offering and concurrent private offering of our common stock on December 4, 2001. The results of operations for 2001 are divided into two periods, the “Post-IPO as a Business Development Company” period and “Pre-IPO prior to becoming a Business Development Company” period. Different accounting principles are used in the preparation of financial statements of a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and, as a result, the financial results for periods prior to December 1, 2001 are not comparable to the period commencing on December 1, 2001 and are not expected to be representative of our financial results in the future. On January 1, 2001, we adopted the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board Statements (“SFAS”) No. 133 and 138, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities”. As a result of the changes, the financial results for periods prior to January 1, 2001 are not comparable to the period commencing on January 1, 2001 and are not expected to be representative of our financial results in the future.

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Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The information contained in this section should be read in conjunction with the Selected Consolidated Financial Data and Other Data, and our Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report.

This Annual Report, including the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, contains 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 our industry, our beliefs, and our assumptions. Words such as “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “seeks”, and “estimates” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements including without limitation:

• economic downturns or recessions may impair our customers’ ability to repay our loans and increase our non-performing assets,

• economic downturns or recessions may disproportionately impact certain sectors in which we concentrate, and such conditions may cause us to suffer losses in our portfolio and experience diminished demand for capital in these industry sectors,

• 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,

• the risks associated with the possible disruption in the Company’s operations due to terrorism and

• the risks, uncertainties and other factors we identify from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 10-Ks, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks.

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 incorrect. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this Annual Report should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this Annual Report. We undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect subsequent events.

Overview

MCG Capital Corporation is a solutions-focused financial services company providing financing and advisory services to a variety of small and medium-sized companies throughout the United States with a focus on growth oriented companies. Currently, our portfolio consists primarily of companies in the communications, information services, media, and technology, including software and technology-enabled business services, industry sectors. Our capital is generally used by our portfolio companies to finance acquisitions, recapitalizations, management buyouts, organic growth and working capital. On December 4, 2001, we completed an initial public offering and became an internally managed, non-diversified, closed-end investment company that elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. MCG Capital Corporation elected to be treated for federal income tax purposes as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code with the filing of its federal corporate income tax return for 2002, which election was effective as of January 1, 2002. Pursuant to this election, we generally will not have to pay corporate-level taxes on any income we distribute to our stockholders as dividends, allowing us to substantially reduce or eliminate our corporate-level tax liability.

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The results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002, and the one-month period from December 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001 reflect our results as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The one-month period from December 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001 includes a one-time conversion adjustment. The eleven-month period from January 1, 2001 through November 30, 2001 reflects our results prior to operating as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The principal differences between these two reporting periods relate to accounting for investments and income taxes. See Note A to our Consolidated Financial Statements. In addition, certain prior year items have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation as a business development company.

Portfolio Composition and Asset Quality

Our primary business is lending to and investing in growth oriented private businesses, through investments in senior debt, subordinated debt and equity-based investments, including warrants and equity appreciation rights.

The total portfolio value of our investments was $698.9 million, $688.9 million, and $617.2 million at December 31, 2003, 2002, and 2001, respectively (exclusive of unearned income). The increase in investments during 2003 was primarily due to newly originated debt and equity investments. During 2003, our originations of debt included $32.0 million of subordinated debt to two new portfolio companies. In addition, during 2003 a higher proportion of our new origination activity was in the form of equity securities, which included new investments of $44.1 million to control companies. Our early pay-offs and sales of securities also increased over prior years due mainly to pay-offs of $42.5 million from six companies in the publishing industry and $46.5 million from four companies in the broadcasting industry. The increase in investments during 2002 was primarily attributable to originated debt securities, including $55.5 million of subordinated debt to four companies. See Note A to our consolidated financial statements for further discussion of investment valuations.

Total portfolio investment activity as of and for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, and 2001 was as follows:

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Business activity for the year ended December 31, 2003 included investments in eleven new companies totalling $118.1 million and follow on investments in several of our existing companies. The two largest transactions were with Telecomm North Corp. and Superior Publishing Corporation. We invested approximately $32 million in a newly formed wholly owned portfolio company, Telecomm North Corp., which entered into an agreement to merge with another of our portfolio companies, Bridgecom Holdings, Inc. This merger was completed in the first quarter of 2004 after regulatory approval was obtained. We established and invested $36 million in the debt and equity of Superior Publishing Corporation. Superior purchased the stock of our longtime community newspaper customer Murphy McGinnis Media, Inc.

The business activity for 2003 includes a higher proportion of investing in the debt and equity securities of majority-owned and other control companies. While the majority of our investment portfolio continues to be senior debt investments, our business strategy to diversify our investments to cover the entire capital structure has resulted in an increase in subordinated debt investments and equity investments and has increased the percentage of our investment portfolio that is in majority-owned and control companies.

Our investment in Telecomm North Corp. is part of a strategy to make more control investments with platform companies. We intend to consolidate a number of UNE-P CLEC telecommunications companies into several larger CLECs, which will provide more scale to their operations, which we believe will improve profitability, leverage the overhead and network infrastructures, and provide more options with respect to capitalization alternatives.

The following table shows the fair value of our portfolio of investments by asset class as of December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 (excluding unearned income):

Set forth below is a table showing the composition of MCG’s portfolio by industry sector at fair value at December 31, 2003 and 2002 (excluding unearned income):

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Set forth below is a table showing MCG’s investment originations by industry for the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002:

Asset Quality

Asset quality is generally a function of economic conditions, our underwriting and ongoing management of our investment portfolio. As a business development company, our loans and equity investments are carried at market value or, in the absence of market value, at fair value as determined by our board of directors in good faith on a quarterly basis. As of December 31, 2003 and 2002, net unrealized depreciation on investments totaled $29.2 million and $43.1 million, respectively. For additional information on the decrease in unrealized depreciation on investments, see the section entitled “Net Investment Gains and Losses”.

In addition to various risk management and monitoring tools, we also use an investment rating system to characterize and monitor our expected level of returns on each investment in our portfolio. We use the following 1 to 5 investment rating scale. Below is a description of the conditions associated with each investment rating:

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The following table shows the distribution of our investments on the 1 to 5 investment rating scale at fair value as of December 31, 2003 and 2002:

The investment rating 1 balance increased from $109.3 million at December 31, 2002 to $234.5 million at December 31, 2003 primarily due to originations and upgrades of 2- and 3-rated investments. The origination of 1-rated investments included new equity and subordinated debt in control companies and the rating upgrades included investments in the telecommunications and information services sectors. Early payoffs created most of the decrease in the 2-rated investments.

We monitor loan concentrations in our portfolio, both on an individual loan basis and on a sector or industry basis, to manage overall portfolio performance due to specific customer issues or specific industry issues. At December 31, 2003, of the investments with a 5 rating, $2.6 million were loans, all of which were on non-accrual. Of the investments with a 4 rating, $32.3 million were loans, of which $12.0 million were on non-accrual. At December 31, 2002, of the investments with a 5 rating, $18.0 million were loans, of which $16.9 million were on non-accrual. Of the investments with a 4 rating, $35.4 million were loans, of which $19.6 million were on non-accrual.

We monitor individual customer’s financial trends in order to assess the appropriate course of action with respect to each customer and to evaluate overall portfolio quality. We closely monitor the status and performance of each individual investment on a quarterly and, in some cases, a monthly or more frequent basis. Because we are a provider of long-term privately negotiated investment capital to growth-oriented companies and we actively manage our investments through our contract structure and corporate governance rights, we do not believe that contract exceptions such as breaches of contractual covenants or late delivery of financial statements are necessarily an indication of deterioration in the credit quality or the need to pursue remedies or an active workout of a portfolio investment.

When a loan becomes 90 days or more past due, or if we otherwise do not expect the customer to be able to service its debt and other obligations, we will, as a general matter, place the loan on non-accrual status and cease recognizing interest income on that loan until all principal has been paid. However, we may make exceptions to this policy if the investment is well secured and in the process of collection.

At December 31, 2003 and 2002, there were $4.2 million and $21.5 million, respectively, of loans, or approximately 0.6% and 3.1%, respectively, of the investment portfolio, greater than 60 days past due. At December 31, 2003, $14.6 million of loans, including $0.1 million of the loans greater than 60 days past due, were on non-accrual status representing 2.1% of the investment portfolio. At December 31, 2002, $42.7 million of loans, including all $21.5 million of the loans greater than 60 days past due, were on non-accrual status, representing 6.2% of the investment portfolio. The non-accrual and past due loans at December 31, 2003 and 2002 primarily represented borrowers in the publishing, telecommunications and paging businesses. Portions of the trade publishing industry which are dependent on financial, technology or telecommunications advertising, experienced sluggish advertising revenue. Certain companies in the telecommunications industry have suffered from competitive pressure from low cost and prepaid cellular calling plans.

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At December 31, 2003, of the $83.1 million of loans to our majority owned companies, $10.5 million were on non-accrual status. At December 31, 2002, of the $26.1 million of loans to our majority owned companies, $10.2 million were on non-accrual status. As of December 31, 2003, of the $18.6 million of loans to controlled companies, $3.9 million were on non-accrual status. At December 31, 2002, all $10.3 million of the loans to our controlled companies were on non-accrual status. As of December 31, 2003, of the $45.6 million of loans to other affiliates, $0.2 million were on non-accrual status. At December 31, 2002, of the $34.3 million of loans to other affiliates, none were on non-accrual status.

When principal and interest on a loan is not paid within the applicable grace period, we will contact the customer for collection. At that time, we will make a determination as to the extent of the problem, if any. We will then pursue a commitment for immediate payment and if we have not already, we will begin to more actively monitor the investment. We will formulate strategies to optimize the resolution process and will begin the process of restructuring the investment to better reflect the current financial performance of the customer. Such a restructuring may involve deferring payments of principal and interest, adjusting interest rates or warrant positions, imposing additional fees, amending financial or operating covenants or converting debt to equity. In general, in order to compensate us for any enhanced risk, we receive additional compensation from the customer in connection with a restructuring. During the process of monitoring a loan that is out of compliance, we will in appropriate circumstances send a notice of non-compliance outlining the specific defaults that have occurred and preserving our remedies, and initiate a review of the collateral. When a restructuring is not the most appropriate course of action, we may determine to pursue remedies available under our loan documents or at law to minimize any potential losses, including initiating foreclosure and/or liquidation proceedings.

Prior to our conversion to a business development company, we provided an allowance for loan losses estimated to be sufficient to absorb probable future losses, net of recoveries. From inception through November 30, 2001, we had provided $20.3 million of allowance for loan losses, including $2.0 million of allowance recorded in the asset acquisition and had charged-off $14.8 million.

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Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001

The following table shows our selected operating data for the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002, the one-month period ended December 31, 2001, the eleven-month period ended November 30, 2001, and the year ended December 31, 2001. For 2001, the one-month period from December 1, 2001 to December 31, 2001 reflects our financial results as a business development company, and the eleven-month period from January 1, 2001 to November 30, 2001 reflects our financial results prior to operating as a business development company. Certain accounting adjustments were made to our financial results for the one-month period from December 1, 2001 to December 31, 2001 due to our conversion to a business development company. The adjustments primarily relate to the value at which we carry our investments in our financial statements and the benefits associated with being a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. See Note A to Consolidated Financial Statements. To help you better understand our 2001 results of operations compared to 2000, we have combined certain items in the table below under the heading “Year Ended December 31, 2001” that were not affected by the change in accounting principles resulting from our conversion to a business development company.

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Operating Income

Operating income includes interest income on commercial loans, dividend income, advisory fees and other income. Interest income is comprised of commercial loan interest at contractual rates and upfront fees that are amortized into income over the life of the loan. Most of our loans contain lending features that adjust the rate margin based on the financial and operating performance of the borrower, which generally occurs quarterly.

The change in operating income from 2002 to 2003 and 2001 to 2002 is attributable to the following items:

Total operating income for the year ended December 31, 2003 increased $3.8 million, or 4.9%, to $80.7 million from $76.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2002. Loan interest decreased by $0.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2002. Average three month LIBOR decreased 58 basis points over these periods from 1.80% to 1.22%, decreasing income by $3.9 million. Average commercial loans decreased 7.6% for the year ended December 31, 2003 when compared to the year ended December 31, 2002, contributing a $5.1 million decrease in income. The coupon spread increased 125 basis points in the year ended December 31, 2003, resulting in a $8.2 million increase in income. LIBOR floors, which are included in approximately 53% of our loans, have had the effect of increasing our spread because such floors have generally been above current LIBOR rates. Loan fees and dividend income increased $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 to the same period in 2002. Advisory fees and other income increased $4.4 million as compared to 2002 due to an increase in business activity in 2003 and due to fees received in conjunction with credit facility waivers. Advisory fees and other income from non-affiliate investments was $4.5 million for both 2002 and 2003 while advisory fees and other income from control and other affiliate investments increased from $0.0 million in 2002 to $4.4 million in 2003. The increase in weighted average spreads and advisory fees and other income more than offset the affects of the decrease in LIBOR rates and decline in average commercial loans for the year ended December 31, 2003 to the same period in 2002.

Total operating income for the year ended December 31, 2002 increased $5.1 million, or 7.1%, to $76.9 million from $71.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. Loan interest increased by $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2001. Average three month LIBOR decreased 201 basis points over these periods from 3.81% to 1.80%, decreasing income by $12.0 million. Average commercial loans increased 18% for the year ended December 31, 2002 when compared to the year ended December 31, 2001, contributing a $10.9 million increase in income. The coupon spread increased 53 basis points in the year ended December 31, 2002, resulting in a $2.8 million increase in income. Loan fees increased $0.7 million primarily from origination fees. Due to a number of analytical modeling and other financial advisory projects completed during 2002 for new and existing customers, advisory and other income increased $2.7 million as compared to 2001. The loan growth, increase in weighted average spreads and rise in advisory and other income more than offset the affects of the decreases in LIBOR rates from the year ended December 31, 2001 to the same period in 2002.

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Operating Expenses

Operating expenses include interest expense on borrowings, including amortization of deferred debt issuance costs, employee compensation, and general and administrative expenses.

The change in operating expense from 2002 to 2003 and 2001 to 2002 is attributable to the following items:

Total operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2003 increased $0.9 million, or 2.8%, to $33.1 million from $32.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2002. The increase was primarily due to an increase in salaries and benefits and general and administrative expense partially offset by a decline in interest expense. Average three month LIBOR decreased 58 basis points over these periods from 1.80% to 1.22%, which caused interest expense to decline by $1.9 million. Borrowing costs decreased from $11.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 to $10.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2003. Average borrowings increased 1.1%, increasing interest expense by $0.1 million. The increase in spreads caused interest expense to rise by $1.4 million. Salaries and benefits increased $1.1 million primarily due to higher variable annual incentive compensation. Long-term incentive compensation relates to the termination of our stock option plan upon conversion to a business development company in 2001. This expense consists of non-cash amortization of restricted stock awards and the treatment of dividends on all shares of common stock securing employee loans as compensation. Long-term incentive compensation decreased $0.3 million over these periods. See “—Recent Developments” and Note I to Consolidated Financial Statements. General and administrative expenses increased $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2003 as compared to the same period in 2002 primarily due to higher expenses related to increased professional fees from servicing and restructuring certain loans as well as an increase in certain general and administrative expenses associated with MCG’s expanded office facilities.

Total operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2002 decreased $12.8 million, or 28.4%, to $32.2 million from $44.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. The decrease was primarily due to a decline in interest expense as average borrowings and rates both declined. Average three month LIBOR decreased 201 basis points over these periods from 3.81% to 1.80%, which caused interest expense to decline by $7.4 million. Borrowing costs decreased from $25.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2001 to $11.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2002. Average borrowings decreased 20%, decreasing interest expense by $4.1 million. On December 27, 2001, we issued investment grade asset backed bonds with a blended coupon spread of 75 basis points over LIBOR and, along with a portion of the proceeds from our initial public offering, replaced a debt facility priced at LIBOR plus 175 basis points. The decrease in spreads lowered interest expense by $3.2 million. Salaries and benefits declined $0.8 million. Partially offsetting the decline in interest expense and salaries and benefits was an increase of $1.7 million in long-term incentive compensation in 2002 from $4.9 million in 2001. The increase in long-term incentive compensation is related to the non-cash amortization of restricted stock awards and the treatment of dividends on all shares of common stock securing employee loans as compensation.

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See “—Recent Developments” and Note I to Consolidated Financial Statements. General and administrative expenses increased $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 as compared to the same period in 2001 primarily due to expenses related to operating as a public company and professional fees associated with problem credits.

Net operating income before investment gains and losses/provision for loan losses

Net operating income before investment gains and losses for the year ended December 31, 2003 totaled $47.6 million compared with net operating income before investment gains and losses of $44.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 and net operating income before investment gains and losses/provision for loan losses of $26.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. Because we are a business development company and our investments are carried at fair value, we no longer record a provision for loan losses. See discussion in “—Overview”. For the period prior to conversion to a business development company, the provision for loan losses amounted to $10.3 million for the eleven-month period ended November 30, 2001.

Net Investment Gains (Losses)

For the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 net investment gains (losses) totaled ($5.6) million, ($41.5) million and ($4.6) million, respectively. These amounts represent the total of net realized gains and losses, net unrealized appreciation and depreciation and reversals of unrealized appreciation and depreciation as summarized in the following tables. Reversals of unrealized appreciation and depreciation occur when a gain or loss becomes realized.

For 2003, net realized losses on loans totaled $23.8 million and occurred primarily in the publishing and communications sectors. These losses were triggered by foreclosures on loan collateral, debt to equity conversions, and the sale of a distressed loan. We generated a net realized gain totaling $4.2 million through sales of communications and technology common stock and warrants. Unrealized appreciation totaled $10.8 million consisting primarily of gains in equity investments in the communication sector. Unrealized depreciation totaled $18.7 million and consisted of depreciation on debt and equity investments in the communications and publishing sectors. The reversal of net unrealized depreciation associated with the realization of gains and losses totaled $21.9 million.

For 2002, net realized losses totaled $41.5 and were comprised of $9.6 million in realized losses and $31.9 million of net unrealized depreciation on investments. More than 80% of the decrease in the value of our investments can be attributed to pressure on the operations of nine portfolio companies. Six of these portfolio companies, that derive substantial advertising revenues from telecommunications, technology and financial services companies, have experienced a disproportionately negative impact from the current advertising recession. The other three portfolio companies have suffered from significant competitive pressure from low cost and prepaid cellular calling plans.

Realized losses totaled $1.7 million for the eleven-month period ended November 30, 2001 and represented impairment write-offs on equity investments. For the year ended December 31, 2000, net realized gains totaled $2.1 million and were primarily related to net gains on the sale of warrants during the year.

Net unrealized depreciation on investments of $1.3 million for the one-month period ended December 31, 2001 reflects the change in fair value for all investments from the date of conversion to a business development company. Prior to conversion, only certain investments were carried at fair value. Net unrealized depreciation on investments were $1.6 million for the eleven-month period ended November 30, 2001 and were related to the write down in the fair market value of certain warrants accounted for in accordance with SFAS No. 133 and 138.

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The following table summarizes our realized gains and losses on investments for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001:

MCG Capital Corporation

Summary of Realized Gains and Losses on Investments