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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

 

 

Form 10-K

 

 

 

(Mark One)  
   
x

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

   
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014
or
   
¨

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

 For the transition period from          to          

 

Commission file number: 1-35040

 

MEDLEY CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

Delaware   27-4576073
(State or Other Jurisdiction of   (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization)   Identification No.)
     
375 Park Avenue, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10152   10152
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

 

(212) 759-0777

 

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

 

 

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

 

Title of Each Class   Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
     
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share   The New York Stock Exchange
7.125% Notes due 2019   The New York Stock Exchange
6.125% Notes due 2023   The New York Stock Exchange

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ¨ No x

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No x

 

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 the 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 has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ¨ No ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer ¨           Accelerated filer x         Non-accelerated filer ¨        Smaller reporting company ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Yes ¨ No x

 

The aggregate market value of the Registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of March 31, 2014 was $626,162,264. The Registrant had 58,733,284 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding as of December 05, 2014.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of the registrant’s proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A in connection with the registrant’s 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed subsequent to the date hereof, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K. Such proxy statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days following the end of the Registrant’s fiscal year ended September 30, 2014.

 

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MEDLEY CAPITAL CORPORATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page
   
PART I 3
   
Item 1. Business 3
   
Item 1A. Risk Factors 39
   
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 63
   
Item 2. Properties 63
   
Item 3.  Legal Proceedings 63
   
Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures 63
   
PART II 63
   
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 63
   
Item 6.  Selected Financial Data 66
   
Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 67
   
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 81
   
Item 8.  Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 82
   
Item 9.  Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 83
   
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 83
   
Item 9B. Other Information 83
   
PART III 84
   
Item 10.  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 84
   
Item 11.  Executive Compensation 84
   
Item 12.  Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 84
   
Item 13.  Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 84
   
Item 14.  Principal Accountant Fees and Services 84
   
PART IV 85
   
Item 15.  Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 85
   
Signatures 88

 

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PART I

 

In this annual report on Form 10-K, except as otherwise indicated, the terms:

 

  · “we”, “us”, “our”, “Medley Capital” and the “Company” refer to Medley Capital Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries for the periods after our consummation of the formation transaction and to Medley Capital BDC LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, for the periods prior to our consummation of the formation transaction described elsewhere in this Form 10-K;

 

  · “MCC Advisors” and the “Adviser” refer to MCC Advisors LLC, our investment adviser; MCC Advisors is a majority owned subsidiary of Medley LLC, which is controlled by Medley Management Inc., a publicly traded asset management firm, which in turn is controlled by Medley Group LLC, an entity wholly-owned by the senior professionals of Medley LLC; and

 

  · “Medley” refers, collectively, to the activities and operations of Medley Capital LLC, Medley LLC, Medley Management Inc., Medley Group LLC, MCC Advisors, associated investment funds and their respective affiliates.

 

Item 1.      Business

 

GENERAL

 

Medley Capital Corporation is a non-diversified closed end management investment company incorporated in Delaware that has elected to be treated and is regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).  We completed our initial public offering (“IPO”) and commenced operations on January 20, 2011.  The Company has elected and qualified to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), commencing with our first taxable year as a corporation, and we intend to operate in a manner so as to maintain our RIC tax treatment.  We are externally managed and advised by our investment adviser, MCC Advisors, pursuant to an investment management agreement.

 

Our investment objective is to generate current income and capital appreciation by lending directly to privately held middle market companies, primarily through directly originated transactions to help these companies expand their business, refinance and make acquisitions.   Our investment portfolio generally consists of senior secured first lien loans and senior secured second lien loans.  In connection with many of our investments, we receive warrants or other equity participation features which we believe will increase the total investment returns.

 

We believe the middle-market private debt market is undergoing structural shifts that are creating significant opportunities for non-bank lenders and investors. The underlying drivers of these structural changes include: reduced participation by banks in the private debt markets, particularly within the middle-market, and demand for private debt created by committed and uninvested private equity capital. We focus on taking advantage of this structural shift by lending directly to companies that are underserved by the traditional banking system and generally seek to avoid broadly marketed investment opportunities. We source investment opportunities through direct relationships with companies, financial intermediaries such as national, regional and local bankers, accountants, lawyers and consultants, as well as through financial sponsors. As a leading provider of private debt, Medley is often sought out as a preferred financing partner.

 

Our investment activities are managed by our investment adviser, MCC Advisors, which is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. MCC Advisors is an affiliate of Medley and has offices in New York and San Francisco. Our Investment Team, which is provided for by MCC Advisors, is responsible for sourcing investment opportunities, conducting industry research, performing diligence on potential investments, structuring our investments and monitoring our portfolio companies on an ongoing basis.  MCC Advisors’ team draws on its expertise in lending to predominantly privately held borrowers in a range of sectors, including industrials, and transportation, energy and natural resources, financials and real estate.  In addition, MCC Advisors seeks to diversify our portfolio of loans by company type, asset type, transaction size, industry and geography.

 

Our Investment Team has on average over 20 years of experience in the credit business, including originating, underwriting, principal investing and loan structuring. Our Advisor, through Medley, has access to over 78 employees, including over 44 investment, origination and credit management professionals, and over 34 operations, marketing and distribution professionals, each with extensive experience in their respective disciplines. We believe that MCC Advisors’ disciplined and consistent approach to origination, portfolio construction and risk management should allow it to achieve compelling risk-adjusted returns for Medley Capital.

 

MCC Advisors also serves as our administrator and provides us with office space, equipment and other office services. The responsibilities of our administrator include overseeing our financial records, preparing reports to our stockholders and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and generally monitoring the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others.

 

As a BDC, we are required to comply with regulatory requirements, including limitations on our use of debt. We are permitted to, and expect to continue to, finance our investments through borrowings. However, as a BDC, we are only generally allowed to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such borrowing. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our assessment of market conditions and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing.

 

On November 25, 2013, we have received an amended order from the SEC that expanded our ability to negotiate the terms of co-investment transactions with other funds managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates, including Sierra Income Corporation, a non-traded business development company, subject to the conditions included therein. In situations where co-investment with other funds managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates is not permitted or appropriate, such as when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer or where the different investments could be expected to result in a conflict between our interests and those of other MCC Advisors clients, MCC Advisors will need to decide which client will proceed with the investment. MCC Advisors will make these determinations based on its policies and procedures, which generally require that such opportunities be offered to eligible accounts on an alternating basis that will be fair and equitable over time. Moreover, except in certain circumstances, we will be unable to invest in any issuer in which a fund managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates has previously invested. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates.

 

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Under the terms of the relief permitting us to co-invest with other funds managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates, a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors must make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the proposed transaction , including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our stockholders and do not involve overreaching of us or our stockholders on the part of any person concerned and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our stockholders and is consistent with our investment objectives and strategies.

  

On March 26, 2013, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Medley SBIC LP (“SBIC LP”), a Delaware limited partnership, received a license from Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to operate as a Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) under Section 301(c) of the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958.

 

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The SBIC license allows SBIC LP to obtain leverage by issuing SBA-guaranteed debentures, subject to the issuance of a capital commitment by the SBA and other customary procedures. SBA-guaranteed debentures are non-recourse, interest only debentures with interest payable semi-annually and have a ten year maturity. The principal amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures is not required to be paid prior to maturity but may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The interest rate of SBA-guaranteed debentures is fixed on a semi-annual basis at a market-driven spread over U.S. Treasury Notes with 10-year maturities. The SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to SBIC LP’s assets over our stockholders in the event we liquidate SBIC LP or the SBA exercises its remedies under the SBA-guaranteed debentures issued by SBIC LP upon an event of default.

 

SBA regulations currently limit the amount that SBIC LP may borrow to a maximum of $150 million when it has at least $75 million in regulatory capital, receives a capital commitment from the SBA and has been through an examination by the SBA subsequent to licensing.

 

On November 16, 2012, we obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to exclude the debt of SBIC LP guaranteed by the SBA from our 200% asset coverage test under the 1940 Act. The exemptive relief provides us with increased flexibility under the 200% asset coverage test by permitting us to borrow, through SBIC LP, up to $150 million more than we would otherwise be able to absent the receipt of this exemptive relief.

 

Our principal executive office is located at 375 Park Avenue, 33 rd Floor, New York 10152 and our telephone number is (212) 759-0777.

 

Formation Transactions

 

Medley Capital BDC LLC (the “LLC”), a Delaware limited liability company, was formed on April 23, 2010.

 

Prior to the pricing of our IPO, Medley Opportunity Fund LP (“MOF LP”), a Delaware limited partnership, and Medley Opportunity Fund, Ltd. (“MOF LTD”), a Cayman Islands exempted limited liability company, transferred all of their respective interests in six loan participations in secured loans to middle market companies with a combined fair value, plus payment-in-kind interest and accrued interest thereon, of approximately $84.95 million (the “Loan Assets”) to MOF I BDC LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“MOF I BDC”) in exchange for membership interests in MOF I BDC.  As a result, MOF LTD owned approximately 90% of the outstanding MOF I BDC membership interests and MOF LP owned approximately 10% of the outstanding MOF I BDC membership interests. On January 18, 2011, each of MOF LTD and MOF LP contributed their respective MOF I BDC membership interests to the LLC in exchange for LLC membership interests. As a result, MOF I BDC became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the LLC.

 

On January 18, 2011, the LLC converted into Medley Capital Corporation, a Delaware corporation.  As a result, MOF LTD and MOF LP’s LLC membership interests were exchanged for 5,759,356 shares of the Company’s common stock at $14.75 per share.  On January 20, 2011, the Company filed an election to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act.

 

On January 20, 2011, we priced our IPO and sold 11,111,112 shares of common stock at $12.00 per share.  On February 24, 2011, an additional 450,000 shares of our common stock were issued at a price of $12.00 per share pursuant to the partial exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.  Net of underwriting fees and estimated offering costs, the Company raised a total of approximately $129.6 million. Our shares began trading on January 20, 2011 on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “MCC.”

 

Investment Process Overview

 

We view our investment process as consisting of three distinct phases described below:

 

Sourcing and Origination   MCC Advisors sources investment opportunities through access to a network of contacts developed in the financial services and related industries by Medley. It is the Adviser’s responsibility to identify specific opportunities, to refine opportunities through rigorous due diligence of the underlying facts and circumstances while remaining flexible and responsive to client’s needs. With a total of 44 investment professionals in the New York and San Francisco offices involved in sourcing and origination for MCC Advisors, each investment professional is able to maintain long-standing relationships and responsibility for a specified market. These origination efforts attract hundreds of proposals quarterly from lower middle market and middle market companies.

 

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An investment pipeline is maintained to manage all prospective investment opportunities and is reviewed weekly by the Investment Committee of MCC Advisors (“Investment Committee”). The purpose of the investment pipeline, which is comprised of all prospective investment opportunities at various stages of due diligence and approval, is to evaluate, monitor and approve all of our investments, subject to the oversight of our Investment Committee.

 

Credit Evaluation   We utilize a systematic, consistent approach to credit evaluation developed by Medley, with a particular focus on determining the value of a business in a downside scenario. The key criteria that we consider and attributes that we seek include: (i) strong and resilient underlying business fundamentals; (ii) a substantial equity cushion in the form of capital ranking junior in the right of payment to our investment; (iii) sophisticated management teams with a minimum operating history of two years; (iv) a conclusion that overall downside risk is manageable; (v) asset-backed companies that provide collateral support in the form of accounts receivable, inventory, machinery, equipment, real estate, IP and other assets; and (vi) (absent a requirement for future financing beyond the proposed commitment.)  The first review of an opportunity is conducted using the above-mentioned analysis to determine if the opportunity meets MCC Advisors, general investment criteria.  The next three reviews performed by the Investment Committee include the following: (1) an early read memo, (2) Investment Committee update, and (3) Investment Committee approval memo.   MCC Advisors maintains a rigorous in-house due diligence process.  Prior to making each investment, MCC Advisors subjects each potential portfolio company to an extensive credit review process, including analysis of market and operational dynamics as well as both historical and projected financial information. Areas of additional focus include management or sponsor experience, industry and competitive dynamics, and tangible asset values.  Background checks and tax compliance checks are required on all portfolio company management teams and influential operators.

 

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Our due diligence process typically entails:

 

  · negotiation and execution of a term sheet;

 

  · on-site visits;

 

  · interviews with management, employees, customers and vendors;

 

  · review of loan documents and material contracts, as applicable;

 

  · obtaining  background checks on all principals/partners/founders;

 

  · completing customer and supplier calls;

 

  · review tax and accounting issues related to a contemplated capital structure;

 

  · developing a financial model with sensitivity analysis that includes a management case, expected case and downside case;

 

  · receiving third party reports such as environmental, appraisal and consulting reports, as applicable.

 

Monitoring MCC Advisors views active portfolio monitoring as a vital part of our investment process. MCC Advisors utilizes a proprietary portfolio monitoring system, Asset Management System (“AMS”), which maintains a centralized, dynamic electronic reporting system which houses, organizes and archives all portfolio data by investment.  This is the primary system that tracks all changes to investment terms and conditions. AMS produces a report for each investment within the portfolio by summarizing the investment’s general information, terms and structure, financial performance, covenant package, history of events and call notes.  Each month, the previous month reports are archived and an updated report is created. This feature enables MCC Advisors to track the history of every investment, while maintaining access to the most recent reporting information available, ensuring accurate reporting of the investment.

 

MCC Advisors will typically require portfolio companies to adhere to certain affirmative covenants requiring the following reports:

 

· monthly financial statements · annual audits and management letters
       
· monthly covenant certificates · quarterly industry updates
       
· monthly management discussion & analysis · quarterly customer and supplier concentration updates
       
· monthly bank statements · quarterly backlog/pipeline reports
       
· annual insurance certificates · annual budgets and forecasts.

 

MCC Advisors holds quarterly portfolio reviews where the Investment Committee reviews each transaction in detail and reassesses the risk rating presently assigned.

 

Rating Criteria  In addition to external risk management research and internal monitoring tools, we use an investment rating system to characterize and monitor the credit profile and our expected level of returns on each investment in our portfolio. We use a five-level numeric rating scale. The following is a description of the conditions associated with each investment rating:

 

Credit

Rating

  Definition
     
1   Investments that are performing above expectations.
     
2   Investments that are performing within expectations, with risks that are neutral or favorable compared to risks at the time of origination.
     
    All new loans are rated ‘2’.
     
3   Investments that are performing below expectations and that require closer monitoring, but where no loss of interest, dividend or principal is expected.
     
    Companies rated ‘3’ may be out of compliance with financial covenants, however, loan payments are generally not past due.

 

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4   Investments that are performing below expectations and for which risk has increased materially since origination.
     
    Some loss of interest or dividend is expected but no loss of principal.
     
    In addition to the borrower being generally out of compliance with debt covenants, loan payments may be past due (but generally not more than 180 days past due).
     
5   Investments that are performing substantially below expectations and whose risks have increased substantially since origination.
     
    Most or all of the debt covenants are out of compliance and payments are substantially delinquent.
     
    Some loss of principal is expected.

 

Investment Committee

 

The purpose of the Investment Committee, which is comprised of a minimum of three members selected from senior members of MCC Advisors’ Investment Team, is to evaluate and approve all of our investments. The Investment Committee process is intended to bring the diverse experience and perspectives of the committee’s members to the analysis and consideration of each investment. The Investment Committee serves to provide investment consistency and adherence to our core investment philosophy and policies. The Investment Committee also determines appropriate investment sizing and suggests ongoing monitoring requirements.

 

In addition to reviewing investments, Investment Committee meetings serve as a forum to discuss credit views and outlooks. Potential transactions and deal flow are reviewed on a regular basis.  Members of the investment team are encouraged to share information and views on credits with the Investment Committee early in their analysis.  We believe this process improves the quality of the analysis and assists the investment team members to work more efficiently.

 

Each transaction is presented to the Investment Committee in a formal written report. All of our new investments and the exit or sale of an existing investment must be approved by a majority vote of the Investment Committee, although unanimous agreement is sought.

 

Investment Structure

 

Once we have determined that a prospective portfolio company is suitable for investment, we work with the management of that company and its other capital providers to structure an investment.  We negotiate among these parties to agree on how our investment is expected to perform relative to the other capital in the portfolio company’s capital structure.

 

We structure our investments, which typically have maturities of three to seven years, as follows:

 

Senior Secured First Lien Term Loans   We structure these investments as senior secured loans.  We obtain security interests in the assets of the portfolio companies that serve as collateral in support of the repayment of such loans.  This collateral generally takes the form of first-priority liens on the assets of the portfolio company borrower.  Our senior secured loans may provide for amortization of principal with the majority of the amortization due at maturity.

 

Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loans   We structure these investments as junior, secured loans. We obtain security interests in the assets of these portfolio companies that serves as collateral in support of the repayment of such loans. This collateral generally takes the form of second-priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company. These loans typically provide for amortization of principal in the initial years of the loans, with the majority of the amortization due at maturity.

 

Senior Secured Notes   We structure these investments as senior secured loans. We obtain security interests in the assets of these portfolio companies that serve as collateral in support of the repayment of such loans. This collateral generally takes the form of priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company. These loans typically have interest-only payments (often representing a combination of cash pay and payment-in-kind, or PIK interest), with amortization of principal due at maturity. PIK interest represents contractually deferred interest added to the loan balance that is generally due at the end of the loan term and recorded as interest income on an accrual basis to the extent such amounts are expected to be collected.

 

Warrants and Minority Equity Securities   In some cases, we may also receive nominally priced warrants or options to buy a minority equity interest in the portfolio company in connection with a debt investment.  As a result, as a portfolio company appreciates in value, we may achieve additional investment return from this equity interest.  We may structure such warrants to include provisions protecting our rights as a minority-interest holder, as well as a “put,” or right to sell such securities back to the issuer, upon the occurrence of specified events.  In many cases, we may also seek to obtain registration rights in connection with these equity interests, which may include demand and “piggyback” registration rights.

 

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Unitranche Loans   We structure our unitranche loans, which combine the characteristics of traditional senior secured first lien term loans and subordinated notes as senior secured loans.  We obtain security interests in the assets of these portfolio companies that serve as collateral in support of the repayment of these loans. This collateral generally takes the form of first-priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company.  Unitranche loans typically provide for amortization of principal in the initial years of the loans, with the majority of the amortization due at maturity.

 

Subordinated Notes   We structure these investments as unsecured, subordinated loans that provide for relatively high, fixed interest rates that provide us with significant current interest income. These loans typically have interest-only payments (often representing a combination of cash pay and payment-in-kind, or PIK interest), with amortization of principal due at maturity. Subordinated notes generally allow the borrower to make a large lump sum payment of principal at the end of the loan term, and there is a risk of loss if the borrower is unable to pay the lump sum or refinance the amount owed at maturity. Subordinated notes are generally more volatile than secured loans and may involve a greater risk of loss of principal. Subordinated notes often include a PIK feature, which effectively operates as negative amortization of loan principal.

 

We tailor the terms of each investment to the facts and circumstances of the transaction and the prospective portfolio company, negotiating a structure that protects our rights and manages our risk while creating incentives for the portfolio company to achieve its business plan and improve its operating results.  We seek to limit the downside potential of our investments by:

 

  · selecting investments that we believe have a low probability of loss of principal;

 

  · requiring a total return on our investments (including both interest and potential equity appreciation) that we believe will compensate us appropriately for credit risk; and

 

  · negotiating covenants in connection with our investments that afford our portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their businesses as possible, consistent with the preservation of our capital. Such restrictions may include affirmative and negative covenants, default penalties, lien protection, change of control provisions and board rights, including either observation or rights to a seat on the board of directors under some circumstances.

 

We expect to hold most of our investments to maturity or repayment, but we may realize or sell some of our investments earlier if a liquidity event occurs, such as a sale or recapitalization transaction, or the worsening of the credit quality of the portfolio company.

 

Managerial Assistance

 

As a BDC, we offer, and must provide upon request, managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies. This assistance could involve, among other things, monitoring the operations of our portfolio companies, participating in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising officers of portfolio companies and providing other organizational and financial guidance. MCC Advisors provides such managerial assistance on our behalf to portfolio companies that request this assistance. We may receive fees for these services and will reimburse MCC Advisors, as our administrator, for its allocated costs in providing such assistance, subject to the review and approval by our board of directors, including our independent directors.

  

Leverage

 

Through our Senior Secured Term Loan Credit Agreement, as amended (the ‘‘Term Loan Facility’’) and Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, as amended (the ‘‘Revolving Credit Facility’’ and, collectively with the Term Loan Facility, as amended, the ‘‘Facilities’’), we borrow funds to make additional investments, a practice known as ‘‘leverage,’’ to attempt to increase return to our common stockholders. The amount of leverage that we employ at any particular time will depend on our investment advisers and our board of directors’ assessments of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. As of December 8, 2014, total commitments under the Facilities are $517.5 million, comprised of $346.0 million committed to the Revolving Credit Facility and $171.5 million committed to the Term Loan Facility. With these additional commitments, the Company has exercised the aggregate accordion feature permitting subsequent increases to the Facilities up to an aggregate maximum amount of $600.0 million. We are also subject to certain regulatory requirements relating to our borrowings. For a discussion of such requirements, see ‘‘Regulation — Senior Securities’’ and ‘‘Regulation — Small Business Investment Company Regulations.’’

 

We may from time to time seek to retire or repurchase our common stock through cash purchases, as well as retire, cancel or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges, in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual and regulatory restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

 

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Competition

 

Our primary competitors to provide financing to private middle-market companies are public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies, other BDCs, SBICs and private equity and hedge funds. Some competitors may have access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or to the distribution and other requirements we must satisfy to maintain our favorable RIC tax status.

 

Employees

 

We do not have any employees. Our day-to-day investment operations are managed by our investment adviser. Our investment adviser employs a total of 44 investment professionals, including its principals. In addition, we reimburse our administrator for the allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by it in performing its obligations under an administration agreement, including the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer, and their staff.

 

Administration

 

We have entered into an administration agreement, pursuant to which MCC Advisors furnishes us with office facilities, equipment and clerical, bookkeeping, recordkeeping and other administrative services at such facilities. Under our administration agreement, MCC Advisors performs, or oversees the performance of, our required administrative services, which include, among other things, being responsible for the financial records which we are required to maintain and preparing reports to our stockholders and reports filed with the SEC.

 

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Information Available

 

We maintain a website at http://www.medleycapitalcorp.com .  We make available, free of charge, on our website, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this annual report on Form 10-K and you should not consider information contained on our website to be part of this annual report on Form 10-K or any other report we file with the SEC.

 

INVESTMENTS

 

We have built a diverse portfolio that includes senior secured first lien term loans, senior secured second lien term loans, unitranche, senior secured notes, subordinated notes and warrants and minority equity securities by investing approximately $10 million to $50 million of capital, on average, in the securities of middle-market companies.

 

The following table shows the portfolio composition by industry grouping at fair value at September 30, 2014 (dollars in thousands):

 

   Investments at     
   Fair Value   Percentage 
Business Services  $141,825    11.4%
Buildings and Real Estate   128,332    10.3 
Automobile   102,910    8.3 
Oil and Gas   93,212    7.5 
Aerospace & Defense   70,767    5.7 
Home and Office Furnishings, Housewares, and Durable Consumer Products   67,008    5.4 
Healthcare, Education and Childcare   66,518    5.3 
Personal, Food and Miscellaneous Services   61,851    5.0 
Retail Stores   55,753    4.5 
Diversified/Conglomerate Manufacturing   50,134    4.0 
Telecommunications   49,326    3.9 
Mining, Steel, Iron and Nonprecious Metals   43,491    3.5 
Leisure, Amusement, Motion Pictures, Entertainment   35,834    2.9 
Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber   35,095    2.8 
Finance   34,417    2.8 
Personal and Nondurable Consumer Products (Manufacturing Only)   34,210    2.7 
Beverage, Food and Tobacco   33,920    2.7 
Containers, Packaging and Glass   32,440    2.6 
Structure Finance Securities   27,317    2.2 
Machinery (Nonagriculture, Nonconstruction, Nonelectric)   25,852    2.1 
Diversified/Conglomerate Service   25,604    2.0 
Restaurant & Franchise   21,158    1.7 
Electronics   8,039    0.6 
Cargo Transport   525    0.1 
Total  $1,245,538    100.0%

 

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The following table shows the portfolio composition by industry grouping at fair value at September 30, 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

   Investments at     
   Fair Value   Percentage 
Personal, Food and Miscellaneous Services  $72,586   $9.7%
Healthcare, Education and Childcare   64,138    8.6 
Business Services   59,932    8.0 
Personal and Nondurable Consumer Products (Manufacturing Only)   48,017    6.4 
Automobile   43,733    5.8 
Mining, Steel, Iron and Nonprecious Metals   42,743    5.7 
Finance   42,182    5.6 
Home and Office Furnishings, Housewares, and Durable Consumer Products   40,139    5.4 
Retail Stores   39,196    5.2 
Buildings and Real Estate   36,570    4.9 
Oil and Gas   35,987    4.8 
Restaurant & Franchise   32,249    4.3 
Aerospace & Defense   29,567    3.9 
Hotels, Motels, Inns and Gaming   26,018    3.5 
Diversified/Conglomerate Service   25,336    3.4 
Diversified/Conglomerate Manufacturing   23,608    3.2 
Beverage, Food and Tobacco   16,863    2.2 
Telecommunications   12,329    1.6 
Cargo Transport   12,305    1.6 
Containers, Packaging and Glass   12,000    1.6 
Leisure, Amusement, Motion Pictures, Entertainment   9,791    1.3 
Machinery (Nonagriculture, Nonconstruction, Nonelectric)   8,002    1.1 
Electronics   7,977    1.1 
Grocery   7,969    1.1 
Total  $749,237    100.0%

  

The following table sets forth certain information as of September 30, 2014, for each portfolio company in which we had an investment. Other than these Investments, our only formal relationship with our portfolio companies is the managerial assistance that we provide upon request and the board observer or participation rights we may receive in connection with our investment. 

 

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Name of     Security         Principal       Percentage 
Portfolio     Owned     Interest   Due at       of 
Company  Sector  by Us  Maturity  Rate (1)   Maturity   Fair Value   Net Assets 
                          
AAR Intermediate Holdings, LLC (Bridge Loan)  Oil and Gas  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  3/30/2019   13.00%  $36,831,683   $34,323,923    4.7%
AAR Intermediate Holdings, LLC  Oil and Gas  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  6/30/2015   13.00%   3,168,317    3,168,317    0.4%
AAR Intermediate Holdings, LLC  Oil and Gas  Warrants  3/30/2019   -    -    2,507,760    0.3%
Accupac, Inc.  Containers, Packaging and Glass  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  11/10/2018   12.29%   10,000,000    10,000,000    1.4%
Aderant North America, Inc.  Electronics  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  6/20/2019   10.00%   4,550,000    4,614,519    0.6%
Albertville Quality Foods, Inc.  Beverage, Food and Tobacco  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  10/31/2018   10.50%   17,452,830    17,697,519    2.4%
Allen Edmonds Corporation  Retail Stores  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  5/27/2019   10.00%   20,000,000    20,206,400    2.8%
Alora Pharmaceuticals LLC  Healthcare, Education and Childcare  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/13/2018   10.00%   13,300,000    13,544,587    1.9%
AM3 Pinnacle Corporation  Telecommunications  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  10/22/2018   10.00%   7,834,944    7,834,944    1.1%
Amerit Fleet Services, Inc.  Business Services  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  12/21/2016   12.20%   8,206,151    8,196,960    1.1%
Amvestar Holdings LLC  Buildings and Real Estate  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/10/2019   10.00%   6,670,000    6,670,000    0.9%
Amvestar Holdings LLC  Buildings and Real Estate  Preferred Equity  9/10/2019   -    -    3,330,000    0.5%
ARBOC Specialty Vehicles LLC  Automobile  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  3/21/2018   13.50%   20,965,500    21,149,368    2.9%
Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation  Aerospace & Defense  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  3/16/2016   13.25%   16,131,380    16,131,380    2.2%
Autosplice, Inc.  Diversified/Conglomerate Manufacturing  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  6/30/2019   12.50%   14,817,844    14,817,844    2.0%
BayDelta Maritime LLC  Cargo Transport  Warrants  6/30/2016   -    -    524,692    0.1%
Be Green Manufacturing and Distribution Centers LLC  Containers, Packaging and Glass  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  12/13/2018   11.00%   5,000,000    4,928,350    0.7%
Be Green Manufacturing and Distribution Centers LLC  Containers, Packaging and Glass  Senior Secured First Lien Delayed Draw  12/13/2018   11.00%   1,791,667    1,731,958    0.2%
Be Green Manufacturing and Distribution Centers LLC  Containers, Packaging and Glass  Revolver  12/13/2018   11.00%   354,167    341,250    0.0%
Be Green Manufacturing and Distribution Centers LLC  Containers, Packaging and Glass  Warrants  12/13/2018   -    -    287,947    0.0%
Brantley Transportation LLC  Oil and Gas  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  8/2/2017   12.00%   9,375,000    9,375,000    1.3%
California Products Corporation  Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  5/27/2019   13.00%   13,750,000    13,879,800    1.9%
Calloway Laboratories, Inc.  Healthcare, Education and Childcare  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/30/2015   17.00%   31,800,948    15,484,032    2.1%
Calloway Laboratories, Inc.  Healthcare, Education and Childcare  Warrants  9/30/2015   -    -    -    0.0%
CP OPCO LLC  Leisure, Amusement, Motion Pictures, Entertainment  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/30/2020   7.75%   20,000,000    20,000,000    2.7%
ContMid, Inc.  Automobile  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  10/25/2019   10.00%   15,000,000    15,000,000    2.1%
ConvergeOne Holdings Corporation  Business Services  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  6/17/2021   9.00%   12,500,000    12,458,750    1.7%
Cornerstone Research & Development, Inc.  Healthcare, Education and Childcare  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  4/28/2019   10.50%   20,000,000    20,013,000    2.7%
Cornerstone Research & Development, Inc.  Healthcare, Education and Childcare  Equity  4/28/2019   -    -    346,272    0.0%
Crow Precision Components LLC  Aerospace & Defense  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/30/2019   9.50%   10,000,000    10,000,000    1.4%
Cymax Stores, Inc.  Home and Office Furnishings, Housewares, and Durable Consumer Products  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  8/1/2015   15.00%   9,473,964    9,154,881    1.3%
Cymax Stores, Inc.  Home and Office Furnishings, Housewares, and Durable Consumer Products  Equity  8/1/2015   -    -    2,279,786    0.3%
Dispensing Dynamics International  Personal and Nondurable Consumer Products (Manufacturing Only)  Senior Secured Note  1/1/2018   12.50%   2,800,000    3,031,000    0.4%
DLR Restaurants LLC  Restaurant & Franchise  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  4/18/2018   13.50%   20,434,015    20,892,695    2.9%
DLR Restaurants LLC  Restaurant & Franchise  Unsecured Debt  4/18/2018   16.00%   265,166    265,166    0.0%
DreamFinders Homes LLC  Buildings and Real Estate  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan B  10/1/2018   14.50%   12,296,397    12,470,916    1.7%
DreamFinders Homes LLC  Buildings and Real Estate  Warrants  10/1/2018   -    -    1,748,827    0.2%
Dynamic Energy Services International LLC  Oil and Gas  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  3/6/2018   9.50%   18,525,000    18,533,151    2.5%
Essex Crane Rental Corp.  Business Services  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  5/13/2019   11.50%   20,000,000    19,922,200    2.7%

 

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Name of     Security         Principal       Percentage 
Portfolio     Owned     Interest   Due at       of 
Company  Sector  by Us  Maturity  Rate (1)   Maturity   Fair Value   Net Assets 
                          
Exide Technologies  Machinery (Nonagriculture, Nonconstruction, Nonelectric)  Senior Secured Note  2/1/2018   8.63%   10,000,000    2,487,500    0.3%
FC Operating LLC  Retail Stores  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  11/14/2017   12.00%   10,350,000    9,854,959    1.4%
Freedom Powersports LLC  Automobile  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/26/2019   13.00%   10,200,000    10,200,000    1.4%
Freedom Powersports LLC  Automobile  Senior Secured First Lien Delayed Draw  9/26/2019   13.00%   -    -    0.0%
GSG Fasteners, LLC  Personal and Nondurable Consumer
Products (Manufacturing Only)
  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  11/18/2018   10.50%   8,662,500    8,835,750    1.2%
Harrison Gypsum LLC  Mining, Steel, Iron and Nonprecious Metals  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  12/21/2017   10.50%   25,459,294    25,078,678    3.4%
HD Vest, Inc.  Finance  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  6/18/2019   9.25%   8,750,000    8,925,000    1.2%
Help/Systems LLC  Business Services  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  6/28/2020   9.50%   15,000,000    15,208,500    2.1%
HGDS Acquisition LLC  Business Services  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  3/28/2018   15.50%   10,101,921    10,019,085    1.4%
Ingenio LLC  Personal, Food and Miscellaneous Services  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  3/14/2019   11.25%   23,634,540    23,606,415    3.2%
Integra Telecom  Telecommunications  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  2/22/2020   9.75%   12,132,000    12,374,640    1.7%
Interface Security Systems  Electronics  Senior Secured Note  1/15/2018   9.25%   3,333,000    3,424,659    0.5%
JD Norman Industries, Inc.  Diversified/Conglomerate Manufacturing  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  3/6/2019   10.25%   23,700,000    23,790,060    3.4%
Lexmark Carpet Mills, Inc.  Home and Office Furnishings, Housewares, and Durable Consumer Products  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/30/2018   11.00%   29,875,880    30,573,482    4.2%
Lighting Science Group Corporation  Containers, Packaging and Glass  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  2/19/2019   12.00%   15,415,114    14,985,957    2.1%
Lighting Science Group Corporation  Containers, Packaging and Glass  Warrants  2/19/2019   -    -    165,000    0.0%
Linc Energy Finance (USA), Inc.  Oil and Gas  Senior Secured Note  10/31/2017   12.50%   3,500,000    3,765,335    0.5%
Lucky Strike Entertainment, L.L.C.  Leisure, Amusement, Motion Pictures, Entertainment  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  12/24/2018   14.00%   11,504,472    11,622,163    1.6%
Lydell Jewelry Design Studio LLC  Personal and Nondurable Consumer Products (Manufacturing Only)  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/13/2018   12.00%   13,072,000    12,312,125    1.7%
Lydell Jewelry Design Studio LLC  Personal and Nondurable Consumer Products (Manufacturing Only)  Warrants  9/13/2018   -    -    -    0.0%
Marine Accessories Corporation  Personal and Nondurable Consumer
Products (Manufacturing Only)
  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  11/26/2018   13.00%   9,927,669    10,031,115    1.4%
Merchant Cash and Capital LLC  Structure Finance Securities  Senior Secured First Lien Delayed Draw  3/4/2016   11.00%   12,203,330    12,316,558    1.7%
Merchant Cash and Capital LLC  Structure Finance Securities  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  8/19/2016   12.00%   15,000,000    15,000,000    2.2%
Meridian Behavioral Health LLC  Healthcare, Education and Childcare  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan A  11/14/2016   14.00%   10,289,141    10,392,032    1.4%
Meridian Behavioral Health LLC  Healthcare, Education and Childcare  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan B  11/14/2016   14.00%   4,600,000    4,600,000    0.6%
Meridian Behavioral Health LLC  Healthcare, Education and Childcare  Warrants  11/14/2016   -    -    2,138,477    0.3%
Miratech Intermediate Holdings, Inc.  Machinery (Nonagriculture, Nonconstruction, Nonelectric)  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  5/9/2019   10.00%   16,000,000    16,059,360    2.2%
Miratech Intermediate Holdings, Inc.  Machinery (Nonagriculture, Nonconstruction, Nonelectric)  Senior Secured First Lien Delayed Draw  5/9/2019   10.00%   -    54,794    0.0%
Modern VideoFilm, Inc.  Leisure, Amusement, Motion Pictures, Entertainment  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/25/2017   13.50%   14,433,924    4,211,819    0.6%
Modern VideoFilm, Inc.  Leisure, Amusement, Motion Pictures, Entertainment  Warrants  9/25/2017   -    -    -    0.0%
Momentum Telecom, Inc.  Telecommunications  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  3/10/2019   9.50%   9,792,982    9,947,124    1.4%
Nation Safe Drivers Holdings, Inc.  Automobile  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  9/29/2020   10.00%   35,278,846    35,278,846    4.8%
Nielsen & Bainbridge LLC  Home and Office Furnishings, Housewares, and Durable Consumer Products  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  8/15/2021   10.25%   25,000,000    25,000,000    3.4%
Northstar Aerospace, Inc.  Aerospace & Defense  Senior Secure Notes  10/15/2019   10.25%   25,000,000    25,000,000    3.4%
Northstar Group Services, Inc.  Buildings and Real Estate  Unsecured Debt  10/24/2019   11.00%   22,920,000    22,920,916    3.1%
Omnivere LLC  Business Services  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan A  5/5/2019   13.00%   18,409,339    16,384,311    2.2%
Omnivere LLC  Business Services  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan B  5/5/2019   13.00%   3,176,202    2,826,820    0.4%

 

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Name of     Security         Principal       Percentage 
Portfolio     Owned     Interest   Due at       of 
Company  Sector  by Us  Maturity  Rate (1)   Maturity   Fair Value   Net Assets 
                          
Omnivere LLC  Business Services  Warrants  5/5/2019   -    -    -    0.0%
The Plastics Group Acquisition Corp  Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  2/28/2019   13.00%   20,999,119    21,215,200    2.9%
Prestige Industries LLC  Business Services  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  1/31/2017   18.00%   6,621,208    6,034,768    0.8%
Prestige Industries LLC  Business Services  Warrants  1/31/2017   -    -    -    0.0%
Prince Mineral Holdings Corp.  Mining, Steel, Iron and Nonprecious Metals  Senior Secured Note  12/15/2019   12.00%   6,800,000    7,302,588    1.0%
RCS Capital Corporation  Finance  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  4/29/2021   10.50%   7,200,000    7,338,600    1.0%
RCS Management Corporation & Specialized Medical Services, Inc.  Diversified/Conglomerate Service  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  4/30/2015   13.00%   25,604,168    25,604,168    3.5%
Red Skye Wireless LLC  Retail Stores  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  6/27/2018   10.00%   25,065,799    25,691,626    3.5%
Reddy Ice Corporation  Beverage, Food and Tobacco  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  11/1/2019   10.75%   17,000,000    16,222,930    2.2%
Response Team Holdings, LLC  Buildings and Real Estate  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  3/28/2019   11.50%   25,280,688    25,646,246    3.5%
Response Team Holdings, LLC  Buildings and Real Estate  Preferred Equity  3/28/2019   12.00%   4,922,899    4,719,386    0.6%
Response Team Holdings, LLC  Buildings and Real Estate  Warrants  3/28/2019   -    -    1,508,887    0.2%
Safeworks LLC  Buildings and Real Estate  Unsecured Debt  1/31/2020   12.00%   15,000,000    15,000,000    2.2%
Sendero Drilling Company LLC  Oil and Gas  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  3/18/2019   11.00%   19,080,000    18,808,201    2.6%
Sendero Drilling Company LLC  Oil and Gas  Warrants  3/18/2019   -    -    2,730,402    0.4%
Seotowncenter, Inc.  Business Services  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  9/11/2019   10.00%   27,500,000    27,500,000    3.8%
Seotowncenter, Inc.  Business Services  Equity  9/11/2019   -    -    500,000    0.1%
Stancor, Inc.  Machinery (Nonagriculture, Nonconstruction, Nonelectric)  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  8/19/2019   8.75%   7,000,000    7,000,000    1.0%
Stancor, Inc.  Machinery (Nonagriculture, Nonconstruction, Nonelectric)  Equity  8/19/2019   -    -    250,000    0.0%
T. Residential Holdings LLC  Buildings and Real Estate  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  3/28/2019   12.00%   20,000,000    20,250,000    2.8%
Taylored Freight Services LLC  Business Services  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  11/1/2017   13.00%   14,529,667    12,777,970    1.8%
Tempel Steel Company  Mining, Steel, Iron and Nonprecious Metals  Senior Secured Note  8/15/2016   12.00%   11,000,000    11,110,000    1.5%
Tenere Acquisition Corp.  Diversified/Conglomerate Manufacturing  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  12/15/2017   13.00%   11,132,618    11,526,596    1.6%
Transtelco Inc.  Telecommunications  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  11/19/2017   10.50%   19,056,000    19,169,192    2.6%
United Road Towing Inc.  Personal, Food and Miscellaneous Services  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  2/21/2020   9.00%   17,000,000    17,000,000    2.3%
United Road Towing Inc.  Personal, Food and Miscellaneous Services  Preferred Equity Class C  2/21/2020   8.00%   18,802,789    18,572,916    2.5%
United Road Towing Inc.  Personal, Food and Miscellaneous Services  Preferred Equity Class A-2  2/21/2020   8.00%   4,667,205    1,573,374    0.2%
United Road Towing Inc.  Personal, Food and Miscellaneous Services  Equity  2/21/2020   -    -    1,098,096    0.2%
Untangle, Inc.  Business Services  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  4/18/2019   12.00%   9,937,500    9,995,436    1.4%
Velocity Pooling Vehicle LLC  Automobile  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  5/14/2022   8.25%   24,000,000    21,281,947    2.9%
Water Capital USA, Inc.  Finance  Senior Secured First Lien Term Loan  1/3/2015   14.00%   26,973,612    18,153,241    2.5%
Wheels Up Partners LLC  Aerospace & Defense  Senior Secured First Lien Delayed Draw  4/15/2021   9.55%   19,552,000    19,635,487    2.7%
Window Products, Inc.  Buildings and Real Estate  Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loan  12/27/2019   11.75%   14,000,000    14,066,360    1.9%
                              
Total Portfolio Investments                $1,278,742,399   $1,245,538,291    170.7%

 

  1 All interest is payable in cash and all LIBOR represents 30-day LIBOR unless otherwise indicated. For each debt investment, we have provided the current interest rate as of September 30, 2013.

 

As of September 30, 2014, the weighted average loan to value ratio (“LTV”) of our portfolio investments based upon fair market value was approximately 57.4%. We believe that the LTV ratio for a portfolio investment is a useful indicator of the riskiness of the portfolio investment, or its likelihood of default. As part of our investment strategy, we seek to structure transactions with downside protection and seek LTVs of lower than 65%. We regularly evaluate the LTV of our portfolio investments and believe that LTV is a useful indicator for management.

 

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As of September 30, 2014, the weighted average yield based upon original cost on our portfolio investments was approximately 12.6%, and 74.0% of our income-bearing investment portfolio bore interest based on floating rates, such as LIBOR, and 26.0% bore interest at fixed rates. The weighted average yield on income producing investments is computed based upon a combination of the cash flows to date and the contractual interest payments, principal amortization and fee notes due at maturity without giving effect to closing fees received, base management fees, incentive fees or general fund related expenses. Each floating rate loan uses LIBOR as its floating rate index. For each floating rate loan, the projected fixed-rate equivalent coupon rate used to forecast the interest cash flows was calculated by adding the interest rate spread specified in the relevant loan document to the fixed-rate equivalent LIBOR rate, duration-matched to the specific loan, adjusted by the LIBOR floor and/or cap in place on that loan.

 

Overview of Portfolio Companies

 

Set forth below is a brief description of the business of our portfolio companies as of September 30, 2014.

 

Portfolio Company   Brief Description of Portfolio Company
     
AAR Intermediate Holdings, LLC   AAR Intermediate Holdings, LLC (the “Company”) provides field support services to oil and gas independent producers, drilling companies and midstream companies in the Denver-Julesburg Basin, with headquarters in the heart of the Wattenberg play in Greeley, CO. The Company builds, repairs, modifies and maintains oil and gas production equipment, sites, well and pipelines.
     
Accupac, Inc.   Accupac, Inc., (“Accupac”) headquartered in Mainland, PA, is a leading contract manufacturer and packager of liquids, lotions, gels, and creams selling to the over-the counter and prescription markets. Founded in 1974, Accupac focuses on and has differentiated capabilities in three attractive verticals of the contract manufacturing space including Topical, Oral Care and Specialty Application.  Accupac’s capabilities are suited for a wide variety of products and the Accupac’s solutions span the breadth of the supply chain including sourcing and procurement, manufacturing and packaging, and finished product distribution.
     
Aderant North America, Inc.   Aderant North America, Inc., (“Aderant”, or the “Company”) founded in 1978 and headquartered in Atlanta, GA, is a leading provider of enterprise software solutions to over 3,200 law firms and other professional services organizations globally. The Company’s software is tailored to address the industry-specific requirements of law firms and professional services organizations, with solutions spanning financial management, time and billing, practice management, rules based calendar, matter management systems, customer relationship management, business intelligence and performance management functions.  The Company targets law and professional services firms of all sizes through its four core products which include Aderant Expert, CompuLaw, Total Office and CRM4Legal.
     

Albertville Quality Foods, Inc.

 

Albertville Quality Foods, Inc. (“AQF” or the “Company”) is an H.I.G. Capital (“H.I.G.” or “Sponsor”) portfolio company which “further processes” and distributes value-added, partially cooked meat products from two facilities located in Albertville, AL and one pork processing facility located in Pontotoc, MS. Together, these facilities provide 185,000 sq. ft. of facility space, eight production lines and employ over 1,000 non-union workers. “Further processing” involves sourcing meats from a variety of suppliers which are then hand-cut, tumbled, massaged, marinated or breaded to meet retail customers’ exact recipe specifications for size, texture, appearance, and flavor profile. ~90% of the Company’s products are chicken-based with the remaining ~10% consisting of pork and beef. AQF primarily produces breaded chicken products including tenders, breasts and bites for long-standing customer contracts with national chains (69% of LTM revenue), foodservice distributors (25% of revenue) and retail establishments (5% of revenue).

     
Allen Edmonds Corporation   Allen Edmonds Corporation, founded in 1922 and headquartered in Port Washington, WI, manufactures men’s footwear, apparel and accessories that are distributed throughout the United States and internationally.
     
Alora Pharmaceuticals LLC   Alora Pharmaceuticals LLC (“Alora”) holds the financial interests of its subsidiaries that develop and manufacture pharmaceuticals, including prenatal vitamins, neutraceuticals, dermatologics and gastroenterologics.  Alora’s primary subsidiaries from which it operates its business and generates revenue consist of Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Acella”) and Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”).  Acella develops and markets a broad portfolio of non-branded generic pharmaceutical and other products in the areas of dermatology, women’s health, pediatrics and other applications. Avion serves as a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and markets a growing portfolio of innovative branded pharmaceutical and dietary supplement products in the women’s health and dermatology areas.

 

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AM3 Pinnacle Corporation   AM3 Pinnacle Corporation (D/B/A “Access Media 3, Inc.”, or the “Company”) headquartered in Oak Brook, IL, is a rapidly growing triple-play provider of digital satellite television, high speed internet and voice services to the residential multi-dwelling unit (“MDU”) market in the United States and is one of the largest private cable operators in the country.  The Company provides services to residential MDUs in 20 different markets across the United States via single-play, double-play and triple-play service options.
     
Amerit Fleet Services, Inc.    Amerit Fleet Services, Inc. (the “Company”) is the largest exclusive provider of fleet service maintenance services in the U.S. to Fortune 20 clients.  Based in Walnut Creek, CA, the Company has 1,300 employees and operates 470 garages throughout the U.S.  The Company is the exclusive provider of fleet services to three of the top seven vehicle fleets in the U.S. and has secured long-term contracts with AT&T, Verizon and Pepsi that involve high customer switching costs.
     
AmveStar Holdings, LLC   AmveStar Holdings, LLC (“AmveStar” or the “Company”) is a leading real estate private equity firm headquartered in Atlantic Beach, Florida, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina. AmveStar is focused on distressed multifamily assets primarily located in the Southeastern region of the United States.
     

ARBOC Specialty Vehicles LLC

 

 

  ARBOC Specialty Vehicles LLC, (“ARBOC”, or the “Company”) based in Middlebury, IN with 110 non-union employees, is a leading provider of low-floor technology solutions for the small and mid-size passenger vehicle market in North America.  ARBOC produces buses that are designed with proprietary, patented technology that provide customers with an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant solution that offers a continuous low-floor entry and exit with no steps or need for a wheelchair lift. The Company sells through a national network of over 20 dealers that cover all 50 states and Canada.
     
Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation   Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation designs and manufactures unmanned aircraft systems and components for use in research, defense and homeland security.
     
Autosplice, Inc.   Founded in 1954 and headquartered in San Diego, CA, Autosplice, Inc. (the “Company”) is a leading global supplier of highly engineered, mission-critical electrical interconnectors to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. The Company serves a wide variety of end-markets, providing the automotive, industrial, telecommunications, medical, transportation, consumer, and other applications. The Company utilizes its vertically integrated operations and global presence to offer significant volumes of highly customized, program-specific consumable interconnector components as well as assemblies.
     
Bay Delta Maritime LLC   Bay Delta Maritime LLC  (the “Company”) is a leading provider of required and regulated tugboat services in the San Francisco Bay.  The Company provides ship escorts, assists and towing services to petroleum tankers and other vessels. Container ships and oil tankers are required by maritime law to utilize the Company’s services in the San Francisco Bay, thus creating a strong base of demand.
     
Be Green Manufacturing and Distribution Centers LLC   Founded in 2007, Be Green Manufacturing and Distribution Centers LLC designs and manufactures sustainable, tree-free, molded fiber products and packaging for the foodservice and consumer packaged goods end markets.

 

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Brantley Transportation LLC   Brantley Transportation LLC, (“Brantley”, or the “Company”) based in Monahans, Texas, was founded more than 50 years ago and is a leading provider of mission-critical transportation services to energy producers and drilling companies in the upstream and midstream energy markets.  Brantley leverages an available fleet of thirty-six trucks, fifty-two trailers, cranes and related specialized heavy equipment to provide its customers with customized services involving drilling rig transportation and field services, which includes the disassembly, transportation, and reassembly of drilling rigs and related equipment as well as production services.
     
California Products Corporation   Headquartered in Andover, MA, California Products Corporation (the “Company”) engages in the manufacture and sale of high quality paints and coatings, sport surfaces, and environmental remediation and containment systems. The Company’s recreational products division is a leading supplier of coatings for tennis court and other sports surfaces.
     
Calloway Laboratories, Inc.   Calloway Laboratories, Inc. (the “Company”) is a leading clinical toxicology laboratory specializing in urine drug testing for pain care patients and substance abuse centers in the U.S.  Founded in 2003 and based in Woburn, MA, the Company employs over 500 people nationally and annually processes over 500,000 urine samples from over 1,000 clients.  The Company has distinguished itself as a specialty provider in the lab toxicology sector given its “high-touch” service model which features the efforts of 200 trained field service representatives that assist in sample collection and processing.
     
ContMid, Inc.   ContMid, Inc. (the “Company”) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of highly engineered metal fasteners, cold formed parts, stampings and assemblies to the automotive and industrials markets.
     
ConvergeOne Holdings Corporation   ConvergeOne Holdings Corporation is a leading independent provider of innovative communications solutions and managed services to large and medium sized enterprises globally.
     
Cornerstone Research & Development, Inc.   Cornerstone Research & Development, Inc., (the “Company”)  is a market-leading, North American producer of critical intermediate and specialty chemicals including AN and melamine, which are marketed globally, and is a leading producer of sulfuric acid for the merchant market in the Gulf of Mexico region. The Company is the sole producer of melamine in North America and one of only two AN merchant producers in North America.
     
CP OPCO LLC   CP OPCO LLC (“Classic Party Rentals”, or “Classic”) founded in 1978 and headquartered in Inglewood, CA, is the #1 event rental solutions provider in the United States. Classic offers its customers a complete solution, pairing a broad portfolio of event rental products and temporary structures with value-added event services.
     
Crow Precision Components LLC   Crow Precision Components, LLC is a Fort Worth, TX based forger of aluminum and steel used for mission critical aircraft components, among other end markets.
     
Cymax Stores, Inc.   Cymax Stores, Inc., (“Cymax”) headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, operates as an online retailer of furniture, home appliances, accessories and small electronic items. Cymax operates ~10 domains and 150 active micro -sites across these categories with 100+ blue-chip vendor relationships, 100+ brands and 26,000+ SKUs.
     
Dispensing Dynamics International   Dispensing Dynamics International (“Dispensing Dynamics”, or the “Company”) is a leading designer and manufacturer of paper towel, bath tissue, soap and odor dispensing systems utilized in commercial “Away-From-Home" washroom settings. Dispensing Dynamics boasts a broad product portfolio which consists of over 4,500 SKUs across the paper OEM, foodservice equipment, and janitorial/sanitation supplies and accessories markets. The Company's products are primarily located in high-traffic AFH washrooms found in airports, stadiums, office buildings, restaurants, schools and universities, and general retail environments.
     

 

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DLR Restaurants LLC   DLR Restaurants LLC (d/b/a “Dick’s Last Resort”, “DLR”, or the “Company”), headquartered in Nashville, TN, operates 10 company owned restaurants and earns a licensing fee on three licensed restaurants located throughout the United States.  Dick’s Last Resort has developed an identifiable brand for its unique casual dining restaurant concept that targets tourists and business travelers in high foot traffic locations.  DLR was established in 1985 and opened its first restaurant in Dallas, TX.  The Company competes in the “concept” niche within casual dining with key competitors such as Margaritaville, Hooters, Senor Frogs, and Joe’s Crab Shack.
     
DreamFinders Homes LLC   Founded in 2009, DreamFinders Homes LLC, (the “Company”) is a residential homebuilder currently operating in the Greater Jacksonville, Florida market. The Company controls approximately 2,039 lots across 30 different communities.  Approximately 15 of these communities are active with the 15 remaining communities expected to come online within the next 12-15 months.
     
Dynamic Energy Services International LLC   Dynamic Energy Services International LLC is a leading provider of full-service fabrication, construction and maintenance services to a broad range of worldwide markets including oil and gas, industrial and petrochemical markets.
     
Essex Crane Rental Corp.   Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Essex Crane Rental Corp. (“Essex”, or the “Company”) is an existing subsidiary of Essex Rental Corp. (the “Parent”) (Nasdaq: ESSX). Essex is one of the world’s largest providers of lattice-boom crawler cranes and tower, max-er and ringer attachments. The Company specializes in crane rentals, used crane sales, and other crane services. The Parent company is one of North America’s largest providers of mobile cranes (including lattice-boom crawlers, truck and rough terrain cranes), self-erecting cranes, stationary tower cranes, elevators and hoists, and other lifting equipment used in a wide array of construction projects across North America.
     
Exide Technologies   Exide Technologies (“Exide”, or the “Company”) is one of the world’s largest lead-acid battery companies in the world. The Company has 2 business segments: (i) Transportation batteries (62%) that include starting, lighting, and ignition batteries for cars, trucks, off-road vehicles, agricultural and construction vehicles and (ii) Industrial Energy (38%) that supplies both motive power (57.4%) and network power (42.6%) applications. Exide operates 33 manufacturing plants, including 24 battery plants, in 11 countries located across the U.S., Europe, Australia and India.
     
FC Operating LLC   FC Operating LLC, founded in 1932 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is the leading specialty Christian retailer comprised of ~282 stores across 38 states with a significant presence in the Southeast, Midwest, California and Texas. The average store is ~5,800 square feet and is open seven days per week.  
     
Freedom Powersports LLC   Freedom Powersports LLC (“Freedom”) is a leading powersports dealer with locations in Texas, Georgia, and Alabama. Freedom is formed in February 2013 when Trinity Private Equity Group facilitated a management-led buyout of two dealership locations and served as the initial dealership platform.
     
GSG Fasteners, LLC   GSG Fasteners, LLC (the “Company”) was founded in 1802 and is a longstanding key supplier of clothing fasteners to apparel manufacturers and specialty fasteners for industrial applications internationally. The Company is headquartered in Clarksville, GA, where it maintains a 300k sq. ft. manufacturing center, and currently employs 216 non-union employees.

 

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Harrison Gypsum LLC   Harrison Gypsum LLC, (“Harrison, “Gypsum”, or the “Company”) founded in 1955, mines and processes gypsum and plaster in Oklahoma and Texas. Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral most commonly found in layered sedimentary deposits and primarily used to create drywall as a finish in walls and ceilings. However, Harrison has successfully been able to develop and market gypsum to a diverse set of end markets, including building products, oil and gas, infrastructure, food/pharmaceuticals, in addition to other industries and associated freight, with products such as fines, filler, plaster, retarder rock, food/pharmaceutical grade gypsum and road rock.
     
HD Vest, Inc.   Headquartered in Irving, TX, HD Vest, Inc. (the “Company”) is a pioneer and market leader in providing training, technology, access to financial products, compliance and support services that allow tax professionals to provide independent financial solutions to retail investors. The Company was founded in 1983 by Herb D. Vest, CPA, who saw an opportunity to provide these financial planning services through tax and accounting professional networks as a result of his own tax clients’ inability to find quality resources that adequately met their financial needs.
     
Help/Systems LLC   Help/Systems LLC (“Help/Systems”, or the “Company”) is a leading provider of system & network management, business intelligence and security & compliance solutions. Help/Systems’ software solutions allow customers to manage their information technology infrastructure more efficiently by increasing automation, reducing costs, providing security and permitting the analysis of an ever-growing base of data collected and managed by its customers. The Company’s “click and play” software can be demonstrated and purchased online and quickly installed and integrated by the customer. Once installed, Help/Systems’ software becomes a critical, embedded component of a customer’s IT infrastructure.
     
HGDS Acquisition LLC   HGDS Acquisition LLC (d/b/a "Footprint"), headquartered in Lisle, IL, is a provider of in-store merchandising and logistics solutions to major retailers and consumer packaged goods manufacturers. Services include Fixture Installation (56% of sales), Light Merchandising (41% of sales) and Store Remodel (3% of sales).  Footprint provides these services both for retailers including, Wal-Mart, Supervalu, Dollar General and Starbucks and brand marketers, such as Philip Morris, Coca-Cola, Merck and Sony. Complementary services include product re-sets and in-store intelligence services for its clients, including the validation of display and product placement.
     
Ingenio LLC   Ingenio LLC (“the “Company”) (d/b/a “Earn Per Call”), founded in 1999 and based in San Francisco, CA, operates an online personal and professional advice marketplace that connects customers with a large network of independent advisors primarily through its website Keen.com. In addition, the Company also owns a suite of three related sites to host its services: ingenio.com, ether.com, and liveadvice.com.
     
Integra Telecom   Integra Telecom (“Integra”, or the “Company”) is a regional fiber-based local exchange carrier that provides integrated communication services across 35 metropolitan areas in 11 states of the Western U.S.  Integra owns (directly or under IRU) a fiber optic network with over 8,000 route miles of fiber, consisting of 3,000 route miles of metro fiber and 5,000 route miles of long haul fiber.  Within its metro network, Integra has direct fiber connection to approximately 1,847 locations.

 

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Interface Security Systems   Interface Security Systems, founded in 1995 and based in Missouri, is a national provider of physical security and secured managed network services to primarily large, commercial multi-site customers and provides the most comprehensive IP technology-enabled managed security solution in the market. It is the only provider of bundled physical security and secured network services, giving it a complete suite of product offerings for customers.
     
JD Norman Industries, Inc.   JD Norman Industries, Inc., (“JD Norman”) founded in 2004 and headquartered in Addison, IL, is a manufacturer of engineered value-added metal components and systems including stampings, wire forms, machined components, coiled springs, and assemblies. Across its four North American facilities, JD Norman is deeply entrenched with its base of blue-chip OEMs, which are diversified across the automotive, heavy truck, agricultural, construction, building technology, and oil and gas end markets.  
     
Lexmark Carpet Mills, Inc.   Lexmark Carpet Mills, Inc., (the “Company”) founded in 1993 and based in Dalton, GA, is a leading carpet manufacturer specializing in patterned broadloom carpet used in hotel rooms, hotel public space, residential uses and exposition halls in the U.S. The Company has supplied carpet to budget, mid-tier and high-end hotels for 20 years through strong relationships in the furniture, fixtures and equipment (“FF&E”) distribution channel and has the third largest market share (11%) of the $350M hospitality market.
     
Lighting Science Group Corporation  

Headquartered in Satellite Beach, Florida, Lighting Science Group Corporation (“LSG”, or the “Company”) is one of the world’s leading light emitting diode (“LED”) lighting technology companies. LSG designs, develops and markets general illumination products that exclusively use LEDs as their light source. The Company’s broad product portfolio includes LED-based retrofit lamps (replacement bulbs) used in existing light fixtures as well as purpose-built LED-based luminaires (light fixtures).

 

Linc Energy Finance (USA), Inc.    Linc Energy Finance (USA), Inc. (“Linc USA”, or the “Company”) was founded in 2011 by its parent corporation Linc Energy Ltd. Linc USA was formed for the purpose of acquiring crude oil and gas producing properties in the United States. The Company is currently engaged in the production, development and exploitation of crude oil and gas in Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming and Alaska.  The Company intends to expand to the Umiat region by May 2013.
     
Lucky Strike Entertainment LLC   Lucky Strike Entertainment, LLC, (“Lucky Strike”, or the “Company”) founded in 2003 and based out of Los Angeles, is the largest upscale bowling owner/operator in the United States.  The Company owns and operates 19 bowling properties across the United States and Canada, with the average location featuring 10 to 26 bowling lanes.  Lucky Strike offers an upscale entertainment venue, where bowling is complemented by quality food and beverages, and a nightlife atmosphere.  
     
Lydell Jewelry Design Studio LLC   Founded in 1992, Lydell Jewelry Design Studio LLC, (“Lydell”) headquartered in New York, provides private label costume/fashion jewelry programs for retail chains in the United States.  As opposed to high end fashion products, Lydell focuses specifically on products that wholesale for less than $10 and mostly retail for $15 to $99.  Since its founding, Lydell has built an infrastructure capable of managing the entire value chain for its retail customers on a scale of almost 3,000 SKUs.
     
Marine Accessories Corporation   Marine Accessories Corporation, (“MAC”, or the “Company”) headquartered in Maryville, TN, was formed in 1998 to become a platform for leading niche boating accessories.  The Company operates across six manufacturing or sourcing facilities in three states and Mexico. The Company operates two primary business units: Canvas Solutions, which offers a full range of mid to high end boat enclosures, and Tower Solutions, the producer of a highly engineered line of wakeboard towers, aluminum structures, and accessories. MAC was a pioneer in the wakeboard tower industry, and currently offers the leading OEM tower brand through Xtreme Tower Products.

 

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Merchant Cash and Capital LLC   Founded in 2005, Merchant Cash and Capital LLC (the “Company”)  is a specialty finance company that provides cash advances to merchants by purchasing a percentage of the merchant‘s future credit card receivables at a discount. The Company’s customers are typically small businesses that exhibit a high volume of daily sales such as restaurants, retailers, auto care establishments, doctors.
     
Meridian Behavioral Health LLC   Meridian Behavioral Health LLC (the “Company”) is a leading provider of high acuity chemical dependency treatments in the state of Minnesota.  The Company was founded in 1988, is based in Minneapolis, MN and operates 14 behavioral treatment centers, offering both inpatient and outpatient programs.  The Company provides daily treatments to approximately 140 patients in its residential programs (represents a utilization rate of over 90%), 700 patients are enrolled in its outpatient programs and ~650 patients receive treatments at its methadone clinic per day.
     
Miratech Intermediate Holdings, Inc.   Miratech Intermediate Holdings, Inc. (“Miratech”, or the “Company”) is a leading provider of highly specialized emissions solutions for natural gas and diesel reciprocating engines.  Founded in 1992 and based in Tulsa, OK, with ~50 employees, Miratech offers catalysts, housings, and services for the power generation, natural gas and compression end markets.  The Company’s highly engineered products are sold into blue chip OEM customers and engine manufacturers.
     
Modern VideoFilm, Inc.   Modern VideoFilm, Inc. (“MVF”, or the “Company”) is a Burbank, California based provider of content creation and content management services for the film, television and digital content industries. MVF’s primary services are content management (61% of revenue) and content creation (39% of revenue). Through these services, the Company provides various critical post-production services to large film and TV studios, including editing, formatting, color correction, mastering, restoration, encoding, digitization in connection with the delivery and distribution of feature films and television shows.
     
Momentum Telecom, Inc.   Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Momentum Telecom, Inc. (“Momentum”) is a subsidiary of a holding company, MBS Holdings, Inc.  Momentum offers residential, small business, and enterprise high speed data and voice-over-IP operational support services.
     
Nation Safe Drivers Holdings, Inc.   Nation Safe Drivers Holdings, Inc is a leading provider of towing and roadside assistance services as well as supplemental insurance related products.
     
Northstar Group Services, Inc.   Northstar Group Services, Inc., founded in 1980 and headquartered in Brea, CA, is the United States’ largest one-stop provider of demolition and environmental remediation services including demolition, asset & scrap recovery, abatement of asbestos, lead, and mold, and disaster response.
     
Nielsen & Bainbridge LLC   Nielsen & Bainbridge LLC is a designer, manufacturer, and provider of custom framing components and ready-made frames for independent framers and mass merchants globally.

 

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Northstar Aerospace, Inc.   Northstar Aerospace, Inc is an independent manufacturer of flight-critical aerospace gears and power transmission systems for domestic and international military and commercial aircraft applications.
     
Omnivere LLC   OmniVere LLC is a fullservice eDiscovery company that serves as a true end-to-end service provider in the eDiscovery industry. Legal discovery is the full disclosure, at opposing counsel’s request, of information related to lawsuits, corporate investigations and regulatory audits. eDiscovery is the process in which electronic discovery data is sought, located, secured, and searched with the intent of using it as evidence in a civil or criminal legal case.
     
Prestige Industries LLC   Presitge Industries LLC (the “Company”) is the largest provider of premium commercial laundry services to the hospitality industry in the New York Tri-State area, operating a network of 3 strategically located laundry facilities.  The Company offers its customers a full suite of laundry services including: (i) terry & linen, (ii) food & beverage, (iii) valet services, (iv) garment cleaning and (v) laundry management.
     
Prince Mineral Holdings Corp.   Prince Mineral Holding Corporation (“Prince Mineral”, or the “Company”) is a leading global value-added distributor of specialty mineral products and niche industrial additives. Prince Mineral sources, processes and distributes its products for use in brick, glass, agriculture, foundry, refractory and steel, oil and gas and coal end markets. The Company functions as a value-added processing intermediary.
     
RCS Capital Corporation  

RCS Capital Corporation (“RCAP” “RCS” or the “Company”) (NYSE: RCAP) is a publicly-traded Delaware holding company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, formed to operate and grow financial services businesses, including independent retail investment advisory, wholesale investment product distribution, investment banking and capital markets, and investment management services. The Company’s financial services businesses focus primarily on serving “mass affluent” retail investors who have investable assets of $100,000 to $1,000,000. RCAP has particular expertise in the distribution of direct investment programs, including publicly registered non-traded real estate offerings (i.e. non-traded REITs), and providing investment banking services to this space. RCAP is also the leading distributor of direct investment programs in the United States, with a 41.2% market share measured by equity capital raised in 2013 for non-traded REITs, the largest segment of direct investment programs. In addition, the Company’s investment banking, capital markets and transaction management services platform was the second largest advisor of real estate mergers and acquisitions transactions in the United States in 2012 and 2013, as measured by total value of announced transactions according to SNL Financial.

 

     
RCS Management Corporation, Inc. / Specialized Medical Services, Inc.   RCS Management Corporation, Inc. / Specialized Medical Services, Inc. (the “Company”) and SMS Holdings, Inc., collectively  services over 1,750 facilities in 40 states on a combined basis. The Company’s core products and service offerings include (i) respiratory equipment rental; (ii) oxygen delivery; (iii) sale of disposable respiratory supplies; (iv) clinical; and (v) financial and billing consulting services.
     
Reddy Ice Corporation   Reddy Ice Corporation (“Reddy Ice”, or the “Company”) is the largest producer and distributor of packaged ice in the U.S., with #1 or #2 market share in the majority of its footprint, which spans 34 states, including Washington DC.  The Company is based in Dallas, Texas with approximately 1,500 year-round employees, they add up to 600-700 employees during peak seasonal months. Reddy Ice owns or operates 58 ice manufacturing facilities, 74 distribution centers, and approximately 3,500 Ice Factories (ISBs), with daily ice manufacturing capacity of approximately 17,000 tons.
     
Red Skye Wireless LLC   Red Skye Wireless LLC, (“RSW”, or the “Company”) founded in 2001 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a leading retailer of AT&T wireless and home product services, mobile handsets and accessories with 165 locations in 12 states across the U.S.  While the Company is independently owned, RSW stores have the look and feel of an AT&T corporate store, prominently displaying the logos and signage, participating in marketing campaigns, and seamlessly working with AT&T customer service and billing IT.
     
Response Team Holdings, LLC  

Response Team Holdings, LLC (“RT1” or the “Company”), founded in 2010 and headquartered in Raleigh, NC, provides mitigation, restoration, and ancillary services to single and multi-family prospects, healthcare organizations, schools, municipalities, and commercial businesses. Mitigation services are short term clean-up projects from issues such as frozen pipes, fires, etc. which typically last one week. A typical mitigation project would be to respond to a flooded basement. The focus is on cleaning and mitigating the situation as efficiently as possible to avoid any further damage. Restoration services are usually initiated through mitigation works, customer calls, or industry referrals. A typical restoration project begins with an RT1 estimation, then a submission of scope to the insurance carrier, and if approved, RT1 moves forward with the project. An average restoration project lasts 75 days and payment is usually received within 5 to 30 days after completion. The Company primarily operates in the Southeast and Midwest with project sizes ranging from $7,500 to $10,000. 

     
Safeworks LLC   Founded in 1947 and headquartered in Seattle, WA, Safeworks LLC is a leading manufacturer of suspended access products designed to enable customers to work safely and productively at extended heights.

 

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Sendero Drilling Company LLC   Founded in 2010 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Pioneer Natural Resources, Sendero Drilling Company LLC is a land drilling contractor headquartered in San Angelo, Texas.
     
Seotowncenter, Inc.   Founded in 2009 and based in Lehi, UT, Seotowncenter, Inc. is a tech-enabled business services company that delivers white label search engine optimization  and local search and digital campaign fulfillment to the small and midsize business market.
     
Stancor, Inc.     Founded in 1985 and based Monroe, CT, Stancor, Inc. is a leading designer and manufacturer of electric submersible pumps, control, accessories, and parts.
     
T.Residential Holdings LLC   T. Residential Holdings LLC is a carve-out of Transcontinental Realty Investors and currently owns a portfolio of 23 high-quality, class A multifamily properties concentrated in the southern United States. The 23 high-quality properties are comprised of 4,530 units and ~4.0M sq. ft.
     
Taylored Freight Services LLC   Taylored Freight Services LLC , (“Taylored”, or the “Company”) based in Los Angeles and founded in 1992, is a port-based, third-party logistics provider that specializes in warehousing, fulfillment, transportation and related value-added services to support the global supply chains of manufacturers and importers of apparel, accessories, toys and sporting goods.  The Company manages six leased facilities near the Long Beach, CA, and New York, NY ports, totaling over 1.3M square feet. Taylored operates with ~70 non-union employees and provides services relating to inventorying merchandise including receiving, quality control and inspection, inventory management and control.
     
Tempel Steel Company   Tempel Steel Company (the “Company”) is one of the world’s largest independent manufacturers of magnetic steel laminations used in the production of motors and transformers. The Company has manufacturing operations in the U.S., Mexico, China and India, a distribution and steel services center in Canada and distribution centers in Pennsylvania and California.
     
Tenere Acquisition Corp.   Tenere Acquisition Corp., (“Tenere”, or the “Company”) located in Dresser, WI, is a sophisticated, full-service, designer and fabricator of complex engineered metal and plastic parts and assemblies. Founded in 1994, Tenere provides customers with highly desired, full-service solutions that start with the product concept and progress through rapid prototyping, process design, cost reduction design, commercial production with both soft tooling and hard tooling and assembly. Tenere manufactures enclosures and electromechanical assemblies for a variety of large Fortune 500 OEMs and contract manufacturers in the enterprise computing, network routers/communications, aerospace/military, medical and industrial end markets.

 

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The Plastics Group Acquisition Corp.   Founded in 1997 and based in Willowbrook, IL, The Plastics Group Acquisition Corp.  (“TPG”, or the “Company”) is a leading, full-service manufacturer of blow molded plastic components and systems for a targeted set of growing applications and end markets. The Company operates two complementary businesses: a custom business serving original equipment manufacturer customers and a proprietary line of consumer products sold through retailers and distributors.  TPG is the fourth largest independent custom blow molder in North America and differentiates itself with its large drop molding capabilities, materials knowledge, and engineering and technical expertise.
     
Transtelco, Inc.   Transtelco, Inc. (the “Company”) provides data and voice telecom services over its wholly-owned high capacity network spanning approximately 6,000 route miles and over 238,000 fiber miles reaching 18 metro markets, connecting to 1,755 on-net locations. The Company provides (i) Dedicated Internet Protocol Access, (ii) Transport Services, (iii) Colocation, (iv) Spectrum Leasing, and (v) Voice Services under multi-year contracts to large carrier and enterprise customers in the U.S. and Mexico such as 3M, CenturyLink, Emerson, Foxconn, General Transmissions, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Lear Corporation, Level 3, Tyco and Verizon.
     
United Road Towing, Inc.   United Road Towing, Inc. (the “Company”) is the largest integrated towing company in the United States. The Company provides a complete range of towing, vehicle storage and vehicle auction services through a network of 53 operating locations across 9 states.
     
Untangle, Inc.   Untangle, Inc. (“UT”, or the “Company”) is a provider of network security software and services for small to medium businesses  as well as K-12 and community college educational platforms. Based in Sunnyvale, CA, the Company employs 40 people and services over 50,000 accounts representing over two million people. UT's products are focused on multi-function firewall and Internet management solutions designed to meet the network policy demands of organizations of various sizes.
     
Velocity Pooling Vehicle LLC   Velocity Pooling Vehicle LLC, comprised of Motorsport Aftermarket Group (“MAG”) and Tucker Rocky compete in the $3.1B parts and accessories sub segment of the larger $12.7B U.S. motorcycle market. MAG is a leading manufacturer and is comprised of a group of highly recognizable brands serving nearly all product categories in the powersports aftermarket industry, including both on-road and off-road segments. Tucker Rocky is a leading distributor of proprietary and sourced brands to a variety of dealers and retailers.
     
Water Capital USA, Inc.   Water Capital USA, Inc. (“Water Capital”) operates a capital equipment leasing and a receivables financing business. Water Capital originates and monetizes portfolios of equipment leases and servicing receivables from creditworthy businesses.
     

Wheels Up Partners LLC

 

Wheels Up Partners, LLC is the first membership based private aviation club. Founded in 2013 by former CEO of Marquis Jets, Kenny Dichter, the Company charges members a one time initiation fee with annual dues thereafter. Members are granted access to a closed fleet of newly redesigned King Air 350i turboprop aircrafts, with no upfront block purchase or minimum flying required.

     
Window Products, Inc.   Window Products, Inc. (the “Company”) founded in 1989, is a leading vinyl window manufacturer in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. with a focus on the Washington and Oregon markets. The Company’s products primarily consist of vinyl windows sold through a diverse network of over 1,500 window dealers which in turn sell to builders and contractors.

 

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THE ADVISER

 

MCC Advisors serves as our investment adviser and is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (“Advisers Act”). Subject to the overall supervision of our board of directors, MCC Advisors manages the day-to-day operations of, and provides investment advisory and management services to us pursuant to an investment management agreement by and between the Company and MCC Advisors.

 

Investment Management Agreement

 

Under the terms of our investment management agreement, MCC Advisors:

 

  · determines the composition of our portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to our portfolio and the manner of implementing such changes;

 

  · identifies, evaluates and negotiates the structure of the investments we make (including performing due diligence on our prospective portfolio companies); and

 

  · executes, closes, monitors and administers the investments we make, including the exercise of any voting or consent rights.

 

MCC Advisors’ services under the investment management agreement are not exclusive, and it is free to furnish similar services to other entities so long as its services to us are not impaired.

 

Pursuant to our investment management agreement, we pay MCC Advisors a fee for investment advisory and management services consisting of a base management fee and a two-part incentive fee.

 

Management Fee.   For providing investment advisory and management services to us, MCC Advisors receives a base management fee. The base management fee will be calculated at an annual rate of 1.75% of our gross assets payable quarterly in arrears. For purposes of calculating the base management fee, the term “gross assets” includes any assets acquired with the proceeds of leverage. For the first quarter of our operations, the base management fee was calculated based on the initial value of our gross assets. Subsequently, the base management fee is calculated based on the average value of our gross assets at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters. MCC Advisors agreed to waive the base management fee payable with respect to cash and cash equivalents held by the Company through December 31, 2011. This waiver does not extend to periods subsequent to December 31, 2011.

 

Incentive Fee.   The incentive fee has two components, as follows:

 

The first, calculated and payable quarterly in arrears is based on our pre-incentive fee net investment income earned during the calendar quarter for which the Incentive Fee is being calculated. For this purpose, pre-incentive fee net investment income means interest income, dividend income and any other income including any other fees (other than fees for providing managerial assistance), such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that we receive from portfolio companies accrued during the calendar quarter, minus our operating expenses for the quarter including the base management fee, expenses payable under the administration agreement (as defined below), and any interest expense and any dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee. Pre-incentive fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with payment-in-kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash. Pre-incentive fee net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation.

 

Pre-incentive fee net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets calculated as of the end of the calendar quarter immediately preceding the calendar quarter for which the incentive fee is being calculated, will be compared to a “hurdle rate” of 2.00% per quarter (8.0% annualized). We will pay the Adviser an incentive fee with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows:

 

(1) no incentive fee for any calendar quarter in which our pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate;

 

(2) 100% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 2.50% (10.0% annualized) in any calendar quarter; and

 

(3) 20.0% of the amount of our pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds 2.5% (10.0% annualized) in any calendar quarter.

 

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The second part of the incentive fee (the “Capital Gains Fee”) is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Management Agreement, as of the termination date) and is calculated at the end of each applicable year by subtracting (1) the sum of our cumulative realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation from (2) our cumulative aggregate realized capital gains. If the amount so calculated is positive, then the Capital Gains Fee for such year is equal to 20.0% of such amount, less the aggregate amount of Capital Gains Fee paid in all prior years. If such amount is negative, then no Capital Gains Fee will be payable for such year. If this Agreement is terminated as of a date that is not a calendar year end, the termination date shall be treated as though it were a calendar year end for purposes of calculating and paying a Capital Gains Fee.

 

The Company calculates incentive fee as if the Company had realized all assets at their fair values and liabilities at their settlement amounts as of the reporting date. Accordingly, the Company accrues a provisional incentive fee taking into account any unrealized gains. As the provisional incentive fee is subject to the performance of investments until there is a realization event, the amount of provisional incentive fee accrued at a reporting date may vary from the incentive fee that is ultimately paid, and the differences could be material.

 

For the year ended September 30, 2014, the Company incurred base management fees to MCC Advisors of $17.7 million and $18.7 million in incentive fees related to pre-incentive fee net investment income.

 

The following is a graphical representation of the calculation of the income-related portion of the incentive fee:

 

Quarterly Incentive Fee Based on Net Investment Income

 

Pre-incentive Fee Net Investment Income

(Expressed as a Percentage of the Value of Net Assets)

 

 

Examples of Quarterly Incentive Fee Calculation

 

Example 1:  Income Related Portion of Incentive Fee:

 

Assumptions

 

Hurdle rate (1) = 2.0%

 

Management fee (2) = 0.44%

 

Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.) (3) = 0.20%

 

Alternative 1

 

Additional Assumptions

 

Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 1.25%

 

Pre-incentive fee net investment income (investment income – (management fee + other expenses)) = 0.61%

 

Pre-incentive net investment income does not exceed hurdle rate, therefore there is no incentive fee.

 

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Alternative 2

 

Additional Assumptions

 

Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 3.0%

 

Pre-incentive fee net investment income (investment income – (management fee + other expenses)) = 2.36%

 

Pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds hurdle rate, therefore there is an incentive fee.

 

Incentive fee = (100% x “Catch-Up”) + (the greater of 0% AND (20% x (pre-incentive fee net

 

investment income – 2.5%)))

 

= (100.0% x (pre-incentive fee net investment income – 2.0%)) + 0%

 

= (100.0% x (2.36% – 2.0%))

 

= 100.0% x 0.36%

 

= 0.36%

 

Alternative 3

 

Additional Assumptions

 

Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 3.50%

 

Pre-incentive fee net investment income (investment income – (management fee + other expenses)) = 2.86%

 

Pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds hurdle rate, therefore there is an incentive fee.

 

Incentive Fee = (100% x “Catch-Up”) + (the greater of 0% AND (20% x (pre-incentive fee net investment income – 2.5%)))

 

= (100% x (2.5% – 2.0%)) + (20% x (2.86% – 2.5%))

 

= 0.50% + (20% x 0.36%)

 

= 0.50% + 0.07%

 

= 0.57%

 

 

(1) Represents 8.0% annualized hurdle rate.

 

(2) Represents 1.75% annualized management fee.

 

(3) Excludes organizational and offering expenses.

 

Example 2: Capital Gains Portion of Incentive Fee:

 

Alternative 1:

 

Assumptions

 

Year 1:   $20 million investment made in Company A (“Investment A”), and $30 million investment made in Company B (“Investment B”)

 

Year 2:   Investment A sold for $50 million and fair market value, or FMV, of Investment B determined to be $32 million

 

Year 3:   FMV of Investment B determined to be $25 million

 

Year 4:   Investment B sold for $31 million

 

The capital gains portion of the incentive fee would be:

 

Year 1:   None

 

Year 2:   Capital gains incentive fee of $6.0 million ($30 million realized capital gains on sale of Investment A multiplied by 20.0%)

 

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Year 3:   None; $5.0 million (20.0% multiplied by ($30 million cumulative capital gains less $5 million cumulative capital depreciation)) less $6.0 million (previous capital gains fee paid in Year 2) (the $1.0 million difference would not be deducted from future capital gains incentive fees)

 

Year 4:   Capital gains incentive fee of $200,000; $6.2 million ($31 million cumulative realized capital gains multiplied by 20.0%) less $6.0 million (capital gains fee paid in Year 2)

 

Alternative 2

 

Assumptions

 

Year 1:   $20 million investment made in Company A (“Investment A”), $30 million investment made in Company B (“Investment B”) and $25 million investment made in Company C (“Investment C”)

 

Year 2:   Investment A sold for $50 million, FMV of Investment B determined to be $25 million and FMV of Investment C determined to be $25 million

 

Year 3:   FMV of Investment B determined to be $27 million and Investment C sold for $30 million

 

Year 4:   FMV of Investment B determined to be $35 million

 

Year 5:   Investment B sold for $20 million

 

The capital gains portion of the incentive fee would be:

 

Year 1:   None

 

Year 2:   Capital gains incentive fee of $5.0 million; 20.0% multiplied by $25 million ($30 million realized capital gains on Investment A less $5 million unrealized capital depreciation on Investment B)

 

Year 3:   Capital gains incentive fee of $1.4 million; $6.4 million (20.0% multiplied by $32 million ($35 million cumulative realized capital gains less $3 million unrealized capital depreciation on Investment B)) less $5.0 million capital gains fee received in Year 2

 

Year 4:   None

 

Year 5:   None; $5.0 million of capital gains incentive fee (20.0% multiplied by $25 million (cumulative realized capital gains of $35 million less realized capital losses of $10 million)) less $6.4 million cumulative capital gains fee paid in Year 2 and Year 3 (the $1.4 million difference would not be deducted from future capital gains incentive fees)

 

Payment of Our Expenses

 

All investment professionals and staff of MCC Advisors, when, and to the extent, engaged in providing investment advisory and management services to us, and the compensation and routine overhead expenses of such personnel allocable to such services, is provided and paid for by MCC Advisors. We bear all other costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including those relating to:  

 

  · our organization and continued corporate existence;

  

  · calculating our net asset value (“NAV”) (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firms);

 

  · expenses, including travel expense, incurred by MCC Advisors or payable to third parties performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies, monitoring our investments and, if necessary, enforcing our rights;

 

  · interest payable on debt incurred to finance our investments;

 

  · the costs of  all offerings of common shares and other securities;

 

  · the base management fee and any incentive management fee;

 

  · distributions on our shares;

 

  · administration fees payable under our administration agreement;

 

  · the allocated costs incurred by MCC Advisors as our administrator in providing managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request it;

 

  · amounts payable to third parties relating to, or associated with, making investments;

 

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  · transfer agent and custodial fees;

 

  · all registration and listing fees;

 

  · U.S. federal, state and local taxes;

 

  · independent directors’ fees and expenses;

 

  · costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents with the SEC or other regulators;

 

  · the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to our stockholders, including printing costs;

 

  · our fidelity bond;

 

  · directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums;

 

  · indemnification payments;

 

  · direct costs and expenses of administration, including audit and legal costs; and

 

  · all other expenses reasonably incurred by us or MCC Advisors in connection with administering our business, such as the allocable portion of overhead under our administration agreement, including rent and other allocable portions of the cost of our officers and their respective staffs (including travel expenses).

 

We reimburse MCC Advisors for costs and expenses incurred for office space rental, office equipment and utilities allocable to the performance by MCC Advisors of its duties under the administration agreement, as well as any costs and expenses incurred relating to any non-investment advisory, administrative or operating services provided to us or in the form of managerial assistance to portfolio companies that request it.

 

From time to time, MCC Advisors pays amounts owed by us to third party providers of goods or services.  We subsequently reimburse MCC Advisors for such amounts paid on our behalf.

 

Limitation of Liability and Indemnification

 

The investment management agreement provides that MCC Advisors and its officers, directors, employees and affiliates are not liable to us or any of our stockholders for any act or omission by it or its employees in the supervision or management of our investment activities or for any loss sustained by us or our stockholders, except that the foregoing exculpation does not extend to any act or omission constituting willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations under the investment management agreement. The investment management agreement also provides for indemnification by us of MCC Advisors’ members, directors, officers, employees, agents and control persons for liabilities incurred by it in connection with their services to us, subject to the same limitations and to certain conditions.

 

Duration and Termination

 

The investment management agreement was initially approved by our board of directors on November 3, 2010 and executed on January 11, 2011. Pursuant to its terms and under the 1940 Act, the investment management agreement had an initial two year term, and then subject to an annual approval by our board of directors. Unless terminated earlier as described below, it will continue in effect from year to year if approved annually by our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities, including, in either case, approval by a majority of our directors who are not interested persons. The investment management agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The investment management agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty upon not more than 60 days’ written notice to the other. See “Risks — Risks Related to Our Business — We are dependent upon senior management personnel of MCC Advisors for our future success, and if MCC Advisors are unable to retain qualified personnel or if MCC Advisors loses any member of its senior management team, our ability to achieve our investment objective could be significantly harmed.”

 

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Annual Board Approval of the Investment Management Agreement

 

Our board of directors held an in-person meeting on December 3, 2014, in order to consider the annual approval and continuation of our investment management agreement. In its consideration of the investment management agreement, the board of directors focused on information it had received relating to, among other things: (a) the nature, quality and extent of the advisory and other services to be provided to us by our investment adviser, MCC Advisors; (b) comparative data with respect to advisory fees or similar expenses paid by other business development companies with similar investment objectives; (c) our projected operating expenses and expense ratio compared to business development companies with similar investment objectives; (d) any existing and potential sources of indirect income to MCC Advisors from its relationships with us and the profitability of those relationships; (e) information about the services to be performed and the personnel performing such services under the investment management agreement; (f) the organizational capability and financial condition of MCC Advisors and its affiliates; and (g) various other factors.

 

Based on the information reviewed and the discussions, the board of directors, including a majority of the non-interested directors, concluded that the investment management fee rates and terms are reasonable in relation to the services to be provided and approved the investment management agreement as being in the best interests of our stockholders. Specifically the board of directors approved the extension of the investment management agreement for a period of one year beginning on January 19, 2015.

 

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License Agreement

 

We have entered into a license agreement with Medley Capital LLC under which Medley Capital LLC has agreed to grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “Medley”. Under this agreement, we will have a right to use the “Medley” name for so long as MCC Advisors or one of its affiliates remains our investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, we have no legal right to the “Medley” name. This license agreement will remain in effect for so long as the investment management agreement with MCC Advisors is in effect.

   

REGULATION

 

General

 

We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between BDCs and their affiliates (including any investment advisers or sub-advisers), principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters and requires that a majority of the directors be persons other than “interested persons”, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. In addition, the 1940 Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by “a majority of our outstanding voting securities.”

 

We may invest up to 100% of our assets in securities acquired directly from issuers in privately negotiated transactions. We do not intend to acquire securities issued by any investment company that exceed the limits imposed by the 1940 Act. Under these limits, except for registered money market funds we generally cannot acquire more than 3% of the voting stock of any investment company, invest more than 5% of the value of our total assets in the securities of one investment company or invest more than 10% of the value of our total assets in the securities of more than one investment company. With regard to that portion of our portfolio invested in securities issued by investment companies, it should be noted that such investments might subject our stockholders to additional expenses. None of our investment policies are fundamental and any may be changed without stockholder approval.

 

Qualifying Assets

 

Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as qualifying assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the company’s total assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are the following:

 

  (1) Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an eligible portfolio company, or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an eligible portfolio company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An eligible portfolio company is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which:

 

  · is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States;

 

  · is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the Company) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and

 

  · satisfies either of the following:

 

  o has a market capitalization of less than $250 million or does not have any class of securities listed on a national securities exchange; or

 

  o is controlled by a BDC or a group of companies including a BDC, the BDC actually exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of the eligible portfolio company, and, as a result thereof, the BDC has an affiliated person who is a director of the eligible portfolio company.

 

  (2) Securities of an eligible portfolio company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and we already own 60% of the outstanding equity of the eligible portfolio company.

 

  (3) Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities.

 

  (4) Securities of any eligible portfolio company which we control.

 

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  (5) Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements.

 

  (6) Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.

 

The regulations defining and interpreting qualifying assets may change over time. We may adjust our investment focus needed to comply with and/or take advantage of any regulatory, legislative, administrative or judicial actions in this area.

 

Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies

 

A BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in “Regulation — Qualifying Assets” above. However, in order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance. Where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, the BDC will satisfy this test if one of the other persons in the group makes available such managerial assistance. Making available managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company.

 

Temporary Investments

 

Pending investment in other types of “qualifying assets”, as described above, our investments may consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which we refer to, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets are qualifying assets. Typically, we will invest in highly rated commercial paper, U.S. Government agency notes, U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase agreements relating to such securities that are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price which is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, certain diversification tests in order to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes will typically require us to limit the amount we invest with any one counterparty.  Our investment adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into repurchase agreement transactions.

 

Senior Securities

 

We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to our common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 200% immediately after each such issuance. In addition, while any preferred stock or publicly traded debt securities are outstanding, we may be prohibited from making distributions to our stockholders or the repurchasing of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes without regard to asset coverage. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see “Item 1A.Risk Factors—Risks Related to our Business—If we use borrowed funds to make investments or fund our business operations, we will be exposed to risks typically associated with leverage which will increase the risk of investing in us.”

 

On March 26, 2013, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Medley SBIC LP (‘‘SBIC LP’’), received a Small Business Investment Company (‘‘SBIC’’) license from the Small Business Administration (‘‘SBA’’). In anticipation of receiving an SBIC license, on November 16, 2012, we obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to exclude the debt of SBIC LP guaranteed by the SBA from from the 200% asset coverage ratio we are required to maintain under the 1940 Act. Pursuant to the 200% asset coverage ratio limitation, we are permitted to borrow one dollar for every dollar we have in assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by debt securities issued by us or loans obtained by us.

 

The exemptive relief provides us with increased flexibility under the 200% asset coverage test by permitting SBIC LP to borrow up to $150 million (the maximum amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures an SBIC may currently have outstanding once certain conditions have been met) more than we would otherwise be able to absent the receipt of this exemptive relief. As a result, we would, in effect, be permitted to have a lower asset coverage ratio than the 200% asset coverage ratio limitation under the 1940 Act. For example, we would be able to borrow up to $150 million more than the approximately $575.7 million permitted under the asset coverage ratio limit as of September 30, 2014. For additional information on SBA regulations that will affect our access to SBA-guaranteed debentures, see ‘‘Risk Factors —Risks Relating to Our Business. Our SBIC subsidiary is subject to SBA regulations, and any failure to comply with SBA regulations could have an adverse effect on our operations.’’ SBA regulations currently limit the amount that the SBIC LP may borrow to a maximum of $150 million when it has at least $75 million in regulatory capital, receives a capital commitment from the SBA and has been through an examination by the SBA subsequent to licensing. 

 

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Code of Ethics

 

We and MCC Advisors have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to each code may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the code’s requirements. You may read and copy the code of ethics at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090. In addition, the code of ethics is attached as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov . You may also obtain copies of the code of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov , or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.

 

Privacy Policy

 

We are committed to maintaining the privacy of stockholders and to safeguarding our non-public personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information we collect, how we protect that information and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select other parties.

 

Generally, we do not receive any nonpublic personal information relating to our stockholders, although certain nonpublic personal information of our stockholders may become available to us. We do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about our stockholders or former stockholders to anyone, except as permitted by law or as is necessary in order to service stockholder accounts (for example, to a transfer agent or third party administrator).

 

We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about our stockholders to our investment adviser’s employees with a legitimate business need for the information. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed to protect the nonpublic personal information of our stockholders.

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

 

We have delegated our proxy voting responsibility to MCC Advisors. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of MCC Advisors are set forth below. The guidelines are reviewed periodically by MCC Advisors and our independent directors, and, accordingly, are subject to change.

 

MCC Advisors is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. As an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act, MCC Advisors will have fiduciary duties to us. As part of this duty, MCC Advisors recognizes that it must vote client securities in a timely manner free of conflicts of interest and in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders. MCC Advisors’ Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures have been formulated to ensure decision-making consistent with these fiduciary duties.

 

These policies and procedures for voting proxies for our investment advisory clients are intended to comply with Section 206 of, and Rule 206(4)-6 under, the Advisers Act.

 

Proxy Policies

 

MCC Advisors evaluates routine proxy matters, such as proxy proposals, amendments or resolutions on a case-by-case basis. Routine matters are typically proposed by management and MCC Advisors will normally support such matters so long as they do not measurably change the structure, management control, or operation of the corporation and are consistent with industry standards as well as the corporate laws of the state of incorporation.

 

MCC Advisors also evaluates non-routine matters on a case-by-case basis. Non-routine proposals concerning social issues are typically proposed by stockholders who believe that the corporation’s internally adopted policies are ill-advised or misguided. If MCC Advisors has determined that management is generally socially responsible, MCC Advisors will generally vote against these types of non-routine proposals. Non-routine proposals concerning financial or corporate issues are usually offered by management and seek to change a corporation’s legal, business or financial structure. MCC Advisors will generally vote in favor of such proposals provided the position of current stockholders is preserved or enhanced. Non-routine proposals concerning stockholder rights are made regularly by both management and stockholders. They can be generalized as involving issues that transfer or realign board or stockholder voting power. MCC Advisors typically would oppose any proposal aimed solely at thwarting potential takeovers by requiring, for example, super-majority approval. At the same time, MCC Advisors believes stability and continuity promote profitability. MCC Advisors’ guidelines in this area seek a balanced view and individual proposals will be carefully assessed in the context of their particular circumstances.

 

If a vote may involve a material conflict of interest, prior to approving such vote, MCC Advisors must consult with its chief compliance officer to determine whether the potential conflict is material and if so, the appropriate method to resolve such conflict. If the conflict is determined not to be material, MCC Advisors’ employees shall vote the proxy in accordance with MCC Advisors’ proxy voting policy.

 

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Proxy Voting Records

 

You may obtain information about how we voted proxies by making a written request for proxy voting information to:

 

Chief Compliance Officer

Medley Capital Corporation

375 Park Avenue, 33rd Floor

New York, NY 10152

 

Other

 

Under the 1940 Act, we are not generally able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below NAV per share. We may, however, issue and sell our common stock, at a price below the current NAV of the common stock, or issue and sell warrants, options or rights to acquire such common stock, at a price below the current NAV of the common stock if our board of directors determines that such sale is in our best interest and in the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders have approved our policy and practice of making such sales within the preceding 12 months. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price which, in the determination of our board of directors, closely approximates the market value of such securities. However, we currently do not have the requisite stockholder approval, nor do we have any current plans to seek stockholder approval, to sell or issue shares of our common stock at a price below NAV per share.

 

In addition, at our 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders we received approval from our stockholders to authorize us, with the approval of our board of directors, to issue securities to, subscribe to, convert to, or purchase shares of the Company’s common stock in one or more offerings, subject to certain conditions as set forth in the proxy statement. Such authorization has no expiration.

 

We expect to be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act.

 

We are required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect us against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

 

We and MCC Advisors adopted written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws, and will review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation. We and MCC Advisors have designated a chief compliance officer to be responsible for administering the policies and procedures. 

 

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Small Business Investment Company Regulations

 

On March 26, 2013, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Medley SBIC LP (“SBIC LP”), a Delaware limited partnership, received a license from Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to operate as a Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) under Section 301(c) of the Small Business Investment Company Act of 1958.

 

The SBIC license allows the SBIC LP to obtain leverage by issuing SBA-guaranteed debentures, subject to the issuance of a capital commitment by the SBA and other customary procedures. SBA-guaranteed debentures are non-recourse, interest only debentures with interest payable semi-annually and have a ten year maturity. The principal amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures is not required to be paid prior to maturity but may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The interest rate of SBA-guaranteed debentures is fixed on a semi-annual basis at a market-driven spread over U.S. Treasury Notes with 10-year maturities. The SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to the SBIC LP’s assets over our stockholders in the event we liquidate the SBIC LP or the SBA exercises its remedies under the SBA-guaranteed debentures issued by the SBIC LP upon an event of default.

 

SBICs are designed to stimulate the flow of private equity capital to eligible small businesses. Under SBA regulations, SBICs may make loans to eligible small businesses, invest in the equity securities of such businesses and provide them with consulting and advisory services. SBA regulations currently limit the amount that an SBIC may borrow up to a maximum of $150 million when it has at least $75 million in regulatory capital, receives a capital commitment from the SBA and has been through an examination by the SBA subsequent to licensing.

 

Under present SBA regulations, eligible small businesses generally include businesses that (together with their affiliates) have a tangible net worth not exceeding $18 million and have average annual fully taxed net income after U.S. federal income taxes not exceeding $6 million (average net income to be computed without benefit of any carryover loss) for the two most recent fiscal years. In addition, an SBIC must devote 25% of its investment activity to “smaller” concerns as defined by the SBA. A smaller concern generally includes businesses that have a tangible net worth not exceeding $6 million and have average annual net income after U.S. federal income taxes not exceeding $2 million (average net income to be computed without benefit of any net carryover loss) for the two most recent fiscal years. SBA regulations also provide alternative size standard criteria to determine eligibility for designation as an eligible small business or smaller concern, which criteria depend on the primary industry in which the business is engaged and are based on such factors as the number of employees and gross revenue. However, once an SBIC has invested in a company, it may continue to make follow-on investments in the company, regardless of the size of the company at the time of the follow-on investment, up to the time of the company’s initial public offering, if any.

 

The SBA prohibits an SBIC from providing funds to small businesses for certain purposes, such as relending or investing outside the United States, to businesses engaged in a few prohibited industries and to certain “passive” ( i.e. , non-operating) companies. In addition, without prior SBA approval, an SBIC may not invest an amount equal to more than approximately 30% of the SBIC’s regulatory capital in any one company and its affiliates.

 

The SBA places certain limitations on the financing terms of investments by SBICs in portfolio companies (such as limiting the permissible interest rate on debt securities held by an SBIC in a portfolio company). Although prior regulations prohibited an SBIC from controlling a small business concern except in limited circumstances, regulations adopted by the SBA in 2002 now allow an SBIC to exercise control over a small business for a period of up to seven years from the date on which the SBIC initially acquires its control position. This control period may be extended for an additional period of time with the SBA’s prior written approval.

 

The SBA restricts the ability of an SBIC to lend money to any of its officers, directors and employees or to invest in affiliates thereof. The SBA also prohibits, without prior SBA approval, a “change of control” of an SBIC or transfers that would result in any person (or a group of persons acting in concert) owning 10% or more of a class of capital stock of a licensed SBIC. A “change of control” is any event which would result in the transfer of the power, direct or indirect, to direct the management and policies of an SBIC, whether through ownership, contractual arrangements or otherwise.

 

An SBIC (or group of SBICs under common control) may generally have outstanding debentures guaranteed by the SBA in amounts up to twice the amount of the privately raised funds of the SBIC(s). Debentures guaranteed by the SBA have a maturity of ten years, require semi-annual payments of interest and do not require any principal payments prior to maturity.  The SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to our SBIC subsidiary’s assets over our stockholders in the event we liquidate our SBIC subsidiary or the SBA exercises its remedies under the SBA-guaranteed debentures issued by our SBIC subsidiary upon an event of default.

 

SBICs must invest idle funds that are not being used to make loans in investments permitted under SBIC regulations in the following limited types of securities: (1) direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal and interest by, the U.S. government, which mature within 15 months from the date of the investment; (2) repurchase agreements with federally insured institutions with a maturity of seven days or less (and the securities underlying the repurchase obligations must be direct obligations of or guaranteed by the federal government); (3) certificates of deposit with a maturity of one year or less, issued by a federally insured institution; (4) a deposit account in a federally insured institution that is subject to a withdrawal restriction of one year or less; (5) a checking account in a federally insured institution; or (6) a reasonable petty cash fund.

 

SBICs are periodically examined and audited by the SBA’s staff to determine their compliance with SBA regulations and are periodically required to file certain forms with the SBA. If an SBIC fails to comply with applicable SBA regulations, the SBA could, depending on the severity of the violation, limit or prohibit the SBIC’s use of debentures, declare outstanding debentures immediately due and payable, and/or limit the SBIC from making new investments. In addition, the SBIC may also be limited in its ability to make distributions to us if it does not have sufficient capital in accordance with SBA regulations. Such actions by the SBA would, in turn, negatively affect us because Medley SBIC LP is our wholly owned subsidiary.

 

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Neither the SBA nor the U.S. government or any of its agencies or officers has approved any ownership interest to be issued by us or any obligation that we or any of our subsidiaries may incur.

 

Election to Be Taxed as a RIC

 

As a BDC, we have elected and qualified to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, we generally will not have to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any net ordinary income or capital gains that we timely distribute to our stockholders as dividends. To qualify as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, we must distribute to our stockholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of our “investment company taxable income,” which is generally our net ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses (the “Distribution Requirement”). Our SBIC subsidiary may be limited by the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and SBA regulations governing SBICs, from making certain distributions to us that may be necessary to enable us to maintain our status as a RIC. We may have to request a waiver of the SBA’s restrictions for our SBIC subsidiary to make certain distributions to maintain our RIC status. We cannot assure you that the SBA will grant such a waiver.

 

Taxation as a RIC

 

As a RIC, if we satisfy the Distribution Requirement, we will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of our investment company taxable income and net capital gain, defined as net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses, we distribute to stockholders. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on any net income or net capital gain not distributed to our stockholders.

 

Medley Capital will be subject to a nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax of 4% on undistributed income if it does not distribute at least 98% of its ordinary income in any calendar year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for each one-year period ending on October 31. Depending on the level of investment company taxable income (“ICTI”) earned in a tax year, the Company may choose to carry forward ICTI in excess of current year dividend distributions into the next tax year. Any such carryover ICTI must be distributed before the end of that next tax year through a dividend declared prior to filing the final tax return related to the year which generated such ICTI. To the extent that the Company determines that its estimated current year annual taxable income will be in excess of estimated current year dividend distributions for excise tax purposes, the Company accrues excise tax, if any, on estimated excess taxable income as taxable income is earned.  

 

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

 

  · qualify to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year;

 

  · derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale of stock or other securities, or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock or securities, and net income derived from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive 90% of their income from interest, dividends and other permitted RIC income) (the “90% Income Test”); and

 

  · diversify our holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year:

 

  o at least 50% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of our assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; and

 

  o no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer or of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable tax rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Tests”).

 

We may invest in partnerships, including qualified publicly traded partnerships, which may result in our being subject to state, local or foreign income and franchise or withholding liabilities.

 

Any underwriting fees paid by us are not deductible. 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 (such as debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, with increasing interest rates or issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. Because any original issue discount 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 order to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount.

 

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Certain of our investment practices may be subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (1) treat dividends that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income as non-qualified dividend income, (2) treat dividends that would otherwise be eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction as ineligible for such treatment, (3) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (4) convert lower-taxed long term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (5) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (6) cause us to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (7) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (8) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (9) produce income that will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test. We intend to monitor our transactions and may make certain tax elections to mitigate the effect of these provisions and prevent our disqualification as a RIC.

 

Gain or loss realized by us from warrants acquired by us as well as any loss attributable to the lapse of such warrants generally will be treated as capital gain or loss. Such gain or loss generally will be long term or short term, depending on how long we held a particular warrant.

 

Although we do not presently expect to do so, we are authorized to borrow funds and to sell assets in order to satisfy distribution requirements. However, under the 1940 Act, we are not permitted to make distributions to our stockholders while our debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain “asset coverage” tests are met. See “Business — Regulation — Senior Securities.” Moreover, our ability to dispose of assets to meet our distribution requirements may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to our qualification as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If we dispose of assets in order to meet the Distribution Requirement or the excise tax requirement, we may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous.

 

Some of the income and fees that we may recognize will not satisfy the 90% Income Test. In order to ensure that such income and fees do not disqualify us as a RIC for a failure to satisfy the 90% Income Test, we may be required to recognize such income and fees indirectly through one or more entities treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such corporations will be required to pay U.S. corporate income tax on their earnings, which ultimately will reduce our return on such income and fees.

 

Failure to Qualify as a RIC

 

If we were unable to continue to qualify for treatment as a RIC, we would be subject to tax on all of our taxable income at regular corporate rates. We would not be able to deduct distributions to stockholders, nor would they be required to be made. Distributions, including distributions of net long-term capital gain, would generally be taxable to our stockholders as ordinary dividend income to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate distributees would be eligible for the dividends received deduction. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the stockholder’s tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. If we fail to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, to qualify as a RIC in a subsequent year we may be subject to regular corporate tax on any net built-in gains with respect to certain of our assets ( i.e. , the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if we had been liquidated) that we elect to recognize on requalification or when recognized over the next ten years.

 

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

  

Legislation was enacted on March 18, 2010 that will impose a 30% U.S. withholding tax on dividends paid by U.S. issuers to a foreign financial institution after December 31, 2013 and on the gross proceeds from the disposition of stock paid to a foreign financial institution after December 31, 2016, unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury Department (“Treasury”) to collect and provide to Treasury substantial information regarding U.S. account holders, including certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners, with such institution. The legislation also generally imposes a withholding tax of 30% on dividends paid by U.S. issuers and on the gross proceeds from the disposition of stock paid to a non-financial foreign entity unless such entity provides the withholding agent with a certification that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or a certification identifying the direct and indirect substantial U.S. owners of the entity. Under certain circumstances, a holder may be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. Investors are urged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this recently enacted legislation on their investment in shares of our common stock.

 

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

 

Before you invest in our securities, you should be aware of various risks, including those described below. You should carefully consider these risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this Form 10-K, before you decide whether to make an investment in our securities. The risks set out below are not the only risks we face. The risks described below, as well as additional risks and uncertainties presently unknown by us or currently not deemed significant could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In such case, our NAV and the trading price of our common stock or other securities could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

 

RISK RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS AND STRUCTURE

 

Certain Risks in the Current Environment

 

Capital markets are currently in a period of disruption and instability. These market conditions have materially and adversely affected debt and equity capital markets in the United States and abroad, which could have a negative impact on our business and operations.

 

In 2007, the global capital markets entered into a period of disruption as evidenced by a lack of liquidity in the debt capital markets, significant write-offs in the financial services sector, the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated credit market and the failure of certain major financial institutions. Despite actions of the U.S. federal government and foreign governments, these events have contributed to worsening general economic conditions that are materially and adversely impacting the broader financial and credit markets and reducing the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole and financial services firms in particular. While recent indicators suggest modest improvement in the capital markets, these conditions could continue for a prolonged period of time or worsen in the future. While these conditions persist, we and other companies in the financial services sector may be required to, or may choose to, seek access to alternative markets for debt and equity capital. Equity capital may be difficult to raise because, subject to some limited exceptions, we will not generally be able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below NAV per share. In addition, the debt capital that will be available, if at all, may be at a higher cost, and on less favorable terms and conditions in the future. Conversely, the portfolio companies in which we will invest may not be able to service or refinance their debt, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition as we would experience reduced income or even experience losses. The inability to raise capital and the risk of portfolio company defaults may have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Difficult market and political conditions may adversely affect our business in many ways, including by reducing the value or hampering the performance of the investments made by our funds, each of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

Our business is materially affected by conditions in the global financial markets and economic and political conditions throughout the world, such as interest rates, availability and cost of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws (including laws relating to our taxation, taxation of our investors, the possibility of changes to tax laws in either the United States or any non-U.S. jurisdiction and regulations on asset managers), trade barriers, commodity prices, currency exchange rates and controls and national and international political circumstances (including wars, terrorist acts and security operations). These factors are outside of our control and may affect the level and volatility of asset prices and the liquidity and value of investments, and we may not be able to or may choose not to manage our exposure to these conditions. Ongoing developments in the U.S. and global financial markets following the unprecedented turmoil in the global capital markets and the financial services industry in late 2008 and early 2009 continue to illustrate that the current environment is still one of uncertainty and instability for investment management businesses. These and other conditions in the global financial markets and the global economy may result in adverse consequences for our funds and their respective investee companies, which could restrict such funds’ investment activities and impede such funds’ ability to effectively achieve their investment objectives. In addition, because the fees we earn under our investment management agreements are based in part on the market value of our assets under management and in part on investment performance, if any of these factors cause a decline in our assets under management or result in non-performance of loans by investee companies, it would result in lower fees earned, which could in turn materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

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The downgrade of the U.S. credit rating and the economic crisis in Europe could negatively impact our liquidity, financial condition and earnings. 

 

Although U.S. lawmakers passed legislation in February of 2014 to raise the federal debt ceiling through March of 2015, and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services affirmed its 'AA+' long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States and revised the outlook on the long-term rating from negative to stable in June of 2013, U.S. debt ceiling and budget deficit concerns together with signs of deteriorating sovereign debt conditions in Europe continue to present the possibility of a credit-rating downgrade, economic slowdowns, or a recession for the United States. The impact of any further downgrades to the U.S. government’s sovereign credit rating or its perceived creditworthiness could adversely affect the U.S. and global financial markets and economic conditions. These developments, along with any further European sovereign debt issues, could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. Continued adverse economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

A failure or the perceived risk of a failure to raise the statutory debt limit of the United States could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

 

In February of 2014, U.S. lawmakers passed legislation to raise the federal debt ceiling through March of 2015. However, if legislation increasing the debt ceiling is not enacted beyond March of 2015 and the debt ceiling is reached, the federal government may stop or delay making payments on its obligations. A failure by Congress to raise the debt limit to the extent necessary would increase the risk of default by the United States on its obligations, as well as the risk of other economic dislocations. If the U.S. Government fails to complete its budget process or to provide for a continuing resolution before the expiration of the current continuing resolution (currently March 2015), another federal government shutdown may result. Such a failure or the perceived risk of such a failure, consequently, could have a material adverse effect on the financial markets and economic conditions in the United States and throughout the world. It could also limit our ability and the ability of our portfolio companies to obtain financing, and it could have a material adverse effect on the valuation of our portfolio companies. Consequently, the continued uncertainty in the general economic environment and potential debt ceiling implications, as well in specific economies of several individual geographic markets in which our portfolio companies operate, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

We may suffer credit losses.

 

Private debt in the form of secured loans to corporate and asset-based borrowers is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk of credit loss, and therefore an investment in our securities may not be suitable for someone with a low tolerance for risk. These risks are likely to increase during an economic recession, such as the economic recession or downturn that the United States and many other countries have recently experienced or are experiencing.

 

Because we use borrowed funds to make investments or fund our business operations, we are exposed to risks typically associated with leverage which increase the risk of investing in us.

 

We have borrowed funds, including through the issuance of $40.0 million and $63.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.125% unsecured notes due March 30, 2019 and 6.125% unsecured notes due March 30, 2023 (collectively the “Notes”), through draws from our Revolving Credit Facility, Term Loan Facility and SBA-guaranteed debentures to leverage our capital structure, which is generally considered a speculative investment technique. As of September 30, 2014, our Term Loan Facility and Revolving Credit Facility had outstanding balances of $171.5 million and $146.5 million, respectively, and we had $100.0 million SBA-guaranteed debentures outstanding. As a result:

 

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our common shares may be exposed to an increased risk of loss because a decrease in the value of our investments may have a greater negative impact on the value of our common shares than if we did not use leverage;

 

if we do not appropriately match the assets and liabilities of our business, adverse changes in interest rates could reduce or eliminate the incremental income we make with the proceeds of any leverage;

 

our ability to pay dividends on our common stock may be restricted if our asset coverage ratio, as provided in the 1940 Act, is not at least 200% and any amounts used to service indebtedness or preferred stock would not be available for such dividends;

 

the Revolving Facility is subject to periodic renewal by our lenders, whose continued participation cannot be guaranteed;

 

the Facilities contain covenants restricting our operating flexibility;

 

we, and indirectly our stockholders, bear the cost of issuing and paying interest or dividends on such securities; and

 

any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common shares.

 

Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we are permitted, as a BDC, to issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks and other financial institutions, which we collectively refer to as “senior securities”, only in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio equals at least 200% after each issuance of senior securities.

 

For a discussion of the terms of the Facilities and the Notes, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

 

Covenants in the Facilities may restrict our financial and operating flexibility.

 

We maintain the Facilities with certain lenders party thereto from time to time and ING Capital LLC, as administrative agent. The Facilities are secured by substantially all of our assets, subject to certain exclusions. Availability of loans under the Facilities is linked to the valuation of the collateral pursuant to a borrowing base mechanism. Borrowings under the Facilities are subject to, among other things, a minimum borrowing/collateral base. Substantially all of our assets are pledged as collateral under the Facilities. The Facilities require us to, among other things (i) make representations and warranties regarding the collateral as well as our business and operations, (ii) agree to certain indemnification obligations, and (iii) agree to comply with various affirmative and negative covenants. The documents for each of the Facilities also include default provisions such as the failure to make timely payments under the Facilities, as the case may be, the occurrence of a change in control, and our failure to materially perform under the operative agreements governing the Facilities, which, if not complied with, could accelerate repayment under the Facilities, thereby materially and adversely affecting our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

As a result of such covenants and restrictions in the Facilities, we will be limited in how we conduct our business and we may be unable to raise additional debt or equity financing to take advantage of new business opportunities. In addition, our ability to satisfy the financial requirements required by the Facilities can be affected by events beyond our control and we cannot assure you that we will meet these requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain compliance with these covenants in the future and, if we fail to do so, we may be in default under the Facilities, and we may be prohibited from undertaking actions that are necessary or desirable to maintain and expand our business.

 

Default under the Facilities could allow the lender(s) to declare all amounts outstanding to be immediately due and payable. If the lender(s) declare amounts outstanding under the Facilities to be due, the lender(s) could proceed against the assets pledged to secure the debt under the Facilities. Any event of default, therefore, could have a material adverse effect on our business if the lender(s) determine to exercise their rights.

 

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The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.

 

We anticipate that our investments generally will be made in private companies. Substantially all of these securities will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will be otherwise less liquid than publicly traded securities. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need arises. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we had previously recorded our investments. In addition, we may face other restrictions on our ability to liquidate an investment in a portfolio company to the extent that we or our investment adviser has material non-public information regarding such portfolio company.

 

A substantial portion of our portfolio investments will be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors and, as a result, there may be uncertainty regarding the value of our portfolio investments.

 

The debt and equity securities in which we invest for which market quotations are not readily available will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors. Most, if not all, of our investments (other than cash and cash equivalents) will be classified as Level 3 under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820 — Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. This means that our portfolio valuations will be based on unobservable inputs and our own assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability in question. We expect that inputs into the determination of fair value of our portfolio investments will require significant management judgment or estimation. Even if observable market data are available, such information may be the result of consensus pricing information or broker quotes, which include a disclaimer that the broker would not be held to such a price in an actual transaction. The non-binding nature of consensus pricing and/or quotes accompanied by disclaimers materially reduces the reliability of such information. We have retained the services of an independent service provider to review the valuation of these loans and securities. The types of factors that the board of directors may take into account in determining the fair value of our investments generally include, as appropriate, comparison to publicly traded securities including such factors as yield, maturity and measures of credit quality, the enterprise value of a portfolio company, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business and other relevant factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these loans and securities existed. Our net asset value could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of our investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such loans and securities.

 

We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we are not limited with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in securities of a single issuer.

 

We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer. We also are not adopting any policy restricting the percentage of our assets that may be invested in a single portfolio company. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, our NAV may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market’s assessment of the issuer. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Beyond our income tax diversification requirements under Subchapter M of the Code, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our investments could be concentrated in relatively few portfolio companies.

 

Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates will be restricted, which may limit the scope of investments available to us.

 

We are prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, five percent or more of our outstanding voting securities will be our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act, and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of our independent directors. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company, without prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. We are prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any person who owns more than 25% of our voting securities or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. As a result of these restrictions, we may be prohibited from buying or selling any security (other than any security of which we are the issuer) from or to any portfolio company of a private equity fund managed by our investment adviser or its affiliates without the prior approval of the SEC, which may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.

 

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We may, however, co-invest with our investment adviser and its affiliates’ other clients in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with applicable law and SEC staff interpretations. For example, we may co-invest with such accounts consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff permitting us and such other accounts to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that our investment adviser, acting on our behalf and on behalf of other clients, negotiates no term other than price. We may also co-invest with our investment adviser’s other clients as otherwise permissible under regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and MCC Advisors’ allocation policy. Under this allocation policy, a fixed percentage of each opportunity, which may vary based on asset class and from time to time, will be offered to us and similar eligible accounts, as periodically determined by MCC Advisors and approved by our board of directors, including our independent directors. The allocation policy further provides that allocations among us and these other accounts will generally be made pro rata based on each account’s capital available for investment, as determined, in our case, by the Adviser. It is our policy to base our determinations as to the amount of capital available for investment based on such factors as the amount of cash on-hand, existing commitments and reserves, if any, the targeted leverage level, the targeted asset mix and diversification requirements and other investment policies and restrictions set by our board of directors or imposed by applicable laws, rules, regulations or interpretations. We expect that these determinations will be made similarly for other accounts. However, we can offer no assurance that investment opportunities will be allocated to us fairly or equitably in the short-term or over time.

 

In addition, we have received an order from the SEC that permits us to negotiate the terms of co-investments with other funds managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates subject to the conditions included therein. In situations where co-investment with other funds managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates is not permitted or appropriate, such as when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer or where the different investments could be expected to result in a conflict between our interests and those of other MCC Advisors clients, MCC Advisors will need to decide which client will proceed with the investment. MCC Advisors will make these determinations based on its policies and procedures, which generally require that such opportunities be offered to eligible accounts on an alternating basis that will be fair and equitable over time. Moreover, except in certain circumstances, we will be unable to invest in any issuer in which a fund managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates has previously invested. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates.

 

We will be exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.

 

Interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments, the value of our common stock and our rate of return on invested capital. A reduction in the interest rates on new investments relative to interest rates on current investments could also have an adverse impact on our net interest income. An increase in interest rates could decrease the value of any investments we hold which earn fixed interest rates and also could increase our interest expense, thereby decreasing our net income. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make investment in our common stock less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our common stock.

 

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It is unclear how increased regulatory oversight and changes in the method for determining LIBOR may affect the value of the financial obligations to be held or issued by us that are linked to LIBOR, or how such changes could affect our results of operations or financial condition.

 

As a result of concerns about the accuracy of the calculation of LIBOR, a number of British Bankers’ Association, or BBA, member banks entered into settlements with certain regulators and law enforcement agencies with respect to the alleged manipulation of LIBOR, and there are ongoing investigations by regulators and governmental authorities in various jurisdictions. Following a review of LIBOR conducted at the request of the U.K. government, on September 28, 2012, recommendations for reforming the setting and governing of LIBOR were released, which are referred to as the Wheatley Review. The Wheatley Review made a number of recommendations for changes with respect to LIBOR, including the introduction of S-5 statutory regulation of LIBOR, the transfer of responsibility for LIBOR from the BBA to an independent administrator, changes to the method of the compilation of lending rates and new regulatory oversight and enforcement mechanisms for rate-setting and a reduction in the number of currencies and tenors for which LIBOR is published. Based on the Wheatley Review and on a subsequent public and governmental consultation process, on March 25, 2013, the U.K. Financial Services Authority published final rules for the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s regulation and supervision of LIBOR, which are referred to as the FCA Rules. In particular, the FCA Rules include requirements that (1) an independent LIBOR administrator monitor and survey LIBOR submissions to identify breaches of practice standards and/or potentially manipulative behavior, and (2) firms submitting data to LIBOR establish and maintain a clear conflicts of interest policy and appropriate systems and controls. The FCA Rules took effect on April 2, 2013, and in early 2014 the NYSE Euronext replaced the BBA as Libor’s administrator. It is uncertain what additional regulatory changes or what changes, if any, in the method of determining LIBOR may be required or made by the U.K. government or other governmental or regulatory authorities. Accordingly, uncertainty as to the nature of such changes may adversely affect the market for or value of any LIBOR-linked securities, loans, derivatives and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us or on our overall financial condition or results of operations. In addition, any further changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of LIBOR may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR, which could have an adverse impact on the market for or value of any LIBOR-linked securities, loans, derivatives and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us or on our overall financial condition or results of operations.

 

Because we use debt to finance our investments, changes in interest rates will affect our cost of capital and net investment income.

 

Because we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest those funds. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income in the event we use our existing debt to finance our investments. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds will increase to the extent we access the Facilities, since the interest rate on the Facilities is floating, which could reduce our net investment income to the extent any debt investments have fixed interest rates. We expect that our long-term fixed-rate investments will be financed primarily with issuances of equity and long-term debt securities. We may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. Such techniques may include various interest rate hedging activities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.

 

You should also be aware that a rise in the general level of interest rates typically leads to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates may result in an increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to MCC Advisors.

 

If MCC Advisors is unable to manage our investments effectively, we may be unable to achieve our investment objective.

 

Our ability to achieve our investment objective will depend on our ability to manage our business, which will depend, in turn, on the ability of MCC Advisors to identify, invest in and monitor companies that meet our investment criteria. Accomplishing this result largely will be a function of MCC Advisors’ investment process and, in conjunction with its role as our administrator, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services to us.

 

MCC Advisors’ senior management team is comprised of members of the senior management team for Medley LLC, and they manage other investment funds. They may also be required to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These demands on their time may distract them or slow our rate of investment. Any failure to manage our business effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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We may experience fluctuations in our periodic operating results.

 

We could experience fluctuations in our periodic operating results due to a number of factors, including the interest rates payable on the debt securities we acquire, the default rate on such securities, the level of our expenses (including the interest rates payable on our borrowings), the dividend rates payable on preferred stock we issue, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

 

Any failure on our part to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility.

 

If we fail to qualify as a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would subject us to substantially more onerous regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act and correspondingly decrease our operating flexibility.

 

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.

 

For federal income tax purposes, we may include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as original issue discount, which may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the making of a loan or possibly in other circumstances, such as payment-in-kind interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such original issue discount, which could be significant relative to our overall investment activities, or increases in loan balances as a result of payment-in-kind arrangements are included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we do not receive in cash.

 

Since in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the tax requirement to distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, to maintain our status as a RIC. Accordingly, we may have to sell some of our investments at times we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investment originations to meet these distribution requirements. If we are not able to raise cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify as a RIC and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax. See “Tax Matters — Taxation of the Company”.

 

We may be required to pay incentive fees on income accrued, but not yet received in cash.

 

That part of the incentive fee payable by us that relates to our net investment income is computed and paid on income that may include interest that has been accrued but not yet received in cash, such as market discount, debt instruments with payment-in-kind, or PIK, interest, preferred stock with PIK dividends and zero coupon securities. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan, it is possible that accrued interest previously used in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible. Consequently, we may make incentive fee payments on income accruals that we may not collect in the future and with respect to which we do not have a clawback right against MCC Advisors.

 

We may not be able to pay you dividends and our dividends may not grow over time.

 

We intend to pay quarterly dividends to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to pay a specified level of cash dividends or year-to-year increases in cash dividends. Our ability to pay dividends might be adversely affected by, among other things, the impact of one or more of the risk factors described herein. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC could limit our ability to pay dividends. All dividends will be paid at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations, restrictions on the payment of dividends under the Facilities, our SBIC subsidiary’s compliance with SBIC regulations and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that we will pay dividends to our stockholders in the future.

 

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Our SBIC subsidiary may be unable to make distributions to us that will enable us to meet or maintain RIC status, which could result in the imposition of an entity-level tax.

 

In order for us to continue to qualify for RIC tax treatment and to minimize corporate-level taxes, we will be required to distribute substantially all of our net ordinary income and net capital gain income, including income from certain of our subsidiaries, which includes the income from our SBIC subsidiary. We are partially dependent on our SBIC subsidiary for cash distributions to enable us to meet the RIC distribution requirements. Our SBIC subsidiary may be limited by the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and SBIC regulations governing SBICs, from making certain distributions to us that may be necessary to enable us to maintain our status as a RIC. We may have to request a waiver of the SBA’s restrictions for our SBIC subsidiary to make certain distributions to maintain our eligibility for RIC status. We cannot assure you that the SBA will grant such a waiver and if our SBIC subsidiary is unable to obtain a waiver, compliance with the SBIC regulations may result in loss of RIC tax treatment and a consequent imposition of an entity-level tax on us.

 

Our SBIC subsidiary is subject to SBA regulations, and any failure to comply with SBA regulations could have an adverse effect on our operations.

 

On March 26, 2013, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Medley SBIC LP (“SBIC LP”), received a Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) license from the Small Business Administration (“SBA”).

 

The SBIC license allows SBIC LP to obtain leverage by issuing SBA-guaranteed debentures, subject to the issuance of a capital commitment by the SBA and other customary procedures. SBA-guaranteed debentures are non-recourse, interest only debentures with interest payable semi-annually and have a ten year maturity. The principal amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures is not required to be paid prior to maturity but may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The interest rate of SBA-guaranteed debentures is fixed on a semi-annual basis at a market-driven spread over U.S. Treasury Notes with 10-year maturities. The SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to SBIC LP’s assets over our stockholders in the event we liquidate SBIC LP or the SBA exercises its remedies under the SBA-guaranteed debentures issued by SBIC LP upon an event of default.

 

Further, the SBA regulations require that a licensed SBIC be periodically examined and audited by the SBA to determine its compliance with the relevant SBA regulations. The SBA prohibits, without prior SBA approval, a “change of control” of an SBIC or any transfers of the capital stock of a licensed SBIC. If our SBIC subsidiary fails to comply with applicable SBIC regulations, the SBA could, depending on the severity of the violation, limit or prohibit its use of debentures, declare outstanding debentures immediately due and payable, and/or limit it from making new investments. In addition, the SBA can revoke or suspend a license for willful or repeated violation of, or willful or repeated failure to observe, any provision of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder. Our SBIC subsidiary’s investment adviser does not have any prior experience managing an SBIC. Its lack of experience in complying with SBA regulations may hinder its ability to take advantage of our SBIC subsidiary’s access to SBA-guaranteed debentures. Any failure to comply with SBA regulations could have an adverse effect on our operations.

 

SBA regulations limit the outstanding dollar amount of SBA guaranteed debentures that may be issued by an SBIC or group of SBICs under common control.

 

The SBA regulations currently limit the dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures that can be issued by any one SBIC to $150.0 million or to a group of SBICs under common control to $225.0 million. Moreover, an SBIC may not borrow an amount in excess of two times (and in certain cases, up to three times) its regulatory capital. As of September 30, 2014, our SBIC subsidiary had $100.0 million in SBA-guaranteed debentures outstanding. If we reach the maximum dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures permitted, and if we require additional capital, our cost of capital is likely to increase, and there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms.

 

Moreover, the current status of our SBIC subsidiary as an SBIC does not automatically assure that our SBIC subsidiary will continue to receive SBA-guaranteed debenture funding. Receipt of SBA leverage funding is dependent upon our SBIC subsidiary continuing to be in compliance with SBA regulations and policies and available SBA funding. The amount of SBA leverage funding available to SBICs is dependent upon annual Congressional authorizations and in the future may be subject to annual Congressional appropriations. There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient debenture funding available at the times desired by our SBIC subsidiary.

 

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The debentures guaranteed by the SBA have a maturity of ten years and require semi-annual payments of interest. Our SBIC subsidiary will need to generate sufficient cash flow to make required interest payments on the debentures. If our SBIC subsidiary is unable to meet their financial obligations under the debentures, the SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to our SBIC subsidiary's assets over our stockholders in the event we liquidate our SBIC subsidiary or the SBA exercises its remedies under such debentures as the result of a default by us.

 

The highly competitive market in which we operate may limit our investment opportunities.

 

A number of entities compete with us to make the types of investments that we make. We compete with public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, other SBICs and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Additionally, because competition for investment opportunities generally has increased among alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, those entities have begun to invest in areas in which they have not traditionally invested. As a result of these new entrants, competition for investment opportunities intensified in recent years and may intensify further in the future. Some of our existing and potential competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions and valuation requirements that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC and the tax consequences of qualifying as a RIC. We cannot assure you that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, as a result of this existing and potentially increasing competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time, and we can offer no assurance that we will be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objective.

 

We do not seek to compete primarily based on the interest rates we offer, and we believe that some of our competitors make loans with interest rates that are comparable to or lower than the rates we offer. We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may experience decreased net interest income and increased risk of credit loss. A significant part of our competitive advantage stems from the fact that the market for investments in mid-sized companies is underserved by traditional commercial banks and other financial institutions. A significant increase in the number and/or size of our competitors in this target market could force us to accept less attractive investment terms. Furthermore, many of our competitors have greater experience operating under the regulatory restrictions of the 1940 Act.

 

We depend upon senior management personnel of MCC Advisors for our future success, and if MCC Advisors is unable to retain qualified personnel or if MCC Advisors loses any member of its senior management team, our ability to achieve our investment objective could be significantly harmed.

 

We depend on our investment management team, or the Investment Team, which is provided by MCC Advisors, for the identification, final selection, structuring, closing and monitoring of our investments. Our Investment Team is integral to our asset management activities and has critical industry experience and relationships that we will rely on to implement our business plan. Our future success depends on our Investment Team’s continued service to MCC Advisors. The departure of any of the members of MCC Advisors’ Investment Team could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective. As a result, we may not be able to operate our business as we expect, and our ability to compete could be harmed, which could cause our operating results to suffer. In addition, we can offer no assurance that MCC Advisors will remain our investment adviser or our administrator.

 

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Our investment adviser may not be able to achieve the same or similar returns as those achieved by our senior management and Investment Team while they were employed at prior positions.

 

The track record and achievements of the senior management and Investment Team of MCC Advisors are not necessarily indicative of future results that will be achieved by our investment adviser. As a result, our investment adviser may not be able to achieve the same or similar returns as those achieved by our senior management and Investment Team while they were employed at prior positions.

 

Because we expect to distribute substantially all of our net investment income and net realized capital gains to our stockholders, we will need additional capital to finance our growth and such capital may not be available on favorable terms or at all.

 

We have elected and qualified to be taxed for federal income tax purposes as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, we must meet certain requirements, including source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements in order to not have to pay corporate-level taxes on income we distribute to our stockholders as dividends, which allows us to substantially reduce or eliminate our corporate-level tax liability. As a BDC, we are generally required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities, which includes all of our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200% at the time we issue any debt or preferred stock. This requirement limits the amount of our leverage. Because we will continue to need capital to grow our investment portfolio, this limitation may prevent us from incurring debt or issuing preferred stock and require us to raise additional equity at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. We cannot assure you that debt and equity financing will be available to us on favorable terms, or at all, and debt financings may be restricted by the terms of any of our outstanding borrowings. In addition, as a BDC, we are generally not permitted to issue common stock priced below NAV without stockholder approval. If additional funds are not available to us, we could be forced to curtail or cease new lending and investment activities, and our NAV could decline.

 

Our board of directors may change our investment objective, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.

 

Our board of directors has the authority to modify or waive certain of our operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. However, absent stockholder approval, we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a BDC. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results or value of our stock. Nevertheless, the effects could adversely affect our business and impact our ability to make distributions and cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

 

There are significant potential conflicts of interest that could affect our investment returns.

 

There may be times when MCC Advisors, its senior management and Investment Team, and members of its Investment Committee have interests that differ from those of our stockholders, giving rise to a conflict of interest. In particular, certain private investment funds managed by the senior members of MCC Advisors hold controlling or minority equity interests, or have the right to acquire such equity interests, in some of our portfolio companies. As a result, the senior members of MCC Advisors may face conflicts of interests in connection with making business decisions for these portfolio companies to the extent that such decisions affect the debt and equity holders in these portfolio companies differently. In addition, the senior members of MCC Advisors may face conflicts of interests in connection with making investment or other decisions, including granting loan waivers or concessions on our behalf with respect to these portfolio companies given that they also manage private investment funds that hold the equity interests in these portfolio companies.

 

There may be conflicts related to obligations MCC Advisors’ senior management and Investment Team and members of its Investment Committee have to other clients.

 

The members of the senior management and Investment Teams and the Investment Committee of MCC Advisors serve or may serve as officers, directors or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment funds managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates. In serving in these multiple capacities, they may have obligations to other clients or investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which may not be in our best interests or in the best interest of our stockholders. For example, the personnel that comprises MCC Advisor’ Investment Team, have management responsibilities for other investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles managed by affiliates of MCC Advisors.

 

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Our investment objective may overlap with the investment objectives of such investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles. For example, affiliates of MCC Advisors currently manage private funds and managed accounts that are seeking new capital commitments and will pursue an investment strategy similar to our strategy, and we may compete with these and other entities managed by affiliates of MCC Advisors for capital and investment opportunities. As a result, those individuals may face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities among us and other investment funds or accounts advised by principals of, or affiliated with, MCC Advisors.

 

We have received an order from the SEC which permits us to co-invest with certain other investment funds managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates, subject to the conditions included therein. In situations where we cannot co-invest with other investment funds managed by MCC Advisors or its affiliates, the investment policies and procedures of MCC Advisors generally require that such opportunities be offered to us and such other investment funds on an alternating basis. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to participate in all investment opportunities that are suitable to us.

 

MCC Advisors may, from time to time, possess material non-public information, limiting our investment discretion.

 

MCC Advisors and members of its senior management and Investment Teams and Investment Committee may serve as directors of, or in a similar capacity with, companies in which we invest, the securities of which are purchased or sold on our behalf. In the event that material nonpublic information is obtained with respect to such companies, we could be prohibited for a period of time from purchasing or selling the securities of such companies by law or otherwise, and this prohibition may have an adverse effect on us.

 

Our incentive fee structure may create incentives for MCC Advisors that are not fully aligned with the interests of our stockholders. 

 

In the course of our investing activities, we will pay management and incentive fees to MCC Advisors. These fees are based on our gross assets. As a result, investors in our common stock will invest on a “gross” basis and receive distributions on a “net” basis after expenses, resulting in a lower rate of return than one might achieve through direct investments. Because these fees are based on our gross assets, MCC Advisors will benefit when we incur debt or use leverage. Additionally, under the incentive fee structure, MCC Advisors may benefit when capital gains are recognized and, because MCC Advisors determines when a holding is sold, MCC Advisors controls the timing of the recognition of such capital gains. Our board of directors is charged with protecting our interests by monitoring how MCC Advisors addresses these and other conflicts of interests associated with its management services and compensation. While they are not expected to review or approve each borrowing or incurrence of leverage, our independent directors will periodically review MCC Advisors’ services and fees as well as its portfolio management decisions and portfolio performance. In connection with these reviews, our independent directors will consider whether our fees and expenses (including those related to leverage) remain appropriate. As a result of this arrangement, MCC Advisors or its affiliates may from time to time have interests that differ from those of our stockholders, giving rise to a conflict.

 

The part of the incentive fee payable to MCC Advisors that relates to our net investment income will be computed and paid on income that may include interest income that has been accrued but not yet received in cash. This fee structure may be considered to involve a conflict of interest for MCC Advisors to the extent that it may encourage MCC Advisors to favor debt financings that provide for deferred interest, rather than current cash payments of interest. MCC Advisors may have an incentive to invest in deferred interest securities in circumstances where it would not have done so but for the opportunity to continue to earn the incentive fee even when the issuers of the deferred interest securities would not be able to make actual cash payments to us on such securities. This risk could be increased because MCC Advisors is not obligated to reimburse us for any incentive fees received even if we subsequently incur losses or never receive in cash the deferred income that was previously accrued.

 

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Because we borrow money, the potential for loss on amounts invested in us will be magnified and may increase the risk of investing in us.

 

Borrowings, also known as leverage, magnify the potential for loss on invested equity capital. If we continue to use leverage to partially finance our investments, which we have increasingly done over the years, you will experience increased risks of investing in our securities. We borrow under the Facilities, issued the Notes, issued the SBA-guaranteed debentures and may issue other debt securities or enter into other types of borrowing arrangements in the future. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make common stock distributions or scheduled debt payments. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique and we only intend to use leverage if expected returns will exceed the cost of borrowing.

 

 

As of September 30, 2014, our Term Loan Facility and Revolving Credit Facility had outstanding balances of $171.5 million and $146.5 million, respectively, $100.0 million SBA-guaranteed debentures outstanding and we had $103.5 million of outstanding Notes. The Facilities and the Notes require periodic payments of interest. The weighted average interest rate charged on our borrowings as of September 30, 2014 was 4.5% (exclusive of deferred financing costs). We will need to generate sufficient cash flow to make these required interest payments. In order for us to cover our annual interest payments on indebtedness, we must achieve annual returns on our September 30, 2014 total assets of at least 1.3%. If we are unable to meet the financial obligations under the Facilities, the lenders under the Facilities will have a superior to claim to our assets over our stockholders. If we are unable to meet the financial obligations under the Notes, the holders thereof will have the right to declare the principal amount and accrued and unpaid interest on the outstanding Notes to be due and payable immediately.

 

We have received exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to exclude the debt of our SBIC subsidiary guaranteed by the SBA from the definition of senior securities in the 200% asset coverage ratio we are required to maintain under the 1940 Act. As a result of our receipt of this relief, if we receive a license from the SBA we will have the ability to incur leverage in excess of the amounts set forth in the 1940 Act. If we incur additional leverage in excess of the amounts set forth in the 1940 Act, our net asset value will decline more sharply if the value of our assets declines than if we had not incurred such additional leverage and the effects of leverage described above will be magnified.

 

Illustration. The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in our common stock assuming various annual returns, net of expenses. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical and actual returns may be higher or lower than those appearing below.

 

Assumed Return on Our Portfolio (1)

(net of expenses)

 

    (10.0)%     (5.0)%     0.0%     5.0%     10.0%  
Corresponding net return to common stockholder     (21.4) %     (12.3) %     (3.2) %     (5.9 )%     (14.9 )%

 

(1)Assumes $1,324 million in total assets, $521.5 million in debt outstanding, $729.9 million in net assets, and a weighted average interest rate of 4.5%. Actual interest payments may be different.

 

Our incentive fee may induce our investment adviser to make certain investments, including speculative investments.

 

The incentive fee payable by us to MCC Advisors may create an incentive for MCC Advisors to make investments on our behalf that are risky or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The way in which the incentive fee payable to MCC Advisors is determined, which is calculated separately in two components as a percentage of the interest and other ordinary income in excess of a quarterly minimum hurdle rate and as a percentage of the realized gain on invested capital, may encourage MCC Advisors to use leverage or take additional risk to increase the return on our investments. The use of leverage may magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested. The use of leverage is considered a speculative technique. If we borrow from banks or other lenders, we would expect that such lenders will seek recovery against our assets in the event of a default and these lenders likely will have claims on our assets that are superior to those of our equity holders. In addition, MCC Advisors receives the incentive fee based, in part, upon net capital gains realized on our investments. Unlike the portion of the incentive fee based on income, there is no minimum level of gain applicable to the portion of the incentive fee based on net capital gains. As a result, MCC Advisors may have an incentive to invest more in investments that are likely to result in capital gains as compared to income producing securities. This practice could result in our investing in more speculative securities than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher investment losses, particularly during economic downturns.

 

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We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies, including private funds, and, to the extent we so invest, we will bear our ratable share of any such investment company’s expenses, including management and performance fees. We will also remain obligated to pay management and incentive fees to MCC Advisors with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of other investment companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of our common stockholders will bear his or her share of the management and incentive fee of MCC Advisors as well as indirectly bear the management and performance fees and other expenses of any investment companies in which we invest.

 

We may be obligated to pay our investment adviser incentive compensation even if we incur a loss and may pay more than 20% of our net capital gains because we cannot recover payments made in previous years.

 

Our investment adviser will be entitled to incentive compensation for each fiscal quarter in an amount equal to a percentage of the excess of our net investment income for that quarter above a threshold return for that quarter. Our pre-incentive fee net investment income for incentive compensation purposes excludes realized and unrealized capital losses that we may incur in the fiscal quarter, even if such capital losses result in a net loss on our statement of operations for that quarter. Thus, we may be required to pay our investment adviser incentive compensation for a fiscal quarter even if there is a decline in the value of our portfolio or we incur a net loss for that quarter. If we pay an incentive fee of 20% of our realized capital gains (net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis) and thereafter experience additional realized capital losses or unrealized capital depreciation, we will not be able to recover any portion of the incentive fee previously paid.

 

The valuation process for certain of our portfolio holdings creates a conflict of interest.

 

A substantial portion of our portfolio investments are expected to be made in the form of securities that are not publicly traded. As a result, our board of directors will determine the fair value of these securities in good faith pursuant to our valuation policy. In connection with that determination, investment professionals from MCC Advisors prepare portfolio company valuations based upon the most recent portfolio company financial statements available and projected financial results of each portfolio company. In addition, certain members of our board of directors, including Brook Taube, Seth Taube and Jeff Tonkel have a pecuniary interest in MCC Advisors. The participation of MCC Advisors’ investment professionals in our valuation process, and the pecuniary interest in MCC Advisors by certain members of our board of directors, could result in a conflict of interest as the management fee that we will pay MCC Advisors is based on our gross assets.

 

Conflicts related to other arrangements with MCC Advisors.

 

We utilize MCC Advisors’ office space and pay to MCC Advisors our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by MCC Advisors in performing its obligations under the administration agreement, such as our allocable portion of the cost of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and their respective staffs. This results in conflicts of interest that our board of directors must monitor.

 

The investment management agreement and administration agreement with MCC Advisors were not negotiated on an arm’s length basis and may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated with an unaffiliated third party.

 

The investment management agreement and the administration agreement were negotiated between related parties. Consequently, their terms, including fees payable to MCC Advisors, may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated with an unaffiliated third party.

 

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Our ability to sell or otherwise exit investments in which affiliates of MCC Advisors also have an investment may be restricted.

 

We may be considered affiliates with respect to certain of our portfolio companies, as discussed under “Investments and Portfolio Companies”. Certain private funds advised by the senior members of MCC Advisors also hold interests in these portfolio companies and as such these interests may be considered a joint enterprise under applicable regulations. To the extent that our interests in these portfolio companies may need to be restructured in the future or to the extent that we choose to exit certain of these transactions, our ability to do so will be limited. 

 

We are highly dependent on information systems and systems failures could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to pay dividends.

 

Our business is highly dependent on our and third parties’ communications and information systems. Any failure or interruption of those systems, including as a result of the termination of an agreement with any third-party service providers, could cause delays or other problems in our activities. Our financial, accounting, data processing, backup or other operating systems and facilities may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control and adversely affect our business. There could be:

 

sudden electrical or telecommunications outages;

 

natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes;

 

disease pandemics;

 

events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including terrorist acts; and

 

cyber-attacks.

 

These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and negatively affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders.

 

Risks Related to Our Investments

 

We may not realize gains from our equity investments.

 

When we make a debt investment, we may acquire warrants or other equity securities as well. In addition, we may invest directly in the equity securities of portfolio companies. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of such equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of such interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.

 

Our investments are very risky and highly speculative.

 

We invest primarily in senior secured first lien loans and senior secured second lien loans issued by private middle-market companies.

 

Senior Secured Loans There is a risk that the collateral securing our loans may decrease in value over time, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of the portfolio company to raise additional capital, and, in some circumstances, our lien could be subordinated to claims of other creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio company’s financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the loan. Consequently, the fact that a loan is secured does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the loan’s terms, or at all, or that we will be able to collect on the loan should we be forced to enforce our remedies.

 

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Equity Investments When we invest in senior secured first lien loans or senior secured second lien loans, we may receive warrants or other equity securities as well. In addition, we may invest directly in the equity securities of portfolio companies. The warrants or equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our warrants or equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any warrants or equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.

 

In addition, investing in private middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks. See “Our investments in private middle-market portfolio companies may be risky, and you could lose all or part of your investment” below.

 

Our investments in private middle-market portfolio companies may be risky, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

Investments in private middle-market companies involve a number of significant risks. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and we are required to rely on the ability of MCC Advisors’ Investment Team to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and we may lose money on our investments. Private middle-market companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees we may have obtained in connection with our investment. In addition, they typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns. Additionally, private middle-market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on our portfolio company and, in turn, on us. Private middle-market companies also generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position. In addition, our executive officers, directors and MCC Advisors may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in these types of companies.

 

We intend to invest primarily in secured debt issued by our portfolio companies. In the case of our senior secured first lien loans, the portfolio companies usually have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with the debt securities in which we invest. With respect to our senior secured second lien loans, the portfolio companies usually have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks above or equally with the debt securities in which we invest. In the case of debt ranking above the senior secured second lien loans in which we invest, we would be subordinate to such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company and therefore the holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt securities in which we invest, we would have to share any distributions on an equal and ratable basis with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company.

 

Additionally, certain loans that we make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.

 

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The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the loans we make to our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens: (1) the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral; (2) the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings; (3) the approval of amendments to collateral documents; (4) releases of liens on the collateral; and (5) waivers of past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights are adversely affected.

 

Our portfolio companies may prepay loans, which prepayment may reduce stated yields if capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.

 

Our loans to portfolio companies are callable at any time, most of them at no premium to par. It is uncertain as to when each loan may be called. Whether a loan is called will depend both on the continued positive performance of the portfolio company and the existence of favorable financing market conditions that allow such company the ability to replace existing financing with less expensive capital. As market conditions change frequently, it is unknown when, and if, this may be possible for each portfolio company. In the case of some of these loans, having the loan called early may reduce the achievable yield for us below the stated yield to maturity contained herein if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.

 

We may acquire indirect interests in loans rather than direct interests, which would subject us to additional risk.

 

We may make or acquire loans or investments through participation agreements. A participation agreement typically results in a contractual relationship only with the counterparty to the participation agreement and not with the borrower. MCC Advisors has adopted best execution procedures and guidelines to mitigate credit and counterparty risk when we acquire a loan through a participation agreement. In investing through participations, we will generally not have a right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement against the borrower, and we may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, we will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the counterparty selling the participation. In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, we, by virtue of holding participation interests in the loan, may be treated as its general unsecured creditor. In addition, although we may have certain contractual rights under the loan participation that require the counterparty to obtain our consent prior to taking various actions relating to the loan, we cannot guarantee that the counterparty will seek such consent prior to taking various actions. Further, in investing through participation agreements, we may not be able to conduct the due diligence on the borrower or the quality of the loan with respect to which it is buying a participation that we would otherwise conduct if we were investing directly in the loan, which may result in us being exposed to greater credit or fraud risk with respect to the borrower or the loan than we expected when initially purchasing the participation. See “Risks Related to Our Business — There are significant potential conflicts of interest that could affect our investment returns” above.

 

Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio; our ability to make follow-on investments in certain portfolio companies may be restricted.

 

Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, provided that there are no restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments in order to: (1) increase or maintain in whole or in part our equity ownership percentage; (2) exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or (3) attempt to preserve or enhance the value of our initial investment.

 

We have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. We may elect not to make follow-on investments or otherwise lack sufficient funds to make those investments. Our failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make such follow-on investment because we may not want to increase our concentration of risk, because we prefer other opportunities, because we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements or because we desire to maintain our RIC tax status. We also may be restricted from making follow-on investments in certain portfolio companies to the extent that affiliates of ours hold interests in such companies.

 

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Our ability to invest in public companies may be limited in certain circumstances.

 

To maintain our status as a BDC, we are not permitted to acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” specified in the 1940 Act unless, at the time the acquisition is made, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets (with certain limited exceptions). Subject to certain exceptions for follow-on investments and distressed companies, an investment in an issuer that has outstanding securities listed on a national securities exchange may be treated as qualifying assets only if such issuer has a market capitalization that is less than $250 million at the time of such investment. In addition, we may invest up to 30% of our portfolio in opportunistic investments which will be intended to diversify or complement the remainder of our portfolio and to enhance our returns to stockholders. These investments may include private equity investments, securities of public companies that are broadly traded and securities of non-U.S. companies. We expect that these public companies generally will have debt securities that are non-investment grade.

 

Our investments in foreign securities may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.

 

Our investment strategy contemplates that a portion of our investments may be in securities of foreign companies. Investing in foreign companies may expose us to additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets and less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility.

 

Although it is anticipated that most of our investments will be denominated in U.S. dollars, our investments that are denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency may change in relation to the U.S. dollar. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we can offer no assurance that we will, in fact, hedge currency risk or, that if we do, such strategies will be effective. As a result, a change in currency exchange rates may adversely affect our profitability.

 

Hedging transactions may expose us to additional risks.

 

We may engage in currency or interest rate hedging transactions. If we engage in hedging transactions, we may expose ourselves to risks associated with such transactions. We may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions does not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of such positions decline. However, such hedging can establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transaction may also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions should increase. Moreover, it may not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that is so generally anticipated that we are not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price.

 

While we may enter into transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged may vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek or be able to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations.

 

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The disposition of our investments may result in contingent liabilities.

 

We currently expect that a significant portion of our investments will involve lending directly to private companies. In connection with the disposition of an investment in private securities, we may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the portfolio company typical of those made in connection with the sale of a business. We may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations turn out to be inaccurate or with respect to certain potential liabilities. These arrangements may result in contingent liabilities that ultimately yield funding obligations that must be satisfied through our return of certain distributions previously made to us.

 

If we invest in the securities and obligations of distressed and bankrupt issuers, we might not receive interest or other payments.

 

We may invest in the securities and obligations of distressed and bankrupt issuers, including debt obligations that are in covenant or payment default. Such investments generally are considered speculative. The repayment of defaulted obligations is subject to significant uncertainties. Defaulted obligations might be repaid only after lengthy workout or bankruptcy proceedings, during which the issuer of those obligations might not make any interest or other payments. We may not realize gains from our equity investments.

 

Risks Related to Our Operations as a BDC and a RIC

 

Regulations governing our operation as a BDC may limit our ability to, and the way in which we raise additional capital, which could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our business requires a substantial amount of capital. We may acquire additional capital from the issuance of senior securities (including debt and preferred stock), the issuance of additional shares of our common stock or from securitization transactions. We also may issue, through our SBIC subsidiary, additional SBA-guaranteed debentures, subject to certain restrictions. For a discussion of the requirements for issuing SBA-guaranteed debentures, see “Regulation — Small Business Investment Company Regulations.” However, we may not be able to raise additional capital in the future on favorable terms or at all. Additionally, we may only issue senior securities up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act permits us to issue senior securities only in amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such issuance or incurrence. If our assets decline in value and we fail to satisfy this test, we may be required to liquidate a portion of our investments and repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales or repayment may be disadvantageous, which could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Senior Securities. As a result of issuing senior securities, we would also be exposed to typical risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of loss. If we issue preferred securities, such securities would rank “senior” to common stock in our capital structure, resulting in preferred stockholders having separate voting rights and possibly rights, preferences or privileges more favorable than those granted to holders of our common stock. Furthermore, the issuance of preferred securities could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our common stockholders or otherwise be in your best interest.

 

Additional Common Stock. Our board of directors may decide to issue common stock to finance our operations rather than issuing debt or other senior securities. As a BDC, we are generally not able to issue our common stock at a price below NAV without first obtaining required approvals from our stockholders and our independent directors. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of our board of directors, closely approximates the market value of such securities at the relevant time. We may also make rights offerings to our stockholders at prices per share less than the NAV per share, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. If we raise additional funds by issuing more common stock or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, our common stock, the percentage ownership of our stockholders at that time would decrease, and such stockholders may experience dilution.

 

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Changes in the laws or regulations governing our business, or changes in the interpretations thereof, and any failure by us to comply with these laws or regulations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

 

Changes in the laws or regulations or the interpretations of the laws and regulations that govern BDCs, RICs or non-depository commercial lenders could significantly affect our operations and our cost of doing business. We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations and are subject to judicial and administrative decisions that affect our operations, including our loan originations, maximum interest rates, fees and other charges, disclosures to portfolio companies, the terms of secured transactions, collection and foreclosure procedures and other trade practices. If these laws, regulations or decisions change, or if we expand our business into jurisdictions that have adopted more stringent requirements than those in which we currently conduct business, we may have to incur significant expenses in order to comply, or we might have to restrict our operations. In addition, if we do not comply with applicable laws, regulations and decisions, we may lose licenses needed for the conduct of our business and may be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties. In addition, any change to the SBA’s current debenture SBIC program could have a significant impact on our ability to obtain lower-cost leverage, through our SBIC subsidiary, and therefore, our ability to compete with other finance companies.

 

If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could fail to qualify as a BDC, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

As a BDC, we may not acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets. See “Regulation”. Our intent is that a substantial portion of the investments that we acquire will constitute qualifying assets. However, we may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could be found to be in violation of the 1940 Act provisions applicable to BDCs and possibly lose our status as a BDC, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We will become subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to maintain our qualification as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code.

 

We have elected and qualified to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code and intend to maintain such qualification for succeeding tax years. No assurance can be given that we will be able to qualify for and maintain our RIC status. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the following annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements.

 

The distribution requirement for a RIC is satisfied if we distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. Because we may use debt financing, we are subject to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we could fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax.

 

The income source requirement is satisfied if we obtain at least 90% of our income for each fiscal year from dividends, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities or similar sources.

 

The asset diversification requirement is satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. Failure to meet those requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.

 

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If we fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment for any reason and remain or become subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial conditions, and thus, our stockholders.

 

Risks Relating to an Investment in Our Securities

 

Investing in our securities may involve an above average degree of risk.

 

The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and a higher risk of volatility or loss of principal. Our investments in portfolio companies involve higher levels of risk and, therefore, an investment in our securities may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.

 

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including business development companies, may, at times, trade at a discount to their net asset value.

 

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including business development companies, may, at times, trade at a discount from net asset value. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies and business development companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether our common stock will trade at, above or below net asset value.

 

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

 

The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:

 

significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of business development companies or other companies in our sector, which are not necessarily related to the operating performance of the companies;

 

changes in regulatory policies, accounting pronouncements or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to BDCs, SBICs or RICs;

 

loss of our qualification as a RIC or BDC or our SBIC subsidiary’s status as an SBIC;

 

changes in earnings or variations in operating results;

 

changes in the value of our portfolio of investments;

 

changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of our investments;

 

any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts;

 

departure of MCC Advisors’ or any of its affiliates’ key personnel;

 

operating performance of companies comparable to us;

 

general economic trends and other external factors; and

 

loss of a major funding source.

 

58
 

 

Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

 

Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock, or the availability of such common stock for sale, could adversely affect the prevailing market prices for our common stock. If this occurs and continues, it could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of securities should we desire to do so.

 

Certain provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.

 

The Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us. These anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a change in control in circumstances that could give the holders of our common stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the market price of our common stock.

 

The net asset value per share of our common stock may be diluted if we sell shares of our common stock in one or more offerings at prices below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock or securities to subscribe for or convertible into shares of our common stock.

 

While we currently do not have the requisite stockholder approval to sell shares of our common stock at a price or prices below our then current net asset value per share, we may seek such approval in the future. In addition, at our 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, we received approval from our stockholders to authorize the Company, with the approval of our board of directors, to issue securities to, subscribe to, convert to, or purchase shares of the Company’s common stock in one or more offerings, subject to certain conditions as set forth in the proxy statement. Such authorization has no expiration.

 

Any decision to sell shares of our common stock below its then current net asset value per share or issue securities to subscribe for or convertible into shares of our common stock would be subject to the determination by our board of directors that such issuance is in our and our stockholders’ best interests.

 

If we were to sell shares of our common stock below its then current net asset value per share, such sales would result in an immediate dilution to the net asset value per share of our common stock. This dilution would occur as a result of the sale of shares at a price below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock and a proportionately greater decrease in the stockholders’ interest in our earnings and assets and their voting interest in us than the increase in our assets resulting from such issuance. Because the number of shares of common stock that could be so issued and the timing of any issuance is not currently known, the actual dilutive effect cannot be predicted.

 

If we issue warrants or securities to subscribe for or convertible into shares of our common stock, subject to certain limitations, the exercise or conversion price per share could be less than net asset value per share at the time of exercise or conversion (including through the operation of anti-dilution protections). Because we would incur expenses in connection with any issuance of such securities, such issuance could result in a dilution of the net asset value per share at the time of exercise or conversion. This dilution would include reduction in net asset value per share as a result of the proportionately greater decrease in the stockholders’ interest in our earnings and assets and their voting interest than the increase in our assets resulting from such issuance.

 

Further, if our current stockholders do not purchase any shares to maintain their percentage interest, regardless of whether such offering is above or below the then current net asset value per share, their voting power will be diluted. For example, if we sell an additional 10% of our shares of common stock at a 5% discount from net asset value, a stockholder who does not participate in that offering for its proportionate interest will suffer net asset value dilution of up to 0.5% or $5 per $1000 of net asset value.

 

59
 

 

The Notes are unsecured and therefore are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness we have currently incurred or may incur in the future.

 

The Notes are not secured by any of our assets or any of the assets of our subsidiaries. As a result, the Notes are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness we or our subsidiaries have currently incurred and may incur in the future (or any indebtedness that is initially unsecured to which we subsequently grant security) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. In any liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy or other similar proceeding, the holders of any of our existing or future secured indebtedness and the secured indebtedness of our subsidiaries may assert rights against the assets pledged to secure that indebtedness in order to receive full payment of their indebtedness before the assets may be used to pay other creditors, including the holders of the Notes. As of September 30, 2014, there was $171.5 million outstanding under our Term Loan Facility, $146.5 million outstanding under our Revolving Facility and $100.0 million SBA-guaranteed debentures outstanding. The indebtedness under the Facilities and the SBA-guaranteed debentures are effectively senior to the Notes to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness.

 

The Notes are structurally subordinated to the indebtedness and other liabilities of our subsidiaries.

 

The Notes are obligations exclusively of Medley Capital Corporation and not of any of our subsidiaries. None of our subsidiaries is a guarantor of the Notes and the Notes are not required to be guaranteed by any subsidiary we may acquire or create in the future. Any assets of our subsidiaries will not be directly available to satisfy the claims of our creditors, including holders of the Notes. Except to the extent we are a creditor with recognized claims against our subsidiaries, all claims of creditors of our subsidiaries will have priority over our equity interests in such subsidiaries (and therefore the claims of our creditors, including holders of the Notes) with respect to the assets of such subsidiaries. Even if we are recognized as a creditor of one or more of our subsidiaries, our claims would still be effectively subordinated to any security interests in the assets of any such subsidiary and to any indebtedness or other liabilities of any such subsidiary senior to our claims. Consequently, the Notes will be structurally subordinated to all indebtedness and other liabilities of any of our subsidiaries and any subsidiaries that we may in the future acquire or establish. Although our subsidiaries currently do not have any indebtedness outstanding, they may incur substantial indebtedness in the future, all of which would be structurally senior to the Notes.

 

The indenture under which the Notes were issued contains limited protection for holders of the Notes.

 

The indenture under which the Notes were issued offers limited protection to holders of the Notes. The terms of the indenture and the Notes do not restrict our or any of our subsidiaries’ ability to engage in, or otherwise be a party to, a variety of corporate transactions, circumstances or events that could have an adverse impact on your investment in the Notes. In particular, the terms of the indenture and the Notes place no restrictions on our or our subsidiaries’ ability to:

 

issue securities or otherwise incur additional indebtedness or other obligations, including (1) any indebtedness or other obligations that would be equal in right of payment to the Notes, (2) any indebtedness or other obligations that would be secured and therefore rank effectively senior in right of payment to the Notes to the extent of the values of the assets securing such debt, (3) indebtedness of ours that is guaranteed by one or more of our subsidiaries and which therefore is structurally senior to the Notes and (4) securities, indebtedness or obligations issued or incurred by our subsidiaries that would be senior to our equity interests in our subsidiaries and therefore rank structurally senior to the Notes with respect to the assets of our subsidiaries, in each case other than an incurrence of indebtedness or other obligation that would cause a violation of Section 18(a)(1)(A) as modified by Section 61(a)(1) of the 1940 Act or any successor provisions. These provisions generally prohibit us from making additional borrowings, including through the issuance of additional debt or the sale of additional debt securities, unless our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such borrowings;
pay dividends on, or purchase or redeem or make any payments in respect of, capital stock or other securities ranking junior in right of payment to the Notes, in each case other than dividends, purchases, redemptions or payments that would cause a violation of Section 18(a)(1)(B) as modified by Section 61(a)(1) of the 1940 Act or any successor provisions. These provisions generally prohibit us from declaring any cash dividend or distribution upon any class of our capital stock, or purchasing any such capital stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is below 200% at the time of the declaration of the dividend or distribution or the purchase and after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase;

sell assets (other than certain limited restrictions on our ability to consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of our assets);
enter into transactions with affiliates;
create liens (including liens on the shares of our subsidiaries) or enter into sale and leaseback transactions;
make investments; or
create restrictions on the payment of dividends or other amounts to us from our subsidiaries.

 

60
 

 

In addition, the indenture does not require us to offer to purchase the Notes in connection with a change of control or any other event.

 

Furthermore, the terms of the indenture and the Notes generally do not protect holders of the Notes in the event that we experience changes (including significant adverse changes) in our financial condition, results of operations or credit ratings, as they do not require that we or our subsidiaries adhere to any financial tests or ratios or specified levels of net worth, revenues, income, cash flow, or liquidity other than as described under the indenture. Any changes, while unlikely, to the financial tests in the 1940 Act could affect the terms of the Notes.

 

Our ability to recapitalize, incur additional debt and take a number of other actions that are not limited by the terms of the Notes may have important consequences for you as a holder of the Notes, including making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to the Notes or negatively affecting the trading value of the Notes. Other debt we issue or incur in the future could contain more protections for its holders than the indenture and the Notes, including additional covenants and events of default. For example, the indenture under which the Notes will be issued does not contain cross-default provisions that are contained in the Facilities. The issuance or incurrence of any such debt with incremental protections could affect the market for and trading levels and prices of the Notes.

 

An active trading market for the Notes may not develop or be sustained, which could limit the market price of the Notes or your ability to sell them.

 

Although the Notes are listed on the NYSE under the symbols “MCQ,” in the case of the 2019 Notes, and “MCV,” in the case of the 2023 Notes, we cannot provide any assurances that an active trading market will develop or be sustained for the Notes or that you will be able to sell your Notes. At various times, the Notes may trade at a discount from their initial offering price depending on prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities, our credit ratings, general economic conditions, our financial condition, performance and prospects and other factors. To the extent an active trading market is not sustained, the liquidity and trading price for the Notes may be harmed.

 

If we default on our obligations to pay our other indebtedness, we may not be able to make payments on the Notes.

 

Any default under the agreements governing our indebtedness, including a default under the Facilities or other indebtedness to which we may be a party that is not waived by the required lenders, and the remedies sought by the holders of such indebtedness could make us unable to pay principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes and substantially decrease the market value of the Notes. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow and are otherwise unable to obtain funds necessary to meet required payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness, or if we otherwise fail to comply with the various covenants, including financial and operating covenants, in the instruments governing our indebtedness (including the Facilities), we could be in default under the terms of the agreements governing such indebtedness. In the event of such default, the holders of such indebtedness could elect to declare all the funds borrowed thereunder to be due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest, the lenders under the Facilities or other debt we may incur in the future could elect to terminate their commitments, cease making further loans and institute foreclosure proceedings against our assets, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation. If our operating performance declines, we may in the future need to seek to obtain waivers from the required lenders under the Facilities or other debt that we may incur in the future to avoid being in default. If we breach our covenants under the Facilities or other debt and seek a waiver, we may not be able to obtain a waiver from the required lenders. If this occurs, we would be in default under the Facilities or other debt, the lenders could exercise their rights as described above, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation. If we are unable to repay debt, lenders having secured obligations could proceed against the collateral securing the debt. Because the Facilities have, and any future credit facilities will likely have, customary cross-default provisions, if the indebtedness under the Notes, the Facilities or under any future credit facility is accelerated, we may be unable to repay or finance the amounts due.

 

61
 

 

If we issue preferred stock, the net asset value and market value of our common stock may become more volatile.

 

If we issue preferred stock, we cannot assure you that such issuance would result in a higher yield or return to the holders of our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock would likely cause the net asset value and market value of our common stock to become more volatile. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock were to approach the net rate of return on our investment portfolio, the benefit of leverage to the holders of our common stock would be reduced. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock were to exceed the net rate of return on our portfolio, the leverage would result in a lower rate of return to the holders of our common stock than if we had not issued preferred stock. Any decline in the net asset value of our investments would be borne entirely by the holders of our common stock. Therefore, if the market value of our portfolio were to decline, the leverage would result in a greater decrease in net asset value to the holders of our common stock than if we were not leveraged through the issuance of preferred stock. This greater net asset value decrease would also tend to cause a greater decline in the market price for our common stock. We might be in danger of failing to maintain the required asset coverage of the preferred stock or of losing our ratings on the preferred stock or, in an extreme case, our current investment income might not be sufficient to meet the dividend requirements on the preferred stock. In order to counteract such an event, we might need to liquidate investments in order to fund a redemption of some or all of the preferred stock. In addition, we would pay (and the holders of our common stock would bear) all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred stock, including higher advisory fees if our total return exceeds the dividend rate on the preferred stock. Holders of preferred stock may have different interests than holders of our common stock and may at times have disproportionate influence over our affairs.

 

Holders of any preferred stock we might issue would have the right to elect members of the board of directors and class voting rights on certain matters.

 

Holders of any preferred stock we might issue, voting separately as a single class, would have the right to elect two members of the board of directors at all times and in the event dividends become two full years in arrears, would have the right to elect a majority of our directors until such arrearage is completely eliminated. In addition, preferred stockholders would have class voting rights on certain matters, including changes in fundamental investment restrictions and conversion to open-end status, and accordingly would be able to veto any such changes. Restrictions imposed on the declarations and payment of dividends or other distributions to the holders of our common stock and preferred stock, both by the 1940 Act and by requirements imposed by rating agencies or the terms of our credit facilities, might impair our ability to maintain our qualification as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. While we would intend to redeem our preferred stock to the extent necessary to enable us to distribute our income as required to maintain our qualification as a RIC, there can be no assurance that such actions could be effected in time to meet the tax requirements.

 

62
 

 

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

 

None.

 

Item 2. Properties

 

Properties

 

We do not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation. Our headquarters are currently located at 375 Park Avenue, 33 rd Floor, New York, NY 10152. Our administrator furnishes us office space and we reimburse it for such costs on an allocated basis.

 

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, we are involved in various legal proceedings, lawsuits and claims incidental to the conduct of our business. Our businesses are also subject to extensive regulation, which may result in regulatory proceedings against us. Except as described below, we are not currently party to any material legal proceedings.

 

On July 25, 2014, Fourth Third LLC instituted a foreclosure proceeding in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Monterey against Security National Guaranty, Inc. (the “borrower”), Tanam Corp. and Abbat Corp. (collectively, the “junior lienholders”) seeking to enforce a loan agreement following a default by the borrower. MOF I holds 100% of the economic interest in the loan through participation agreements with Fourth Third LLC, which is the lender of record with respect to the loan. On September 2, 2014, the borrower and junior lienholders filed a counterclaim in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California naming Fourth Third LLC and Medley Capital. The counterclaim seeks to enjoin enforcement actions with respect to the loan and to collect significant compensatory and punitive damages, including lost profits, based on an alleged breach of a commitment to accept a discounted payoff in full satisfaction of the loan.  We intend to defend the counterclaim vigorously.

 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

 

None.

 

PART II

 

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

Price Range of Common Stock

 

Our common stock is currently traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “MCC”. The following table lists the high and low closing sale prices for our common stock, the closing sale prices as a percentage of net asset value, or NAV, and the dividends per share declared by us for each fiscal quarter for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2014.

 

           Premium/
Discount
   Premium/
Discount
     
       Closing
Sales Price
   of High Sales
Price
   of Low Sales
Price
   Declared 
Period  NAV (1)   High   Low   to NAV (2)   to NAV (2)   Dividends (3) 
Fiscal year ended September 30, 2013                              
                               
First quarter  $12.69   $14.62   $12.99    115.21%   102.36%  $0.36 
Second quarter  $12.73   $16.15   $14.46    126.87%   113.59%  $0.36 
Third quarter  $12.65   $15.65   $13.06    123.72%   103.24%  $0.37 
Fourth quarter  $12.70   $14.65   $13.04    115.35%   102.68%  $0.37 
                               
Fiscal year ended September 30, 2014                              
                               
First quarter  $12.68   $14.64   $13.38    115.46%   105.52%  $0.37 
Second quarter  $12.69   $14.72   $13.41    116.00%   105.67%  $0.37 
Third quarter  $12.65   $13.83   $12.30    109.33%   97.23%  $0.37 
Fourth quarter  $12.43   $13.29   $11.78    106.92%   94.77%  $0.37 

 

 

(1) NAV per share is determined as of the last day in the relevant quarter and therefore may not reflect the NAV per share on the date of the high and low sales prices. The NAVs shown are based on outstanding shares at the end of each period.

 

(2) Calculated as of the respective high or low closing sales price divided by the quarter end NAV.

 

(3) Represents the cash dividend declared for the specified quarter.

 

The last reported price for our common stock on December 8, 2014 was $10.29 per share. As of September 30, 2014, we had 15 stockholders of record.

 

63
 

 

Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

During the year ended September 30, 2014, we issued 159,102 shares of common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan. These issuances were not subject to the registration requirements under the Securities Act. The aggregate value of the shares of common stock issued under our dividend reinvestment plan during the fiscal year 2014 was approximately $2.0 million.

 

Other than shares issued under our dividend reinvestment plan during the year ended September 30, 2014, we did not sell any unregistered equity securities and we did not repurchase any of our equity securities.

 

Distributions

 

Our dividends, if any, are determined by the board of directors. We have elected and qualified to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To maintain RIC qualification, we must distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of our net long-term capital losses, if any. We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on our undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income (both long-term and short-term) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed in the preceding year.

 

The following table reflects the cash distributions, including dividends and returns of capital per share that we have declared on our common stock since completion of our initial public offering.

 

Dividends Declared

 

Record Dates  Payment Dates  Per Share 
Fiscal year ended September 30, 2011        
June 1, 2011  June 15, 2011  $0.16 
September 1, 2011  September 15, 2011  $0.21 
Total     $0.37 
         
Fiscal year ended September 30, 2012        
December 15, 2011  December 30, 2011  $0.25 
February 24, 2012  March 15, 2012  $0.28 
May 25, 2012  June 15, 2012  $0.31 
August 24, 2012  September 14, 2012  $0.36 
Total     $1.20 
         
Fiscal year ended September 30, 2013        
November 23, 2012  December 14, 2012  $0.36 
February 27, 2013  March 15, 2013  $0.36 
May 27, 2013  June 14, 2013  $0.36 
August 23, 2013  September 13, 2013  $0.37 
Total     $1.45 
         
Fiscal year ended September 30, 2014        
November 22, 2013  December 13, 2013  $0.37 
February 26, 2014  March 14, 2014  $0.37 
May 28, 2014  June 13, 2014  $0.37 
August 27, 2014  September 12, 2014  $0.37 
Total     $1.48 

 

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Subsequent to September 30, 2014, our board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share payable on December 12, 2014, to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 26, 2014.

 

We have adopted a dividend reinvestment plan that provides for reinvestment of our dividends and other distributions on behalf of our stockholders, unless a stockholder elects to receive cash as provided below. As a result, if our board of directors authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or other distribution, then our stockholders who have not “opted out” of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash distribution automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, rather than receiving the cash distribution.

 

Stock Performance Graph

 

This graph compares the stockholder return on our common stock from January 20, 2011 (IPO) to September 30, 2014 with that of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index and the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index. This graph assumes that on January 20, 2011, $100 was invested in our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, and the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index. The graph also assumes the reinvestment of all cash dividends prior to any tax effect. The graph and other information furnished under this Part II Item 5 of this annual report on Form 10-K shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act. The stock price performance included in the below graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock performance.

 

 

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

 

We have derived the selected financial data below from our audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012 which have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm.

 

We commenced operations and completed our initial public offering on January 20, 2011. As a result, no information is provided for the periods prior to the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011. The following selected financial data should be read together with our financial statements and the related notes and the discussion under “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” (dollars in thousands except per share and other data).

 

  

For the years

ended September 30
 
   2014   2013   2012   2011 
Statement of Operations data:                
Total investment income  $139,390   $88,991   $44,520   $14,569 
Base management fee, net   17,684    10,918    5,480    1,610 
Incentive fee   18,667    11,600    5,886    714 
All other expenses   28,371    20,074    9,644    2,616 
Net investment income   74,668    46,399    23,510    9,629 
Unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) on investments   (21,274)   (7,242)   (1,062)   (150)
Provision for taxes on unrealized gain/(loss) on investments   (1,592)   -    -    - 
Realized gain/(loss) on investments   356    261    (44)   55 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations   52,158    39,418    22,404    9,534 
Per share data:                    
Net asset value per common share at year end  $12.43   $12.70   $12.52   $12.57 
Market price at year end   11.81    13.79    14.07    10.08 
Net investment income   1.58    1.53    1.31    0.56 
Net realized and unrealized loss on investments   (0.45)   (0.23)   (0.06)   (0.01)
Provision for taxes or unrealized gain/(loss) on investments   (0.03)   -    -    - 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations   1.10    1.30    1.25    0.55 
Dividends paid   1.48    1.45    1.20    0.37 
Balance Sheet data at year end:                    
Total investments at fair value  $1,245,538   $749,237   $401,949   $199,206 
Cash and cash equivalents   36,731    8,558    4,894    17,202 
Other assets   41,877    18,598    8,928    3,721 
Total assets   1,324,146    776,393    415,771    220,129 
Total liabilities   594,289    266,559    126,432    2,476 
Total net assets   729,857    509,834    289,339    217,653 
Other data:                    
Weighted average annual yield on debt investments (1)   12.6%   13.8%   14.3%   14.5%
Number of investments at year end   79    57    38    18 

 

  (1) The weighted average yield is based upon original cost on our debt investments.

 

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

 

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-K.

 

Except as otherwise specified, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company,” refer to Medley Capital Corporation.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

Some of the statements in this quarterly report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or our performance or financial condition. The forward-looking statements contained in this quarterly report on Form 10-K involve risks and uncertainties, including statements as to:

 

  · the introduction, withdrawal, success and timing of business initiatives and strategies;

 

  · changes in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment or conditions affecting the financial and capital markets, which could result in changes in the value of our assets;

 

  · the relative and absolute investment performance and operations of MCC Advisors;

 

  · the impact of increased competition;

 

  · the impact of future acquisitions and divestitures;

 

  · our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies;

 

  · the impact of legislative and regulatory actions and reforms and regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions of government agencies relating to us or MCC Advisors;

 

  · our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties;

 

  · any future financings by us;

 

  · the ability of MCC Advisors to attract and retain highly talented professionals;

 

  · fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;

 

  · the impact of changes to tax legislation and, generally, our tax position; and

 

  · the unfavorable resolution of legal proceedings.

 

Such forward-looking statements may include statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “trend,” “opportunity,” “pipeline,” “believe,” “comfortable,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “current,” “intention,” “estimate,” “position,” “assume,” “potential,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” or similar expressions. The forward looking statements contained in this quarterly report involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those implied or expressed in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including the factors set forth as “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-K.

 

We have based the forward-looking statements included in this report on information available to us on the date of this report, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements, and future results could differ materially from historical performance. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we have filed or in the future may file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including annual reports on Form 10-K, registration statements on Form N-2, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

 

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Overview

 

We are an externally-managed, non-diversified closed-end management investment company that filed an election to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. In addition, we have elected and qualified to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a RIC under subchapter M of the Code.

 

We commenced operations and completed our initial public offering on January 20, 2011. Our investment activities are managed by MCC Advisors and supervised by our board of directors, of which a majority of the members are independent of us.

 

Our investment objective is to generate current income and capital appreciation by lending to privately-held middle market companies, primarily through directly originated transactions, to help these companies fund acquisitions, growth or refinancing. Our portfolio generally consists of senior secured first lien term loans and senior secured second lien term loans. In many of our investments, we receive warrants or other equity participation features, which we believe will increase the total investment returns.

 

As a BDC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. For instance, we generally have to invest at least 70% of our total assets in “qualifying assets,” including securities of private or thinly traded public U.S. companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. In addition, we are only allowed to borrow money such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such borrowing, with certain limited exceptions. To maintain our RIC status, we must meet specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. To maintain our RIC tax treatment under subchapter M for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must timely distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, for the taxable year.

 

Revenues

 

We generate revenue in the form of interest income on the debt that we hold and capital gains, if any, on warrants or other equity interests that we may acquire in portfolio companies. We invest our assets primarily in privately held companies with enterprise or asset values between $25 million and $250 million and focus on investment sizes of $10 million to $50 million. We believe that pursuing opportunities of this size offers several benefits including reduced competition, a larger investment opportunity set and the ability to minimize the impact of financial intermediaries. We expect our debt investments to bear interest at either a fixed or floating rate. Interest on debt will be payable generally either monthly or quarterly. In some cases our debt investments may provide for a portion of the interest to be PIK. To the extent interest is PIK, it will be payable through the increase of the principal amount of the obligation by the amount of interest due on the then-outstanding aggregate principal amount of such obligation. The principal amount of the debt and any accrued but unpaid interest will generally become due at the maturity date. In addition, we may generate revenue in the form of commitment, origination, structuring or diligence fees, fees for providing managerial assistance or investment management services and possibly consulting fees. Any such fees will be generated in connection with our investments and recognized as earned.

 

Expenses

 

Our primary operating expenses include the payment of management and incentive fees pursuant to the investment management agreement we have with MCC Advisors and overhead expenses, including our allocable portion of our administrator’s overhead under the administration agreement. Our management and incentive fees compensate MCC Advisors for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, closing and monitoring our investments. We bear all other costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including those relating to:

 

  · our organization and continued corporate existence;

 

  · calculating our NAV (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firms);

 

  · expenses incurred by MCC Advisors payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisers, in monitoring our financial and legal affairs and in monitoring our investments and performing due diligence on our prospective portfolio companies;

 

  · interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance our investments;

 

  · the costs of all offerings of common stock and other securities, if any;

 

  · the base management fee and any incentive fee;

 

  · distributions on our shares;

 

  · administration fees payable under our administration agreement;

 

  · the allocated costs incurred by MCC Advisors in providing managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request it;

 

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  · amounts payable to third parties relating to, or associated with, making investments;

 

  · transfer agent and custodial fees;

 

  · registration fees and listing fees;

 

  · U.S. federal, state and local taxes;

 

  · independent director fees and expenses;

 

  · costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents with the SEC or other regulators;

 

  · the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to our stockholders, including printing costs;

 

  · our fidelity bond;

 

  · directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums;

 

  · indemnification payments;

 

  · direct costs and expenses of administration, including audit and legal costs; and

 

  · all other expenses reasonably incurred by us or MCC Advisors in connection with administering our business, such as the allocable portion of overhead under our administration agreement, including rent and other allocable portions of the cost of certain of our officers and their respective staffs (including travel expenses).

 

 Portfolio and Investment Activity

 

As of September 30, 2014, our portfolio consisted of investments in 79 portfolio companies with a fair value of approximately $1,245.5 million. During the year ended September 30, 2014, we invested $751.0 million in 43 new portfolio companies and $83.1 million in 10 existing portfolio companies, and we had $329.4 million in aggregate amount of exits and repayments, resulting in net investments of $504.7 million for the year.

 

As of September 30, 2013, our portfolio consisted of investments in 57 portfolio companies with a fair value of approximately $749.2 million. During the year ended September 30, 2013, we invested $420.9 million in 32 new portfolio companies and $62.2 million in 14 existing portfolio companies, and we had $139.8 million in aggregate amount of exits and repayments, resulting in net investments of $343.3 million for the year.

 

As of September 30, 2014, our average portfolio company investment and our largest portfolio company investment at amortized cost and fair value was approximately $16.1 million and $15.8 million, and $40.0 million and $40.0 million, respectively.

 

As of September 30, 2013, our average portfolio company investment and our largest portfolio company investment at amortized cost and fair value was approximately $13.3 million and $13.1 million, and $25.5 million and $25.3 million, respectively.

 

The following table summarizes the amortized cost and the fair value of investments as of September 30, 2014 (dollars in thousands):

 

   Investments at
 Amortized
 Cost
   Percentage   Investments at
 Fair Value
   Percentage 
Senior Secured First Lien Term Loans  $776,904    60.9%  $747,740    60.0%
Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loans   359,835    28.2    359,209    28.8 
Senior Secured Notes   60,482    4.8    56,121    4.5 
Unsecured Debt   38,185    3.0    38,186    3.1 
Equity/Warrants   39,859    3.1    44,282    3.6 
Total  $1,275,265    100.0%  $1,245,538    100.0%

 

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The following table summarizes the amortized cost and the fair value of investments as of September 30, 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

   Investments at
 Amortized
 Cost
   Percentage   Investments at
 Fair Value
   Percentage 
Senior Secured First Lien Term Loans  $418,109    55.2%  $408,802    54.5%
Senior Secured Second Lien Term Loans   253,210    33.4    251,963    33.6 
Senior Secured Notes   84,125    11.1    85,262    11.4 
Unsecured Debt   255    0.1    255    0.1 
Equity/Warrants   1,991    0.2    2,955    0.4 
Total  $757,690    100.0%  $749,237    100.0%

 

As of September 30, 2014, the weighted average loan to value ratio (“LTV”) of our portfolio investments based upon fair market value was approximately 57.4%. We believe that the LTV ratio for a portfolio investment is a useful indicator of the riskiness of the portfolio investment, or its likelihood of default. As part of our investment strategy, we seek to structure transactions with downside protection and seek LTVs of lower than 65%. We regularly evaluate the LTV of our portfolio investments and believe that LTV is a useful indicator for management.

 

As of September 30, 2014, our income-bearing investment portfolio, which represented nearly 95.2% of our total portfolio, had a weighted average yield based upon cost of our portfolio investments of approximately 12.6%, and 74.0% of our income-bearing investment portfolio bore interest based on floating rates, such as LIBOR, and 26.0% bore interest at fixed rates.

 

MCC Advisors regularly assesses the risk profile of each of our investments and rates each of them based on the following categories, which we refer to as MCC Advisors’ investment credit rating:

 

Credit
Rating
  Definition
     
1   Investments that are performing above expectations.
     
2   Investments that are performing within expectations, with risks that are neutral or favorable compared to risks at the time of origination.
     
    All new loans are rated ‘2’.
     
3   Investments that are performing below expectations and that require closer monitoring, but where no loss of interest, dividend or principal is expected.
     
    Companies rated ‘3’ may be out of compliance with financial covenants, however, loan payments are generally not past due.
     
4   Investments that are performing below expectations and for which risk has increased materially since origination.
     
    Some loss of interest or dividend is expected but no loss of principal.
     
    In addition to the borrower being generally out of compliance with debt covenants, loan payments may be past due (but generally not more than 180 days past due).
     
5   Investments that are performing substantially below expectations and whose risks have increased substantially since origination.
     
    Most or all of the debt covenants are out of compliance and payments are substantially delinquent.
     
    Some loss of principal is expected.

 

The following table shows the distribution of our investments on the 1 to 5 investment performance rating scale at fair value as of September 30, 2014 (dollars in thousands):

 

Investment
 Performance
 Rating
  Investments at
 Fair Value
   Percentage 
1  $64,873    5.2%
2   1,121,981    90.1 
3   18,347    1.5 
4   -    - 
5   40,337    3.2 
Total  $1,245,538    100.0%

 

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The following table shows the distribution of our investments on the 1 to 5 investment performance rating scale at fair value as of September 30, 2013 (dollars in thousands):

 

Investment
 Performance
 Rating
  Investments at
 Fair Value
   Percentage 
1  $37,618    5.0%
2   650,130    86.8 
3   49,396    6.6 
4   8,003    1.1 
5   4,090    0.5 
Total  $749,237    100.0%

 

Results of Operations

 

Operating results for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

   For the years
ended September 30
 
   2014   2013   2012 
    
Total investment income  $139,390   $88,991   $44,520 
Total expenses, net   64,722    42,592    20,974 
Net investment income before excise taxes   74,668    46,399    23,546 
Income tax provision and excise tax expense   -   -    (36)
Net investment income   74,668    46,399    23,510 
Net realized gains (losses)   356    261    (44)
Net unrealized gains (losses)   (21,274)   (7,242)   (1,062)
Provision for deferred taxes on unrealized gains/(loss) on investments   (1,592)   -    - 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations  $52,158   $39,418   $22,404 

 

Investment Income

 

For the year ended September 30, 2014, investment income totaled $139.4 million, of which $110.3 million was attributable to portfolio interest and $29.1 million to other fee income. For the year ended September 30, 2013, investment income totaled $89.0 million, of which $73.2 million was attributable to portfolio interest and $15.8 million to other fee income. For the year ended September 30, 2012, investment income totaled $44.5 million, of which $38.3 million was attributable to portfolio interest and $6.2 million to other fee income.

 

Operating Expenses

 

Operating expenses for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows (dollars in thousands):):

 

   For the years
ended September 30
 
   2014   2013   2012 
   ($ in thousands) 
Base management fees  $17,684   $10,918   $5,521 
Incentive fees   18,667    11,600    5,886 
Interest and financing expenses   20,133    13,448    5,011 
Administrator expenses   3,353    2,475    1,540 
Professional fees   2,251    1,846    1,600 
Directors fees   551    461    481 
Insurance   570    377    465 
General and administrative   1,513    1,316    511 
Organizational expense   -    151    - 
Expenses before management fee waiver (1)  $64,722   $42,592   $21,015 

 

(1) For the years ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, there was no waiver of management fees.

 

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For the year ended September 30, 2014, total operating expenses before manager expense waiver and reimbursement increased by $22.1 million, or 51.9%, compared to the year ended September 30, 2013.

 

For the year ended September 30, 2013, total operating expenses before manager expense waiver and reimbursement increased by $21.6 million, or 102.7%, compared to the year ended September 30, 2012.

 

Interest and financing expenses were higher in the year ended September 30, 2014 than the year ended September 30, 2013 as a result of increase in commitment on a four-year senior secured revolving credit facility, issuing $40.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.125% unsecured notes that mature on March 30, 2019 (the “2019 Notes“), an increase in commitment on a five-year senior secured term loan credit facility, issuing $63.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 6.125% unsecured notes that mature on March 30, 2023 (the “2023 Notes“) and issuing SBA-guaranteed debentures.

 

Excluding interest and financing expenses, expenses increased for the year ended September 30, 2014 compared to the year ended September 30, 2013 due to an increase in professional fees, base management fees, incentive fees, administrative service fees and general administrative expenses. Professional fees and administrative service fees have increased due to higher legal, audit, valuation services and administrator expenses. Base management fees, which are calculated based on average gross assets, increased due to the growth in the portfolio throughout the period. The incentive fee increased as a result of the increase in pre-incentive fee net investment income.

 

Net Realized Gains/Losses from Investments

 

We measure realized gains or losses by the difference between the net proceeds from the disposition and the amortized cost basis of an investment, without regard to unrealized gains or losses previously recognized.

 

During the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012 we recognized $0.4 million of realized gains, $0.3 million of realized gains and $44,727 of realized losses on our portfolio investments, respectively.

 

Net Unrealized Appreciation/Depreciation on Investments

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments reflects the net change in the fair value of our investment portfolio. For the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, we had $21.3 million, $7.2 million and $1.1 million of unrealized depreciation, respectively, on portfolio investments.

 

Provision for Deferred Taxes on Unrealized Appreciation on Investments

 

Certain consolidated subsidiaries of ours are subject to U.S. federal and state income taxes. These taxable subsidiaries are not consolidated with the Company for income tax purposes, but are consolidated for GAAP purposes, and may generate income tax liabilities or assets from temporary differences in the recognition of items for financial reporting and income tax purposes at the subsidiaries. For the year ended September 30, 2014, the Company recognized a provision for deferred tax on unrealized gains of $1.6 million for consolidated subsidiaries, respectively. For the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, the Company did not recognize a provision for deferred tax on unrealized gain.

 

Changes in Net Assets from Operations

 

For the year ended September 30, 2014, we recorded a net increase in net assets resulting from operations of $52.2 million compared to a net increase in net assets resulting from operations of $39.4 million for the year ended September 30, 2013 and $22.4 million for the year ended September 30, 2012. The difference is attributable to an increase in total investment income offset by an increase in total operating expenses, resulting from portfolio growth and an increase in net unrealized depreciation for the year ended September 30, 2014, as compared to the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. Based on 47,366,892, 30,246,247 and 17,919,310 weighted average common shares outstanding for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, our per share net increase in net assets resulting from operations was $1.10 for the year ended September 30, 2014 compared to a per share net increase in net assets from operations of $1.30 for the year ended September 30, 2013 and $1.25 for the year ended September 30, 2012.

 

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Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

As a RIC, we distribute substantially all of our net income to our stockholders and have an ongoing need to raise additional capital for investment purposes. To fund growth, we have a number of alternatives available to increase capital; including raising equity, increasing debt, and funding from operational cash flow.

 

Our liquidity and capital resources have been generated primarily from the net proceeds of public offerings of common stock, advances from the Revolving Facility and the Term Loan Facility and net proceeds from the issuance of notes as well as cash flows from operations.

 

On January 20, 2011, we completed our IPO and issued 11,111,112 common shares and received net proceeds of $129.6 million.

 

On March 21, 2012, we issued $40.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2019 Notes. The 2019 Notes may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at our option on or after March 30, 2015. The 2019 Notes bear interest at a rate of 7.125% per year, payable quarterly on March 30, June 30, September 30 and December 30 of each year, beginning June 30, 2012. The 2019 Notes are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trade thereon under the trading symbol “MCQ”. As of December 31, 2013, $40.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2019 Notes were outstanding.

 

On August 24, 2012, we completed a public offering of 5,750,000 shares, including the underwriters’ full exercise of the option to purchase additional shares, of our common stock at a public offering price of $12.95 per share, raising approximately $71.9 million in net proceeds.

 

On December 3, 2012, we completed a public offering of 5,000,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $13.75 per share, raising approximately $66.0 million in net proceeds. On December 19, 2012, we sold an additional 495,263 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $13.75 per share, raising approximately $6.5 million in net proceeds, pursuant to the underwriters’ partial exercise of the option to purchase additional shares.

 

On March 18, 2013, the Company issued $60.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2023 Notes. The 2023 Notes may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at the Company's option on or after March 30, 2016. The 2023 Notes bear interest at a rate of 6.125% per year, payable quarterly on March 30, June 30, September 30 and December 30 of each year, beginning June 30, 2013. The 2023 Notes are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trade thereon under the trading symbol "MCV".

 

On April 12, 2013, we completed a public offering of 4,000,000 shares of our common stock and an additional 492,271 shares of our common stock pursuant to the underwriters’ partial exercise of the over-allotment option at a public offering price of $14.70 per share, raising approximately $63.4 million in net proceeds.

 

On September 9, 2013, we completed a public offering of 6,900,000 shares of our common stock, which included the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase an additional 900,000 shares, at a public offering price of $13.00 per share, raising approximately $86.6 million in net proceeds.

 

On February 5, 2014 we completed a public offering of 6,000,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $14.00 per share, raising approximately $81.1 million in net proceeds.

 

On April 28, 2014 we completed a public offering of 6,000,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $13.25 per share, raising approximately $76.9 million in net proceeds.

 

On August 1, 2014, the Company entered into an “At-The-Market” (“ATM”) equity distribution agreement with Goldman, Sachs & Co., Barclays Capital Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., BB&T Capital Markets, a division of BB&T Securities, LLC, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., MLV & Co. LLC, Maxim Group LLC, National Securities Corporation and Gilford Securities Incorporated, through which the Company could sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $100.0 million. During the period from August 5, 2014 to September 30, 2014, the Company sold 671,278 shares of its common stock at an average price of $12.87 per share, and raised $8.7 million in net proceeds, under the ATM Program.

 

On August 26, 2014, the Company completed a public offering of 5,000,000 shares of our common stock and an additional 750,000 shares of our common stock pursuant to the underwriters’ partial exercise of the over-allotment option at a public offering price of $13.02 per share, raising approximately $72.8 million in net proceeds.

 

On June 2, 2014, we entered into Amendment No. 5 to our existing Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement (the “Revolver Amendment”) and Amendment No. 5 our existing Senior Secured Term Loan Credit Agreement (the “Term Loan Amendment,” together with the “Revolver Amendment,” the “Amendments”), each with certain lenders party thereto and ING Capital LLC, as administrative agent. The Amendments amend certain provisions of our Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement (the "Revolving Credit Facility") and the Senior Secured Term Loan Credit Agreement (the "Term Loan Facility,” together with the Revolving Credit Facility, each as amended, the "Facilities").

 

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The Facilities were amended to, among other things, (i) in the case of the Revolving Credit Facility, to reduce the interest rate (A) for LIBOR loans, to LIBOR (with no minimum) plus 2.75% and (B) for base rate loans, to the base rate plus 1.75%, to extend the revolving period until June 2017 and to extend the final maturity date until June 2018, (ii) in the case of the Term Loan Facility, to reduce the interest rate (A) for LIBOR loans, to LIBOR (with no minimum) plus 3.25% and (B) for base rate loans, to the base rate plus 2.25%, and to extend the final maturity date until June 2019 and (iii) increase the maximum amount of the accordion feature which permits subsequent increases in commitments under the Revolving Facility and/or Term Loan Facility to $600 million.

 

Concurrently with the effectiveness of the Amendments, the Company closed an additional $101 million of commitments under its Revolving Credit Facility and an additional $51.5 million of commitments under its Term Loan Facility

 

As of September 30, 2014, total commitments under the Facilities are $517.5 million, comprised of $346 million committed to the Revolving Credit Facility and $171.5 million funded under the Term Loan Facility.

 

As of September 30, 2014, we had $36.7 million in cash. In the future, we may generate cash from future offerings of securities, future borrowings and cash flows from operations, including interest earned from the temporary investment of cash in U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. Our primary use of funds is investments in our targeted asset classes, cash distributions to our stockholders, and other general corporate purposes.

 

In order to satisfy the Code requirements applicable to a RIC, we intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our taxable income, but we may also elect to periodically spill over certain excess undistributed taxable income from one tax year into the next tax year. In addition, as a BDC, for each taxable year we generally are required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities, which include borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200%. This requirement limits the amount that we may borrow.

 

On March 26, 2013, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Medley SBIC LP (“SBIC LP”) received a Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) license from the Small Business Administration (“SBA”).

 

The SBIC license allows the SBIC LP to obtain leverage by issuing SBA-guaranteed debentures, subject to the issuance of a capital commitment by the SBA and other customary procedures. SBA-guaranteed debentures are non-recourse, interest only debentures with interest payable semi-annually and have a ten year maturity. The principal amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures is not required to be paid prior to maturity but may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The interest rate of SBA-guaranteed debentures is fixed on a semi-annual basis at a market-driven spread over U.S. Treasury Notes with 10-year maturities. The SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to the SBIC LP’s assets over our stockholders in the event we liquidate the SBIC LP or the SBA exercises its remedies under the SBA-guaranteed debentures issued by the SBIC LP upon an event of default.

 

SBA regulations currently limit the amount that the SBIC LP may borrow to a maximum of $150 million when it has at least $75 million in regulatory capital, receives a capital commitment from the SBA and has been through an examination by the SBA subsequent to licensing.

 

On November 16, 2012, we obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to exclude the debt of the SBIC LP guaranteed by the SBA from our 200% asset coverage test under the 1940 Act. The exemptive relief provides us with increased flexibility under the 200% asset coverage test by permitting it to borrow up to $150 million more than it would otherwise be able to absent the receipt of this exemptive relief.

 

As of September 30, 2014, SBIC LP had $50.0 million in regulatory capital and had $100.0 million SBA-guaranteed debentures outstanding.

 

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Contractual Obligations and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We may become a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of our business to meet the financial needs of our portfolio companies. As of September 30, 2014, we had commitments under loan and financing agreements to fund up to $70.2 million to 13 portfolio companies. These commitments are primarily composed of senior secured term loans and a revolver. As of September 30, 2013, we had commitments under loan and financing agreements to fund up to $33.1 million to 6 portfolio companies. These commitments are primarily composed of senior secured term loans and a revolver. The commitments are generally subject to the borrowers meeting certain criteria such as compliance with covenants and certain operational metrics. The terms of the borrowings and financings subject to commitment are comparable to the terms of other loan and equity securities in our portfolio. A summary of the composition of the unfunded commitments at September 30, 2014 and September 30, 2013 is shown in the table below (dollars in thousands):

 

   As of 
   September 30, 2014   September 30, 2013 
Red Skye Wireless LLC  $15,000   $15,000 
Miratech Intermediate Holdings, Inc.   14,769    - 
DreamFinders Homes - TLB   7,073    2,723 
Sendero Drilling Company LLC   5,495    - 
Merchant Cash and Capital LLC (First Lien)   5,297    - 
Freedom Powersports LLC – (DDTL)   4,800    - 
Nation Safe Drivers Holdings, Inc.   4,721    - 
Autosplice, Inc.   3,026    - 
DLR Restaurants LLC   2,500    4,177 
Meridian Behavioral Health, LLC (Term Loan B)   2,500    - 
Be Green Manufacturing and Distribution Centers LLC – Delayed Draw TL   2,375    - 
Tenere Acquisition Corp.   2,000    2,000 
Be Green Manufacturing and Distribution Centers LLC – Revolver   479    - 
AM3 Pinnacle Corporation   165    - 
DreamFinders Homes – TLA   -    2,500 
Lydell Jewelry Design Studio LLC   -    5,928 
Physicians Care Alliance LLC   -    767 
Total  $70,200   $33,095 

 

We have certain contracts under which we have material future commitments. We have entered into an investment management agreement with MCC Advisors in accordance with the 1940 Act. The investment management agreement became effective upon the pricing of our initial public offering. Under the investment management agreement, MCC Advisors has agreed to provide us with investment advisory and management services. For these services, we have agreed to pay a base management fee equal to a percentage of our gross assets and an incentive fee based on our performance.

 

We have also entered into an administration agreement with MCC Advisors as our administrator. The administration agreement became effective upon the pricing of our initial public offering. Under the administration agreement, MCC Advisors has agreed to furnish us with office facilities and equipment, provide us clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities and provide us with other administrative services necessary to conduct our day-to-day operations. MCC Advisors will also provide on our behalf significant managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which we are required to provide such assistance.

 

The following table shows our payment obligations for repayment of debt and other contractual obligations at September 30, 2014 (dollars in thousands):

 

   Payment Due by Period 
   Total   Less than
 1 year
   1 - 3 years   3 - 5 years   More than
 5 years
 
Revolving Facility  $146,500   $-   $-   $146,500   $- 
Term Loan Facility   171,500    -    -    171,500    - 
7.125% Notes   40,000    -    -    40,000    - 
6.125% Notes   63,500    -    -    -    63,500 
SBA Debenture   100,000    -    -    -    100,000 
Total contractual obligations  $521,500   $-   $-   $358,000   $163,500 

 

If any of the contractual obligations discussed above are terminated, our costs under any new agreements that we enter into may increase. In addition, we would likely incur significant time and expense in locating alternative parties to provide the services we expect to receive under our investment management agreement and our administration agreement. Any new investment management agreement would also be subject to approval by our stockholders.

 

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Distributions

 

We have elected and qualified to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a RIC under subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, in any taxable year with respect to which we timely distribute at least 90 percent of the sum of our (i) investment company taxable income (which is generally our net ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses) determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and (ii) net tax exempt interest income (which is the excess of our gross tax exempt interest income over certain disallowed deductions), we (but not our stockholders) generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on investment company taxable income and net capital gains that we distribute to our stockholders. We intend to distribute annually all or substantially all of such income, but we may also elect to periodically spill over certain excess undistributed taxable income from one tax year to the next tax year. To the extent that we retain our net capital gains or any investment company taxable income, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax. We may choose to retain our net capital gains or any investment company taxable income, and pay the associated federal corporate income tax, including the federal excise tax described below.

 

Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax payable by us. To avoid this tax, we must distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) during each calendar year an amount equal to the sum of:

 

  (1) at least 98.0 percent of our ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year;

 

  (2) at least 98.2 percent of the amount by which our capital gains exceed our capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period ending  on October 31st of the calendar year; and

 

  (3) income realized, but not distributed, in preceding years and on which we did not pay federal income tax.

 

While we intend to distribute any income and capital gains in the manner necessary to minimize imposition of the 4% U.S. federal excise tax, sufficient amounts of our taxable income and capital gains may not be distributed to avoid entirely the imposition of the tax. In that event, we will be liable for the tax only on the amount by which we do not meet the foregoing distribution requirement.

 

We intend to pay quarterly dividends to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to pay a specified level of dividends or year-to-year increases in dividends. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC could limit our ability to pay dividends. All dividends will be paid at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that we will pay dividends to our stockholders in the future.

 

To the extent our taxable earnings fall below the total amount of our distributions for a taxable year, a portion of those distributions may be deemed a return of capital to our stockholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Stockholders should read any written disclosure accompanying a distribution carefully and should not assume that the source of any distribution is our ordinary income or gains.

 

We have adopted an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan for our common stockholders. As a result, if we declare a cash dividend or other distribution, each stockholder that has not “opted out” of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their dividends automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock rather than receiving cash dividends. Stockholders who receive distributions in the form of shares of common stock will be subject to the same federal, state and local tax consequences as if they received cash distributions.

 

The following table summarizes the dividends declared through the year ended September 30, 2014:

 

Date Declared  Record Date  Payment
 Date
  Amount Per
Share
 
5/11/2011  6/1/2011  6/15/2011  $0.16 
8/4/2011  9/1/2011  9/15/2011   0.21 
11/29/2011  12/15/2011  12/30/2011   0.25 
2/2/2012  2/24/2012  3/15/2012   0.28 
5/2/2012  5/25/2012  6/15/2012   0.31 
8/1/2012  8/24/2012  9/14/2012   0.36 
11/1/2012  11/23/2012  12/14/2012   0.36 
1/30/2013  2/27/2013  3/15/2013   0.36 
5/1/2013  5/27/2013  6/14/2013   0.36 
7/31/2013  8/23/2013  9/13/2013   0.37 
10/30/2013  11/22/2013  12/13/2013   0.37 
2/5/2014  2/26/2014  3/14/2014   0.37 
5/1/2014  5/28/2014  6/13/2014   0.37 
7/30/2014  8/27/2014  9/12/2014   0.37 

 

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Related Party Transactions

 

Concurrent with the pricing of our initial public offering, we entered into a number of business relationships with affiliated or related parties, including the following:

 

  · We entered into an investment management agreement with MCC Advisors. Mr. Brook Taube, our chairman and chief executive officer, is a managing partner and senior portfolio manager of MCC Advisors, and Mr. Seth Taube, one of our directors, is a managing partner of MCC Advisors.

 

  · MCC Advisors provides us with the office facilities and administrative services necessary to conduct day-to-day operations pursuant to our administration agreement. We reimburse MCC Advisors for the allocable portion (subject to the review and approval of our board of directors) of overhead and other expenses incurred by it in performing its obligations under the administration agreement, including rent, the fees and expenses associated with performing compliance functions, and our allocable portion of the cost of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and their respective staffs.

 

  · We have entered into a license agreement with Medley Capital LLC, pursuant to which Medley Capital LLC has granted us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “Medley.”

 

  · Certain affiliates of MCC Advisors, Medley Capital LLC, their respective affiliates and some of their employees purchased in the initial public offering an aggregate of 833,333 shares of common stock at the initial public offering price per share of $12.00. We received the full proceeds from the sale of these shares, and no underwriting discounts or commissions were paid in respect of these shares.

 

MCC Advisors and its affiliates may in the future manage other accounts that have investment mandates that are similar, in whole and in part, with ours. MCC Advisors and its affiliates may determine that an investment is appropriate for us and for one or more of those other accounts. In such event, depending on the availability of such investment and other appropriate factors, and pursuant to MCC Advisors’ allocation policy, MCC Advisors or its affiliates may determine that we should invest side-by-side with one or more other accounts. We will not make any investments if they are not permitted by applicable law and interpretive positions of the SEC and its staff, or if they are inconsistent with MCC Advisors’ allocation procedures.

 

In addition, we have adopted a formal code of ethics that governs the conduct of our and MCC Advisors’ officers, directors and employees. Our officers and directors also remain subject to the duties imposed by both the 1940 Act and the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

Management Fee

 

Pursuant to the investment management agreement, we pay our investment adviser a fee for investment management services consisting of two components - a base management fee and an incentive fee.

 

MCC Advisors receives a base management fee from us payable quarterly in arrears, at an annual rate of 1.75% of our gross assets, including any assets acquired with the proceeds of leverage. MCC Advisors agreed to waive the base management fee payable with respect to cash and cash equivalents held by the Company through December 31, 2011.

 

The investment management agreement also provides that MCC Advisors is entitled to an incentive fee. The incentive fee consists of the following two parts:

 

The first, calculated and payable quarterly in arrears is based on our pre-incentive fee net investment income earned during the calendar quarter for which the Incentive Fee is being calculated. For this purpose, pre-incentive fee net investment income means interest income, dividend income and any other income including any other fees (other than fees for providing managerial assistance), such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that we receive from portfolio companies accrued during the calendar quarter, minus our operating expenses for the quarter including the base management fee, expenses payable under the administration agreement (as defined below), and any interest expense and any dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee. Pre-incentive fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with payment-in-kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash. Pre-incentive fee net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation.

 

Pre-incentive fee net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets calculated as of the end of the calendar quarter immediately preceding the calendar quarter for which the incentive fee is being calculated, will be compared to a “hurdle rate” of 2.0% per quarter (8.0% annualized). We will pay the Adviser an incentive fee with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows:

 

  (1) no incentive fee for any calendar quarter in which our pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate;

 

  (2) 100.0% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 2.5% (10.0% annualized) in any calendar quarter; and

 

  (3) 20.0% of the amount of our pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds 2.5% (10.0% annualized) in any calendar quarter.

 

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The second part of the incentive fee (the “Capital Gains Fee”) is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Management Agreement, as of the termination date) and is calculated at the end of each applicable year by subtracting (1) the sum of our cumulative realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation from (2) our cumulative aggregate realized capital gains. If the amount so calculated is positive, then the Capital Gains Fee for such year is equal to 20.0% of such amount, less the aggregate amount of Capital Gains Fee paid in all prior years. If such amount is negative, then no Capital Gains Fee will be payable for such year. If this Agreement is terminated as of a date that is not a calendar year end, the termination date shall be treated as though it were a calendar year end for purposes of calculating and paying a Capital Gains Fee.

 

The Company calculates incentive fee as if the Company had realized all assets at their fair values and liabilities at their settlement amounts as of the reporting date. Accordingly, the Company accrues a provisional incentive fee taking into account any unrealized gains. As the provisional incentive fee is subject to the performance of investments until there is a realization event, the amount of provisional incentive fee accrued at a reporting date may vary from the incentive fee that is ultimately paid, and the differences could be material.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and revenues and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. We have identified the following items as critical accounting policies.

 

Valuation of Portfolio Investments

 

We value investments for which market quotations are readily available at their market quotations, which are generally obtained from an independent pricing service or multiple broker-dealers or market makers. We weight the use of third-party broker quotes, if any, in determining fair value based on our understanding of the level of actual transactions used by the broker to develop the quote and whether the quote was an indicative price or binding offer. However, a readily available market value is not expected to exist for many of the investments in our portfolio, and we value these portfolio investments at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors under our valuation policy and process. We may seek pricing information with respect to certain of our investments from pricing services or brokers or dealers in order to value such investments. We also employ independent third party valuation firms for all of our investments for which there is not a readily available market value.

 

Valuation methods may include comparisons of financial ratios of the portfolio companies that issued such private equity securities to peer companies that are public, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flows, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we will consider the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate the private equity valuation. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments, and the differences could be material.

 

Our board of directors is ultimately and solely responsible for determining the fair value of the investments in our portfolio that are not publicly traded, whose market prices are not readily available on a quarterly basis or any other situation where portfolio investments require a fair value determination.

 

With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, our board of directors will undertake a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:

 

  · Our quarterly valuation process begins with each investment being initially valued by the investment professionals responsible for monitoring the portfolio investment.

 

  · Preliminary valuation conclusions are then documented and discussed with senior management.

 

  · At least twice annually, the valuation for each portfolio investment is reviewed by an independent valuation firm.

 

  · The audit committee of our board of directors reviews the preliminary valuations of the investment professionals, senior management and independent valuation firms.

 

  · Our board of directors discusses the valuations and determines the fair value of each investment in our portfolio in good faith based on the input of MCC Advisors, the respective independent valuation firms and the audit committee.

 

78
 

 

In following these approaches, the types of factors that are taken into account in fair value pricing investments include available current market data, including relevant and applicable market trading and transaction comparables; applicable market yields and multiples; security covenants; call protection provisions; information rights; the nature and realizable value of any collateral; the portfolio company’s ability to make payments; the portfolio company’s earnings and discounted cash flows; the markets in which the portfolio company does business; comparisons of financial ratios of peer companies that are public; comparable merger and acquisition transactions; and the principal market and enterprise values.

 

Determination of fair values involves subjective judgments and estimates not verifiable by auditing procedures. Under current auditing standards, the notes to our financial statements refer to the uncertainty with respect to the possible effect of such valuations, and any change in such valuations, on our consolidated financial statements.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Our revenue recognition policies are as follows:

 

Investments and Related Investment Income We account for investment transactions on a trade-date basis and interest income, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts, is recorded on an accrual basis. For investments with contractual PIK interest, which represents contractual interest accrued and added to the principal balance that generally becomes due at maturity, we will not accrue PIK interest if the portfolio company valuation indicates that the PIK interest is not collectible. Origination, closing and/or commitment fees associated with investments in portfolio companies are recognized as income when the investment transaction closes. Other fees are capitalized as deferred revenue and recorded into income over the respective period. Prepayment penalties received by the Company for debt instruments paid back to the Company prior to the maturity date are recorded as income upon receipt. Realized gains or losses on investments are measured by the difference between the net proceeds from the disposition and the amortized cost basis of investment, without regard to unrealized gains or losses previously recognized. We report changes in the fair value of investments that are measured at fair value as a component of the net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments in our consolidated statement of operations.

 

Non-accrual We place loans on non-accrual status when principal and interest payments are past due by 90 days or more, or when there is reasonable doubt that we will collect principal or interest. Accrued interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non-accrual. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment. Non-accrual loans are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest is paid and, in our management’s judgment, are likely to remain current. At September 30, 2014, four portfolio companies were on non-accrual status with a combined fair value of approximately $40.3 million, or 3.2% of the fair value of our portfolio. At September 30, 2013, we had 1 portfolio company on PIK non-accrual status with a fair value of approximately $4.1 million, or 0.6% of the fair value of our portfolio.

 

Federal Income Taxes

 

The Company has elected and qualified to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a RIC under subchapter M of the Code, commencing with its first taxable year as a corporation, and it intends to operate in a manner so as to maintain its RIC tax treatment. As a RIC, among other things, the Company is required to meet certain source of income and asset diversification requirements. Once qualified as a RIC, the Company must timely distribute to its stockholders at least 90% of the sum of investment company taxable income (“ICTI”) including PIK, as defined by the Code, and net tax exempt interest income (which is the excess of our gross tax exempt interest income over certain disallowed deductions) for each taxable year in order to be eligible for tax treatment under subchapter M of the Code. The Company will be subject to a nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax of 4% on undistributed income if it does not distribute at least 98% of its net ordinary income for any calendar year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for each one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year and any income realized, but not distributed, in preceding years and on which we did not pay federal income tax. Depending on the level of ICTI earned in a tax year, the Company may choose to carry forward ICTI in excess of current year dividend distributions into the next tax year and pay a 4% excise tax on such income, as required. To the extent that the Company determines that its estimated current year annual taxable income will be in excess of estimated current year dividend distributions for excise tax purposes, the Company accrues excise tax, if any, on estimated excess taxable income as taxable income is earned. Any such carryover ICTI must be distributed before the end of that next tax year through a dividend declared prior to filing the final tax return related to the year which generated such ICTI.

 

Because federal income tax regulations differ from GAAP, distributions in accordance with tax regulations may differ from net investment income and realized gains recognized for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the consolidated financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when certain items of income, expense, gain or loss are recognized at some time in the future. Differences in classification may also result from the treatment of short-term gains as ordinary income for tax purposes.

 

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Recent Developments

 

On October 3, 2014 the Company funded $15.0 million of regulatory capital to SBIC LP and on November 21, 2014 it received an additional capital commitment of $30.0 million from the SBA.

 

On October 30, 2014, the Company’s board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share payable on December 12, 2014, to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 26, 2014.

 

As of December 8, 2014, there was $192.5 million outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility, $171.5 million outstanding under the Term Loan Facility, $40.0 and $63.5 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2019 Notes and the 2023 Notes, respectively, and $100.0 million in SBA debentures were outstanding.

 

 

 

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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

 

We are subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. Changes in interest rates may affect both our cost of funding and our interest income from portfolio investments and cash and cash equivalents. Our investment income will be affected by changes in various interest rates, including LIBOR, to the extent our debt investments include floating interest rates. In the future, we expect other loans in our portfolio will have floating rates. We may hedge against interest rate fluctuations by using standard hedging instruments such as futures, options and forward contracts subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. For the year ended September 30, 2014, we did not engage in hedging activities.

 

As of September 30, 2014, 74.0% of our income-bearing investment portfolio bore interest based on floating rates. The composition of our floating rate debt investments by cash interest rate floor as of September 30, 2014 was as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

  September 30, 2014 
   Fair Value   % of Floating
Rate
 Portfolio
 
Under 1%  $133,281    15.2%
1% to under 2%   656,014    74.8 
2% to under 3%   75,917    8.6 
3%   12,317    1.4 
Total  $877,529    100.0%

 

Based on our Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 2014, the following table (dollars in thousands) shows the approximate increase (decrease) in components of net assets resulting from operations of hypothetical base rate changes in interest rates, assuming no changes in our investment and capital structure.

  

Basis point increase (1)  Interest
 Income
   Interest
 Expense
   Net Increase
 (Decrease)
 
100  $2,300   $4,200   $(1,900)
200   10,000    8,400    1,600 
300   18,500    12,500    6,000 
400   26,900    16,700    10,200 
500   35,200    20,900    14,300 

  

As of September 30, 2013, 53.1% of our income-bearing investment portfolio bore interest based on floating rates. The composition of our floating rate debt investments by cash interest rate floor as of September 30, 2013 was as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

   September 30, 2013 
   Fair Value   % of Floating
Rate
 Portfolio
 
Under 1%  $54,113    13.7%
1% to under 2%   319,630    80.8 
2% to under 3%   22,008    5.5 
3%   -    - 
Total  $395,751    100.0%

 

Based on our Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 2013, the following table (dollars in thousands) shows the approximate increase (decrease) in components of net assets resulting from operations of hypothetical base rate changes in interest rates, assuming no changes in our investment and capital structure.

 

Basis point increase (1)  Interest
 Income
   Interest
 Expense
   Net Increase
 (Decrease)
 
100  $800   $1,500   $(700)
200   4,200    3,100    1,100 
300   7,900    4,600    3,300 
400   11,600    6,100    5,500 
500   15,200    7,600    7,600 

 

(1) A hypothetical decline in interest rates would not have a material impact on our financial statements.

 

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Item 8.  Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

    Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   F-1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting   F-2
Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 2014 and 2013   F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012   F-4
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012   F-5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012   F-6
Consolidated Schedules of Investments as of September 30, 2014 and 2013   F-7
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements   F-21

 

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Audit Report

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To Board of Directors and the Shareholders of Medley Capital Corporation

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of assets and liabilities of Medley Capital Corporation (the Company), including the consolidated schedules of investments, as of September 30, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2014. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of investments owned as of September 30, 2014 and 2013 by correspondence with the custodian, directly with designees of the portfolio companies and debt agents, as applicable. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Medley Capital Corporation at September 30, 2014 and 2013, and the consolidated results of its operations, changes in its net assets, and its cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2014 in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), Medley Capital Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (1992 framework) and our report dated December 8, 2014 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

 

/s/ Ernst and Young LLP

 

New York, New York

December 8, 2014

 

F-1
 

 

Report on Internal Controls

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Medley Capital Corporation

 

We have audited Medley Capital Corporation’s (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (1992 framework) (the “COSO criteria”). Medley Capital Corporation’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in Item 9A of Form 10-K, Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures, as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

In our opinion, Medley Capital Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2014, based on the COSO criteria.

 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities, including the consolidated schedules of investments, as of September 30, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2014, and our report dated December 8, 2014 expressed an unqualified opinion therein.

 

/s/ Ernst and Young LLP

 

New York, New York

December 8, 2014