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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021
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: 814-00754
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland
(State of Incorporation)
500 Park Avenue
New York, N.Y.
(Address of principal executive offices)
26-1381340
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
10022
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 993-1670
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Trading
Symbol
SLRC
Name of Each Exchange
on Which Registered
The NASDAQ Global Select Market
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 ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
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 ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation
S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☐ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging
growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
☒
☐
Accelerated filer
Smaller Reporting Company
Emerging growth company
☐
☐
☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or
revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over
financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit
report. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act) Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant on June 30, 2021 based on the closing price on that date of $18.64 on the
NASDAQ Global Select Market was approximately $734.2 million. For the purposes of calculating this amount only, all directors and executive officers of the Registrant
have been treated as affiliates. There were 42,260,826 shares of the Registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 25, 2022.
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
FORM 10-K
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
Item 1.
Business
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Properties
Legal Proceedings
Mine Safety Disclosures
PART II
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Reserved
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 8.
Item 9.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures
Item 9B.
Other Information
Item 9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Item 10.
Item 11.
Item 12.
Item 13.
Item 14.
Item 15.
Item 16.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation
PART III
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
PART IV
Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules
Form 10-K Summary
Signatures
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Item 1.
Business
PART I
SLR Investment Corp. (the “Company”, “SLRC”, “we” or “our”) (f/k/a Solar Capital Ltd.), a Maryland corporation formed in November 2007, is
a closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development
company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Furthermore, as the Company is an investment company,
it continues to apply the guidance in FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946. In addition, for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
the Company has elected to be treated, and intends to qualify annually, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
In February 2010, we completed our initial public offering and a concurrent private offering of shares to our senior management team.
We invest primarily in privately held U.S. middle-market companies, where we believe the supply of primary capital is limited and the investment
opportunities are most attractive. Our investment objective is to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity
investments. We invest primarily in leveraged middle-market companies in the form of senior secured loans, financing leases and to a lesser extent,
unsecured loans and equity securities. We define “middle market” to refer to companies with annual revenues typically between $50 million and
$1 billion. From time to time, we may also invest directly in the debt and equity of public companies that are thinly traded and such investments will not
be limited to any minimum or maximum market capitalization. In addition, we may invest in foreign markets, including emerging markets. Our business
is focused primarily on the direct origination of investments through portfolio companies or their financial sponsors. Our investments generally range
between $5 million and $100 million each, although we expect that this investment size will vary proportionately with the size of our capital base and/or
with strategic initiatives.
In addition, we may invest a portion of our portfolio in other types of investments, which we refer to as opportunistic investments, which are not
our primary focus but are intended to enhance our overall returns. These investments may include, but are not limited to, direct investments in public
companies that are not thinly traded and securities of leveraged companies located in select countries outside of the United States. The securities that we
invest in are typically rated below investment grade. Securities rated below investment grade are often referred to as “leveraged loans,” “high yield” or
“junk” securities, and may be considered “high risk” compared to debt instruments that are rated investment grade. In addition, some of our debt
investments will not fully amortize during their lifetime, which means that a borrower may be unable to payoff its debt due to bankruptcy or other
reasons and therefore we may write-off such debt investment prior to its scheduled maturity. Upon such an occurrence, we may realize a loss or a
substantial amount of unpaid principal and interest due upon maturity.
Our investment activities are managed by SLR Capital Partners, LLC (“SLR Capital Partners” or the “Investment Adviser”) and supervised by our
board of directors (the “Board” or “board of directors”), a majority of whom are non-interested, as such term is defined in section 2(a)(19) of the 1940
Act. SLR Capital Management, LLC (“SLR Capital Management”) provides the administrative services necessary for us to operate.
As of December 31, 2021, our investment portfolio totaled $1.7 billion and our net asset value was $842.3 million. Our portfolio was comprised of
debt and equity investments in 106 portfolio companies.
On December 1, 2021, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, or the Merger Agreement, with SLR Senior Investment Corp., a
Maryland corporation (“SUNS”), Solstice Merger Sub, Inc., a Maryland corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of SLRC (“Merger Sub”), and,
solely for the limited purposes set
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forth therein, SLR Capital Partners. The Merger Agreement provides that, subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will
merge with and into SUNS, with SUNS continuing as the surviving company and as our wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Merger,”) and, immediately
thereafter, SUNS will merge with and into us, with us continuing as the surviving company (together with the Merger, the “Mergers”). See “Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Merger Agreement” for further information regarding the
Merger Agreement and the Mergers.
SLR Capital Partners
SLR Capital Partners, our investment adviser, is controlled and led by Michael S. Gross, our Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, and Bruce
Spohler, our Co-Chief Operating Officer and Chief Operating Officer. They are supported by a team of investment professionals. SLR Capital Partners’
investment team has extensive experience in leveraged lending and private equity, as well as significant contacts with financial sponsors.
In addition, at December 31, 2021, SLR Capital Partners serves as investment adviser to private funds and managed accounts as well as to SLR
Senior Investment Corp. (or “SLR Senior”), another publicly traded BDC that primarily invests directly and indirectly in leveraged, private middle
market companies in the form of senior secured loans, including first lien debt instruments, SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, an unlisted BDC that
primarily invests in first lien loans to upper middle market private leveraged companies and SLR HC BDC LLC, an unlisted BDC that primarily invests
in first lien healthcare cash flow loans and life science loans. Through December 31, 2021, the investment team led by Messrs. Gross and Spohler has
invested approximately $12.5 billion in more than 450 different portfolio companies involving over 200 different financial sponsors. As of February 25,
2022, Mr. Gross and Mr. Spohler beneficially owned, either directly or indirectly, approximately 6.8% of our outstanding common stock.
Mr. Gross has over 25 years of experience in the private equity, distressed debt and mezzanine i.e., actually or structurally subordinated lending
businesses and has been involved in originating, structuring, negotiating, consummating and managing private equity, distressed debt and mezzanine
lending transactions. Prior to his current role as our Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, Mr. Gross founded Apollo Investment
Corporation, a publicly traded BDC. He served as its chairman from February 2004 to July 2006 and its chief executive officer from February 2004 to
February 2006. Under his management, Apollo Investment Corporation raised approximately $930 million in gross proceeds in an initial public offering
in April 2004, built a dedicated investment team and infrastructure and invested approximately $2.3 billion in over 65 companies in conjunction with 50
different private equity sponsors. Mr. Gross is also a founder and a former senior partner of Apollo Management, L.P., a leading private equity firm.
During his tenure at Apollo Management, L.P., Mr. Gross was a member of the investment committee that was responsible for overseeing more than
$13 billion of investments in over 150 companies.
Mr. Gross also has served on the boards of directors of more than 20 public and private companies. As a result, Mr. Gross has developed an
extensive network of private equity sponsor relationships as well as relationships with management teams of public and private companies, investment
bankers, attorneys and accountants that we believe should provide us with significant business opportunities.
We also rely on the over 25 years of experience of Mr. Spohler, who has served as our Chief Operating Officer and a partner of SLR Capital
Partners since its inception and as Co-Chief Executive Officer since June 2019. Previously, Mr. Spohler was a managing director and a former co-head
of U.S. Leveraged Finance for CIBC World Markets. He held numerous senior roles at CIBC World Markets, including serving on the U.S. Management
Committee, Global Executive Committee and the Deals Committee, which approves all of CIBC World Markets’ U.S. corporate finance debt capital
decisions. During Mr. Spohler’s tenure, he was responsible for senior loan, high yield and mezzanine origination and execution, as well as CIBC World
Markets’ below investment grade loan portfolio in the United States. As a co-head of U.S. Leveraged Finance, Mr. Spohler oversaw over 300 capital
raising and merger and acquisition transactions, comprising over $40 billion in market capitalization.
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SLR Capital Partners’ senior investment professionals have been active participants in the primary and secondary leveraged credit markets
throughout their careers. They have effectively managed portfolios of senior secured, distressed and mezzanine debt as well as other investment types.
The depth of their prior experience and credit market expertise has led them through various stages of the economic cycle as well as several market
disruptions.
SLR Capital Management
Pursuant to an administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”), SLR Capital Management furnishes us with office facilities,
equipment and clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities. Under the Administration Agreement, SLR Capital Management also
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. In addition, SLR Capital Management assists us in determining and
publishing our net asset value, oversees the preparation and filing of our tax returns and the printing and dissemination of reports to our stockholders,
and generally oversees the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. SLR
Capital Management also provides managerial assistance, if any, on our behalf to those portfolio companies that request such assistance.
License Agreement
We have entered into a license agreement with SLR Capital Partners pursuant to which SLR Capital Partners has agreed to grant us a
non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the names “SLR” and “SOLAR”. Under this agreement, we have a right to use the SLR and SOLAR names for
so long as the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement with our investment adviser is in effect. Other than with respect to this limited license,
we will have no legal right to the “SLR” and “SOLAR” names.
Market Opportunity
The Company invests directly and indirectly in leveraged middle-market companies, including in senior secured loans, and to a lesser extent,
unsecured loans and equity securities. We believe that the size of this market, coupled with leveraged companies’ need for flexible sources of capital at
attractive terms and rates, creates an attractive investment environment for us.
•
•
•
Middle-market companies continue to face increasing difficulty in accessing the capital markets. While many middle-market companies
were formerly able to raise funds by issuing high-yield bonds, we believe this approach to financing has become more difficult in recent
years as institutional investors have sought to invest in larger, more liquid offerings. In addition, many private finance companies that
historically financed their lending and investing activities through securitization transactions have lost that source of funding and reduced
lending significantly. Moreover, consolidation of lenders and market participants and the illiquid nature of investments have resulted in
fewer middle-market lenders and market participants.
There is a large pool of uninvested private equity capital likely to seek additional capital to support their investments. We believe there is
more than $600 billion of uninvested private equity capital seeking debt financing to support acquisitions.
The significant amount of debt maturing through 2024 should provide additional demand for capital. A high volume of financings are
expected to mature over the next few years. We believe that this supply of prospective lending opportunities coupled with a lack of
available credit in the middle-market lending space may offer attractive risk-adjusted returns to investors. Risk-adjusted return compares
returns against the amount of risk incurred. The term “risk-adjusted return” does not imply that an investment is no risk or low risk.
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•
Investing in private middle-market debt provides an attractive risk reward profile. In general, terms for illiquid, middle-market
subordinated debt have been more attractive than those for larger corporations which are typically more liquid. We believe this is because
fewer institutions are able to invest in illiquid asset classes.
Therefore, we believe that there is an attractive opportunity to invest in leveraged middle-market companies, including in senior secured loans,
unitranche loans and to a lesser extent, unsecured loans and equity securities, and that we are well positioned to serve this market.
Competitive Advantages and Strategy
We believe that we have the following competitive advantages over other providers of financing to leveraged companies.
Management Expertise
As managing partner, Mr. Gross has principal management responsibility for SLR Capital Partners, to which he currently dedicates substantially
all of his time. Mr. Gross has over 25 years of experience in leveraged finance, private equity and distressed debt investing. Mr. Spohler, our Co-Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and a partner of SLR Capital Partners, has over 25 years of experience in evaluating and executing leverage
finance transactions.
Investment Capacity
The proceeds from our public offerings and the Concurrent Private Placement, the borrowing capacity under the senior secured credit facility led
by Citibank, N.A. (the “Credit Facility”), our $75 million of unsecured senior notes due 2023 (the “2023 Unsecured Notes”), our $150 million of
unsecured senior notes due 2022 (the “2022 Unsecured Notes”), our $21 million of unsecured senior notes due 2022 (the “2022 Tranche C Notes”), our
$125 million of unsecured notes due 2024 (the “2024 Unsecured Notes”), our $75 million of unsecured notes due 2026 (the “2026 Unsecured Notes”),
our $50 million of unsecured senior notes due 2027 (the “2027 Unsecured Notes”), the available capital at our significant subsidiaries and the expected
repayments of existing portfolio company investments provide us with a substantial amount of capital available for deployment into new investment
opportunities. We believe we are well positioned for the current marketplace.
The Company’s Limited Leverage
As of December 31, 2021, we had total outstanding borrowings of approximately $818.5 million. Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we are
permitted to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% of gross assets less all
liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior securities. As of December 31, 2021, our asset coverage
ratio was 202.9%. We believe our relatively low level of leverage provides us with a competitive advantage as proceeds from our investments are
available for reinvestment as opposed to being consumed by debt repayment. We may increase our relative level of debt in the future. However, we do
not currently anticipate operating with a substantial amount of debt relative to our total assets.
Proprietary Sourcing and Origination
We believe that SLR Capital Partners’ senior investment professionals’ longstanding relationships with financial sponsors, commercial and
investment banks, management teams and other financial intermediaries provide us with a strong pipeline of proprietary origination opportunities. We
expect to continue leveraging the relationships Mr. Gross established while sourcing and originating investments at Apollo Investment Corporation as
well as the financial sponsor relationships Mr. Spohler developed while he was a co-head of CIBC World Markets’ U.S. Leveraged Finance Group.
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Versatile Transaction Structuring and Flexibility of Capital
We believe SLR Capital Partners’ senior investment team’s broad expertise and ability to draw upon its extensive experience enable us to identify,
assess and structure investments successfully across all levels of a company’s capital structure and to manage potential risk and return at all stages of the
economic cycle. The attempt to manage risk does not imply low risk or no risk. While we are subject to significant regulation as a BDC, we are not
subject to many of the regulatory limitations that govern traditional lending institutions such as banks. As a result, we believe that we can be more
flexible than such lending institutions in selecting and structuring investments, adjusting investment criteria, transaction structures and, in some cases,
the types of securities in which we invest.
Emphasis on Achieving Strong Risk-Adjusted Returns
SLR Capital Partners uses a structured investment and risk management process that emphasizes research and analysis. SLR Capital Partners
seeks to build our portfolio on a “bottom-up” basis, choosing and sizing individual positions based on their relative risk/reward profiles as a function of
the associated downside risk, volatility, correlation with the existing portfolio and liquidity. At the same time, SLR Capital Partners takes into
consideration a variety of factors in managing our portfolio and imposes portfolio-based risk constraints promoting a more diverse portfolio of
investments and limiting issuer and industry concentration. We do not pursue short-term origination targets. We believe this approach enables us to build
an attractive investment portfolio that meets our return and value criteria over the long term. We believe it is critical to conduct extensive due diligence
on investment targets. In evaluating new investments we, through SLR Capital Partners, conduct a rigorous due diligence process.
Dedication of Resources to Industries with Substantial Information Flow
We dedicate our investing resources to industries characterized by strong cash flow and in which SLR Capital Partners’ investment professionals
have deep investment experience. As a result of their investment experience, Messrs. Gross and Spohler, together with SLR Capital Partners’ other
senior investment professionals, have long-term relationships with management consultants and management teams in the industries we target, as well
as substantial information concerning those industries.
Longer Investment Horizon
Unlike private equity and venture capital funds, we will not be subject to standard periodic capital return requirements. Such requirements
typically stipulate that the capital of these funds, together with any capital gains on such invested funds, can only be invested once and must be returned
to investors after a pre-agreed time period. We believe that our flexibility to make investments with a long-term view and without the capital return
requirements of traditional private investment vehicles provides us with the opportunity to generate favorable returns relative to the risks of our invested
capital and enables us to be a better long-term partner for our portfolio companies.
Investments
The Company seeks to create a diverse portfolio that includes senior secured loans, and to a lesser extent unsecured loans and equity securities by
investing approximately $5 million to $100 million of capital, on average, in the securities of leveraged companies, including middle-market companies.
We expect that this investment size will vary with the size of our capital base and/or for strategic initiatives. Structurally, unsecured loans usually rank
subordinate in priority of payment to senior debt, such as senior bank debt. As such, other creditors may rank senior to us in the event of insolvency.
However, unsecured loans rank senior to common and preferred equity in a borrowers’ capital structure. Due to its higher risk profile and often less
restrictive covenants as compared to senior loans, unsecured loans generally earn a higher return than senior secured loans.
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In addition to senior secured loans and unsecured loans, we may invest a portion of our portfolio in opportunistic investments, which are not our
primary focus, but are intended to enhance our returns to our investors. These investments may include direct investments in public companies that are
not thinly traded and securities of leveraged companies located in select countries outside of the United States. The securities that we invest in are
typically rated below investment grade. Securities rated below investment grade are speculative and are often referred to as “leveraged loans,” “high
yield” or “junk” securities, and may be considered “high risk” compared to debt instruments that are rated investment grade. In addition, some of our
debt investments will not fully amortize during their lifetime, which means that a borrower may be unable to payoff its debt due to bankruptcy or other
reasons and therefore we may write-off such debt investment prior to its scheduled maturity. Upon such an occurrence, we may realize a loss or a
substantial amount of unpaid principal and interest due upon maturity. We may invest up to 30% of our total assets in such opportunistic investments,
including loans issued by non-U.S. issuers, subject to compliance with our regulatory obligations as a BDC under the 1940 Act.
We have and will continue to borrow funds to make investments. As a result, we will be exposed to the risks of leverage, which may be considered
a speculative investment technique. The use of leverage magnifies the potential for loss on amounts invested and therefore increases the risks associated
with investing in our securities. In addition, the costs associated with our borrowings, including any increase in management fees payable to our
investment adviser, SLR Capital Partners, will be borne by our common stockholders.
Additionally, we may in the future seek to securitize our loans to generate cash for funding new investments. To securitize loans, we may create a
wholly-owned subsidiary and contribute a pool of loans to the subsidiary. This could include the sale of interests in the subsidiary on a non-recourse
basis to purchasers who we would expect to be willing to accept a lower interest rate to invest in investment grade loan pools, and we would retain a
portion of the equity in the securitized pool of loans.
Moreover, we may acquire investments in the secondary market and, in analyzing such investments, we will employ a substantially similar
analytical process as we use for our primary investments.
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 transactions may also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying
portfolio positions should increase. 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. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek 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.
Our principal focus is to provide senior secured loans to leveraged companies in a variety of industries. We generally seek to target companies that
generate positive cash flows and/or have substantial assets that secure our loans. We generally seek to invest in companies from the broad variety of
industries in which our investment adviser has direct expertise.
The following is a representative list of the industries in which we may invest:
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Aerospace & Defense
Air Freight & Logistics
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Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure
Household & Personal Products
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Airlines
Asset Management
Automobiles
Auto Components
Auto Parts & Equipment
Biotechnology
Building Products
Capital Markets
Chemicals
Commercial Services & Supplies
Communications Equipment
Construction & Engineering
Consumer Finance
Containers & Packaging
Distributors
Diversified Consumer Services
Diversified Financial Services
Diversified Real Estate Activities
Diversified Telecommunications Services
Education Services
Energy Equipment & Services
Food Products
Footwear
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Health Care Facilities
Health Care Providers & Services
Health Care Technology
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Industrial Conglomerates
Insurance
Internet & Catalog Retail
Internet Services & Infrastructure
IT Services
Leisure Equipment & Products
Life SciencesTools & Services
Machinery
Media
Metals & Mining
Multiline Retail
Multi-Sector Holdings
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
Packaged Foods & Meats
Paper & Forest Products
Personal Products
Pharmaceuticals
Professional Services
Research & Consulting Services
Road & Rail
Software
Specialty Retail
Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance
Trading Companies & Distributors
Utilities
Wireless Telecommunications Services
We may also invest in other industries if we are presented with attractive opportunities.
We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies, including private funds. We may
also participate in negotiated co-investment transactions with certain affiliates, each of whose investment adviser is SLR Capital Partners, or an
investment adviser controlling, controlled by or under common control with SLR Capital Partners and is registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies
and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, and pursuant to the conditions of the most recent exemptive order
obtained from the SEC on June 13, 2017 (the “Exemptive Order”). Pursuant to the Exemptive Order, we are permitted to co-invest with our affiliates if a
“required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make
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certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including, but not limited to, that (1) the terms of the
potential co-investment transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our stockholders and do not involve
overreaching in respect of us or our stockholders on the part of any person concerned, and (2) the potential co-investment transaction is consistent with
the interests of our stockholders and is consistent with our then-current investment objective and strategies.
At December 31, 2021, our portfolio consisted of 106 portfolio companies and was invested 26.7% in cash flow senior secured loans, 27.0% in
asset-based senior secured loans / SLR Credit Solutions (“SLR Credit”), 13.5% in Kingsbridge Holdings LLC (“KBH”), 16.4% in equipment senior
secured financings / SLR Equipment Finance (“SLR Equipment”), and 16.4% in life science senior secured loans, in each case, measured at fair value.
We expect that our portfolio will continue to include primarily senior secured loans, financing leases and to a lesser extent, unsecured loans and equity
securities. In addition, we also expect to invest a portion of our portfolio in opportunistic investments, which are not our primary focus, but are intended
to enhance our risk-adjusted returns to stockholders. These investments may include, but are not limited to, securities of public companies and debt and
equity securities of companies located outside of the United States.
While our primary investment objective is to maximize current income and capital appreciation through investments in U.S. senior and
subordinated loans, other debt securities and equity, we may also invest a portion of the portfolio in opportunistic investments, including foreign
securities.
Listed below are our top ten portfolio companies and industries based on their fair value and represented as a percentage of total assets as of
December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:
TOP TEN PORTFOLIO COMPANIES AND INDUSTRIES AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2021
Portfolio Company
SLR Credit Solutions*
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC*
SLR Equipment Finance*
Rubius Therapeutics, Inc.
PhyMed Management LLC
KORE Wireless Group, Inc.
Community Brands ParentCo, LLC
BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.
Foundation Consumer Brands, LLC
SOC Telemed, Inc.
% of
Total Assets
14.9%
11.2%
6.4%
2.0%
1.8%
1.8%
1.7%
1.7%
1.7%
1.6%
* Denotes investments in which we are deemed to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, as defined in the
1940 Act, due to beneficially owning, either directly or through one or more controlled companies, more than 25% of the outstanding voting
securities of the investment.
Industry
Multi-Sector Holdings
Diversified Financial Services
Health Care Providers & Services
Pharmaceuticals
Software
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Biotechnology
Wireless Telecommunication Services
Personal Products
Road & Rail
8
% of
Total Assets
20.6%
17.2%
8.0%
6.4%
4.1%
4.1%
2.0%
1.8%
1.7%
1.5%
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TOP TEN PORTFOLIO COMPANIES AND INDUSTRIES AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2020
Portfolio Company
Crystal Financial LLC*
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC*
NEF Holdings, LLC*
GenMark Diagnostics, Inc.
Rubius Therapeutics, Inc.
KORE Wireless Group, Inc.
Varilease Finance, Inc.
PhyMed Management LLC
Cardiva Medical, Inc.
Pet Holdings ULC & Pet Supermarket Inc.
% of
Total Assets
15.3%
11.2%
6.7%
2.6%
2.1%
1.9%
1.9%
1.6%
1.5%
1.5%
* Denotes investments in which we are deemed to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, as defined in the
1940 Act, due to beneficially owning, either directly or through one or more controlled companies, more than 25% of the outstanding voting
securities of the investment.
Industry
Multi-Sector Holdings
Diversified Financial Services
Health Care Providers & Services
Pharmaceuticals
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Commercial Services & Supplies
Specialty Retail
Wireless Telecommunication Services
Road & Rail
Communications Equipment
% of
Total Assets
21.8%
15.6%
8.7%
7.4%
6.9%
3.2%
2.7%
1.9%
1.8%
1.8%
Set forth below is a brief description of each portfolio company in which we have made an investment that represents greater than 5% of our total
assets as of December 31, 2021.
SLR Credit Solutions
We currently hold SLR Credit as an independent commercial finance company that provides primarily senior secured loans for both asset-based
and cash flow financings to middle-market companies. Its team of experienced, responsive professionals has underwritten, closed and managed more
than $20 billion in secured debt commitments across a wide range of industries. As of December 31, 2021, SLR Credit had 22 funded commitments to
19 different issuers with total funded loans of approximately $287.4 million on total assets of $347.8 million. SLR Credit’s competitors include other
specialty finance companies and small banks. As with any lender, SLR Credit is exposed to interest rate risk, which it mostly mitigates by issuing loans
with floating rates.
SLR Equipment Finance
On July 31, 2017, the Company completed the acquisition of NEF Holdings, which conducts its business through its wholly-owned subsidiary
Nations Equipment Finance, LLC. Effective February 25, 2021, Nations Equipment Finance, LLC and its related companies is doing business as SLR
Equipment Finance. SLR Equipment is an independent equipment finance company that provides senior secured loans and leases primarily to U.S.
based companies. The Company invested $209.9 million in cash to effect the transaction, of which
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$145.0 million was invested in the equity of SLR Equipment through our wholly-owned consolidated taxable subsidiary NEFCORP LLC and our
wholly-owned consolidated subsidiary NEFPASS LLC and $64.9 million was used to purchase certain leases and loans held by SLR Equipment through
NEFPASS LLC. As of December 31, 2021, SLR Equipment had 135 funded equipment-backed leases and loans to 61 different customers with a total
net investment in leases and loans of approximately $211.0 million on total assets of $264.0 million.
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC
On November 3, 2020, the Company acquired 87.5% of Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC (“KBH”) through KBH Topco LLC (“KBHT”), a newly
formed Delaware corporation. KBH is a residual focused independent mid-ticket lessor of equipment primarily to U.S. investment grade companies. The
Company invested $216.6 million to effect the transaction, of which $136.6 million was invested to acquire 87.5% of KBHT’s equity and $80.0 million
in KBH’s debt. The existing management team of KBH committed to continue to lead KBH after the transaction. Post the transaction, the Company
owns 87.5% of KBHT equity and the KBH management team owns the remaining 12.5% of KBHT’s equity. As of December 31, 2021, KBHT had total
assets of $738.4 million.
Investment Selection Process
SLR Capital Partners is committed to and utilizes a value-oriented investment philosophy with a focus on the preservation of capital and a
commitment to managing downside exposure.
Portfolio Company Characteristics
We have identified several criteria that we believe are important in identifying and investing in prospective portfolio companies. These criteria
provide general guidelines for our investment decisions; however, not all of these criteria will be met by each prospective portfolio company in which
we choose to invest.
Stable Earnings and Strong Free Cash Flow. We seek to invest in companies who have demonstrated stable earnings through economic cycles.
We target companies that can de-lever through consistent generation of cash flows rather than relying solely on growth to service and repay our loans.
Value Orientation. Our investment philosophy places a premium on fundamental analysis from an investor’s perspective and has a distinct value
orientation. We focus on companies in which we can invest at relatively low multiples of operating cash flow and that are profitable at the time of
investment on an operating cash flow basis.
Value of Assets. The prospective value of the assets, if any, that collateralizes the loans in which we invest, is an important factor in our credit
analysis. Our analysis emphasizes both tangible assets, such as accounts receivable, inventory, equipment and real estate, and intangible assets, such as
intellectual property, customer lists, networks and databases. In some of our transactions the company’s fundings may be derived from a borrowing base
determined by the value of the company’s assets.
Strong Competitive Position in Industry. We seek to invest in target companies that have developed leading market positions within their
respective markets and are well positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities. We seek companies that demonstrate significant competitive
advantages versus their competitors, which we believe should help to protect their market position and profitability.
Diversified Customer and Supplier Base. We seek to invest in businesses that have a diversified customer and supplier base. We believe that
companies with a diversified customer and supplier base are generally better able to endure economic downturns, industry consolidation, changing
business preferences and other factors that may negatively impact their customers, suppliers and competitors.
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Exit Strategy. We predominantly invest in companies which provide multiple alternatives for an eventual exit. We look for opportunities that
provide an exit typically within three years of the initial capital commitment.
We generally seek companies that we believe will have or provide a steady stream of cash flow to repay our loans and reinvest in their respective
businesses. We believe that such internally generated cash flow, leading to the payment of our interest, and the repayment of our principal, represent a
key means by which we will be able to exit from our investments over time.
In addition, we also seek to invest in companies whose business models and expected future cash flows or cash positions offer attractive exit
possibilities. These companies include candidates for strategic acquisition by other industry participants and companies that may repay our investments
through an initial public offering of common stock or another capital market transaction. We underwrite our investments on a held-to-maturity basis, but
expensive capital is often repaid prior to stated maturity.
Experienced and Committed Management. We generally require that portfolio companies have an experienced management team. We also
require portfolio companies have in place proper incentives to induce management to succeed and to act in concert with our interests as investors,
including having significant equity interests.
Strong Sponsorship. We generally aim to invest alongside other sophisticated investors. We typically seek to partner with successful financial
sponsors who have historically generated high returns. We believe that investing in these sponsors’ portfolio companies enables us to benefit from their
direct involvement and due diligence.
SLR Capital Partners’ investment team works in concert with sponsors to proactively manage investment opportunities by acting as a partner
throughout the investment process. We actively focus on the middle-market financial sponsor community, with a particular focus on the upper-end of the
middle-market (sponsors with equity funds of $500 million to $5 billion). We favor such sponsors because they typically:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
buy larger companies with strong business franchises;
invest significant amounts of equity in their portfolio companies;
value flexibility and creativity in structuring their transactions;
possess longer track records over multiple investment funds;
have a deeper management bench;
have better ability to withstand downturns; and
possess the ability to support portfolio companies with additional capital.
We divide our coverage of these sponsors among our more senior investment professionals, who are responsible for day-to-day interaction with
financial sponsors. Our coverage approach aims to act proactively, consider all investments in the capital structure, provide quick feedback, deliver on
commitments, and are constructive throughout the life cycle of an investment.
Due Diligence
Our “private equity” approach to credit investing typically incorporates extensive in-depth due diligence often alongside the private equity
sponsor. In conducting due diligence, we will use publicly available information as well as information from relationships with former and current
management teams, consultants, competitors and investment bankers. We believe that our due diligence methodology allows us to screen a high volume
of potential investment opportunities on a consistent and thorough basis.
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Our due diligence typically includes:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
review of historical and prospective financial information;
review and valuation of assets;
research relating to the company’s management, industry, markets, products and services and competitors;
on-site visits;
discussions with management, employees, customers or vendors of the potential portfolio company;
review of senior loan documents; and
background investigations.
We also expect to evaluate the private equity sponsor making the investment. Further, due to SLR Capital Partners’ considerable repeat business
with sponsors, we have direct experience with the management teams of many sponsors. A private equity sponsor is typically the controlling
stockholder upon completion of an investment and as such is considered critical to the success of the investment. The equity sponsor is evaluated along
several key criteria, including:
•
•
•
•
investment track record;
industry experience;
capacity and willingness to provide additional financial support to the company through additional capital contributions, if necessary; and
reference checks.
Throughout the due diligence process, a deal team is in constant dialogue with the management team of the company in which we are considering
to invest to ensure that any concerns are addressed as early as possible through the process and that unsuitable investments are filtered out before
considerable time has been invested.
Upon the completion of due diligence and a decision to proceed with an investment in a company, the investment professionals leading the
investment present the investment opportunity to SLR Capital Partners’ investment committee, which then determines whether to pursue the potential
investment. Additional due diligence with respect to any investment may be conducted on our behalf by attorneys and independent accountants prior to
the closing of the investment, as well as other outside advisers, as appropriate.
The Investment Committee
All new investments are required to be approved by a consensus of the investment committee of SLR Capital Partners, which is led by Messrs.
Gross and Spohler. The members of SLR Capital Partners’ investment committee receive no compensation from us. Such members may be employees
or partners of SLR Capital Partners and may receive compensation or profit distributions from SLR Capital Partners.
Investment Structure
Once we determine that a prospective portfolio company is suitable for investment, we work with the management of that company and its other
capital providers, including senior, junior and equity 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.
The Company seeks to create a diverse portfolio that includes senior secured loans and to a lesser extent, unsecured loans and equity securities by
investing approximately $5 million to $100 million of capital. With
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respect to our senior secured loans, we seek to obtain security interests in the assets of our portfolio companies that serve as collateral in support of the
repayment of these loans. This collateral may take the form of first or second priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company.
We structure our unsecured loans primarily subordinated loans that provide for relatively high, fixed or floating interest rates that provide us with
significant current interest income. These loans typically have interest-only payments in the early years, with amortization of principal, if any, deferred
to the later years of the unsecured loans. In some cases, we may enter into loans that, by their terms, convert into equity or additional debt securities or
defer payments of interest for the first few years after our investment. Also, in some cases our unsecured loans may be collateralized by a subordinated
lien on some or all of the assets of the borrower.
Typically, our senior secured and unsecured loans have final maturities of five to ten years. However, we expect that our portfolio companies often
may repay these loans early, generally within three to four years from the date of initial investment. In some cases and when available, we seek to
structure these loans with prepayment premiums to capture foregone interest.
In the case of our senior secured and unsecured loan investments, we tailor the terms of the 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 profitability. For example, in addition to seeking a senior or fulcrum position in the
capital structure of our portfolio companies, we will seek to limit the downside potential of our investments by:
•
•
•
requiring a total return on our investments (including both interest and potential capital appreciation) that compensates us for credit risk;
incorporating “put” rights and call protection into the investment structure; and
negotiating covenants in connection with our investments that afford our portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their
businesses as possible, consistent with preservation of our capital. Such restrictions may include affirmative and negative covenants,
default penalties, lien protection, change of control provisions and board rights, including either observation or participation rights.
Our investments may include equity features, such as warrants or options to buy a minority interest in the portfolio company. Any warrants we
receive with our debt securities generally require only a nominal cost to exercise, and thus, as a portfolio company appreciates in value, we may achieve
additional investment return from this equity interest. We may structure the warrants to provide provisions protecting our rights as a minority interest
holder, as well as puts, or rights to sell such securities back to the company, upon the occurrence of specified events. In many cases, we also obtain
registration rights in connection with these equity securities, which may include demand and “piggyback” registration rights. In addition, we may from
time to time make direct equity investments in portfolio companies.
We generally seek to hold most of our investments to maturity or repayment, but will sell our investments earlier, including if a liquidity event
takes place such as the sale or recapitalization of a portfolio company.
Ongoing Relationships with Portfolio Companies
SLR Capital Partners monitors our portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. SLR Capital Partners monitors the financial trends of each portfolio
company to determine if it is meeting its business plan and to assess the appropriate course of action for each company.
SLR Capital Partners has several methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance and fair value of our investments, which include the
following:
•
Assessment of success in adhering to each portfolio company’s business plan and compliance with covenants;
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•
•
•
•
Periodic and regular contact with portfolio company management and, if appropriate, the financial or strategic sponsor, to discuss financial
position, requirements and accomplishments;
Comparisons to other SLR invested portfolio companies in the industry, if any;
Attendance at and participation in board meetings; and
Review of monthly and quarterly financial statements and financial projections for portfolio companies.
In addition to various risk management and monitoring tools, SLR Capital Partners also uses an investment rating system to characterize and
monitor our expected level of returns on each investment in our portfolio.
We use an investment rating scale of 1 to 4. The following is a description of the conditions associated with each investment rating:
Investment
Rating
1
2
3
4
Summary Description
Involves the least amount of risk in our portfolio, the portfolio company is performing above expectations, and the trends and
risk factors are generally favorable (including a potential exit)
Risk that is similar to the risk at the time of origination, the portfolio company is performing as expected, and the risk factors
are neutral to favorable; all new investments are initially assessed a grade of 2
The portfolio company is performing below expectations, may be out of compliance with debt covenants, and requires
procedures for closer monitoring
The investment is performing well below expectations and is not anticipated to be repaid in full
SLR Capital Partners monitors and, when appropriate, changes the investment ratings assigned to each investment in our portfolio. As of
December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 the weighted average investment rating on the fair market value of our portfolio was a 2. In connection with
our valuation process, SLR Capital Partners reviews these investment ratings on a quarterly basis.
Valuation Procedures
We conduct the valuation of our assets, pursuant to which our net asset value is determined, at all times consistent with U.S. generally accepted
accounting principles (“GAAP”), and the 1940 Act. Our valuation procedures are set forth in more detail below:
Under procedures established by the Board, we value investments, including certain senior secured debt, subordinated debt and other debt
securities with maturities greater than 60 days, for which market quotations are readily available, at such market quotations (unless they are deemed not
to represent fair value). We attempt to obtain market quotations from at least two brokers or dealers (if available, otherwise from a principal market
maker or a primary market dealer or other independent pricing service). We utilize mid-market pricing as a practical expedient for fair value unless a
different point within the range is more representative. If and when market quotations are deemed not to represent fair value, we may utilize independent
third-party valuation firms to assist us in determining the fair value of material assets. Accordingly, such investments go through our multi-step
valuation process as described below. In each case, independent valuation firms consider observable market inputs together with significant
unobservable inputs in arriving at their valuation recommendations. Debt investments with maturities of 60 days or less shall each be valued at cost plus
accreted discount, or minus amortized premium, which is expected to approximate fair value, unless such valuation, in the judgment of the Investment
Adviser, does not represent fair value, in which case such investments shall be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction
of the Board. Investments that are not publicly traded or whose market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good
faith by or under the direction of the Board. Such determination of fair values involves subjective judgments and estimates.
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With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available or when such market quotations are deemed not to represent fair
value, the Board has approved a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
our quarterly valuation process begins with each portfolio company or investment being initially valued by the investment professionals of
the Investment Adviser responsible for the portfolio investment;
preliminary valuation conclusions are then documented and discussed with senior management of the Investment Adviser;
independent valuation firms engaged by the Board conduct independent appraisals and review the Investment Adviser’s preliminary
valuations and make their own independent assessment for all material assets;
the audit committee of the Board reviews the preliminary valuation of the Investment Adviser and that of the independent valuation firm, if
any, and responds to the valuation recommendation of the independent valuation firm to reflect any comments; and
the Board discusses valuations and determines the fair value of each investment in our portfolio in good faith based on the input of the
Investment Adviser, the respective independent valuation firm, if any, and the audit committee.
Investments in all asset classes are valued utilizing a market approach, an income approach, or both approaches, as appropriate. However, in
accordance with ASC 820-10, certain investments that qualify as investment companies in accordance with ASC 946, may be valued using net asset
value as a practical expedient for fair value. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving
identical or comparable assets or liabilities (including a business). The income approach uses valuation approaches to convert future amounts (for
example, cash flows or earnings) to a single present amount (discounted). The measurement is based on the value indicated by current market
expectations about those future amounts. In following these approaches, the types of factors that we may take into account in fair value pricing our
investments include, as relevant: available current market data, including relevant and applicable market trading and transaction comparables, applicable
market yields and multiples, security covenants, call protection provisions, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s
ability to make payments, its earnings and discounted cash flows, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparisons of financial
ratios of peer companies that are public, M&A comparables, our principal market (as the reporting entity) and enterprise values, among other factors.
When available, broker quotations and/or quotations provided by pricing services are considered as an input in the valuation process. For the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2021, there has been no change to the Company’s valuation approaches or techniques and the nature of the related inputs
considered in the valuation process.
Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820 classifies the inputs used to measure these fair values into the following hierarchy:
Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, accessible by the Company at the measurement date.
Level 2: Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, or quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in
markets that are not active, or other observable inputs other than quoted prices.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.
In all cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls is determined based on the lowest
level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in
its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to each investment. The exercise of judgment is based in part on our knowledge of the asset
class and our prior experience.
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Determination of fair value involves subjective judgments and estimates. Accordingly, the notes to our consolidated financial statements express
the uncertainty with respect to the possible effect of such valuations, and any change in such valuations, on our consolidated financial statements.
Competition
Our primary competitors provide financing to middle-market companies and include other business development companies, commercial and
investment banks, commercial financing companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Additionally,
alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, frequently invest in middle-market companies. As a result, competition for investment
opportunities at middle-market companies can be intense. While many middle-market companies were previously able to raise senior debt financing
through traditional large financial institutions, we believe this approach to financing will become more difficult as implementation of U.S. and
international financial reforms limits the capacity of large financial institutions to hold non-investment grade leveraged loans on their balance sheets. We
believe that many of these financial institutions have de-emphasized their service and product offerings to middle-market companies in particular.
Many of our 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 that the 1940 Act imposes on us
as a BDC. We use the industry information available to Messrs. Gross and Spohler and the other investment professionals of SLR Capital Partners to
assess investment risks and determine appropriate pricing for our investments in portfolio companies. In addition, we believe that the relationships of
Messrs. Gross and Spohler and the other investment professionals of our investment adviser enable us to learn about, and compete effectively for,
financing opportunities with attractive leveraged companies in the industries in which we seek to invest.
Staffing
We do not currently have any employees. Mr. Gross, our Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, and Mr. Spohler, our Co-Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer and board member, are managing members and senior investment professionals of, and have financial
and controlling interests in, SLR Capital Partners. In addition, Mr. Peteka, our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary serves as the Chief
Financial Officer for SLR Capital Partners. Guy Talarico, our Chief Compliance Officer, is a Senior Managing Director of Foreside Consulting Services,
LLC, and performs his functions as our Chief Compliance Officer under the terms of an agreement between SLR Capital Management and Foreside
Consulting Services, LLC. SLR Capital Management has retained Mr. Talarico and Foreside Consulting Services, LLC pursuant to its obligations under
our Administration Agreement.
Our day-to-day investment operations are managed by SLR Capital Partners. Based upon its needs, SLR Capital Partners may hire additional
investment professionals. In addition, we will reimburse SLR Capital Management for the allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by
it in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent, and the allocable portion of the cost of the company’s chief
compliance officer and chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
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Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 imposes a wide variety of regulatory requirements on publicly-held companies and their insiders. Many of these
requirements affect us. For example:
•
•
•
•
pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Securites Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), our co-chief executive officers and chief financial officer
must certify the accuracy of the financial statements contained in our periodic reports;
pursuant to Item 307 of Regulation S-K, our periodic reports must disclose our conclusions about the effectiveness of our disclosure
controls and procedures;
pursuant to Rule 13a-15 of the 1934 Act, our management is required to prepare an annual report regarding its assessment of our internal
control over financial reporting and to obtain an audit of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting performed by our
independent registered public accounting firm; and
pursuant to Item 308 of Regulation S-K and Rule 13a-15 of the 1934 Act, our periodic reports must disclose whether there were significant
changes in our internal controls over financial reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the
date of their evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires us to review our current policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002 and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all regulations that are adopted under
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and will take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.
Business Development Company Regulations
A BDC is regulated by the 1940 Act. A BDC must be organized in the United States for the purpose of investing in or lending to primarily private
companies and making significant managerial assistance available to them. A BDC may use capital provided by public stockholders and from other
sources to make long-term, private investments in businesses. A BDC provides stockholders the ability to retain the liquidity of a publicly-traded stock
while sharing in the possible benefits, if any, of investing in primarily privately owned companies.
We may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a BDC unless authorized by vote of a majority of
our outstanding voting securities, as required by the 1940 Act. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the 1940
Act as the lesser of: (a) 67% or more of such company’s voting securities present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of
such company are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company. We do not anticipate any
substantial change in the nature of our business.
As with other companies regulated by the 1940 Act, a BDC must adhere to certain substantive regulatory requirements. A majority of our
directors must be persons who are not interested persons, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. Additionally, we are required to provide and maintain a
bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect the BDC. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or
officer against any liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of such person’s office.
As a BDC, we are required to meet an asset coverage ratio, reflecting the value of our total assets to our total senior securities, which include all of
our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 150%. We may also be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly
participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, prior
approval by the SEC.
We are generally not able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share without annual stockholder approval. We
may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value of
our common stock if the Board
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determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders approve such sale. At our Annual
Meeting of Stockholders on October 27, 2021, our stockholders approved a proposal authorizing us to sell up to 25% of our common stock at a price
below our then-current asset value per share, subject to the approval by our board of directors for the offering. This authorization expires on the earlier
of October 27, 2022 and the date of our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. In addition, we may generally issue new shares of our common stock at a
price below net asset value in rights offerings to existing stockholders, in payment of dividends and in certain other limited circumstances.
As a BDC, we were substantially limited in our ability to co-invest in privately negotiated transactions with affiliated funds until we obtained an
exemptive order from the SEC. The most recent exemptive order, received on June 13, 2017 (the “Exemptive Order”), permits us to participate in
negotiated co-investment transactions with certain affiliates, each of whose investment adviser is an investment adviser that controls, is controlled by or
is under common control with SLR Capital Partners and is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, in a manner consistent with our
investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, and pursuant to the
conditions to the Exemptive Order. If we are unable to rely on the Exemptive Order for a particular opportunity, such opportunity will be allocated first
to the entity whose investment strategy is the most consistent with the opportunity being allocated, and second, if the terms of the opportunity are
consistent with more than one entity’s investment strategy, on an alternating basis. Although our investment professionals will endeavor to allocate
investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, we and our common stockholders could be adversely affected to the extent investment
opportunities are allocated among us and other investment vehicles managed or sponsored by, or affiliated with, our executive officers, directors and
members of our investment adviser.
We will be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act.
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 BDC’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:
(a)
(b)
(c)
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 BDC); and
satisfies any of the following:
i. does not have any class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange;
ii. has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange, but has an aggregate market value of outstanding voting and
non-voting common equity of less than $250 million;
iii. is controlled by a BDC or a group of companies including a BDC and the BDC has an affiliated person who is a director of the
eligible portfolio company; or
iv. is a small and solvent company having total assets of not more than $4.0 million and capital and surplus of not less than
$2.0 million.
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(2) Securities of any eligible portfolio company which we control, which, as defined by the 1940 Act, is presumed to exist where a BDC
beneficially owns more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of the portfolio company.
(3) Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or
in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its
securities, was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements.
(4) Securities of an eligible portfolio company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities
and we already own 60% of the outstanding equity of the eligible portfolio company.
(5) Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise
of warrants or rights relating to such securities.
(6) Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.
(7) Office furniture and equipment, interests in real estate and leasehold improvements and facilities maintained to conduct the business operations
of the BDC, deferred organization and operating expenses, and other noninvestment assets necessary and appropriate to its operations as a BDC,
including notes of indebtedness of directors, officers, employees, and general partners held by a BDC as payment for securities of such company issued
in connection with an executive compensation plan described in Section 57(j) of the 1940 Act.
Under Section 55(b) of the 1940 Act, the value of a BDC’s assets shall be determined as of the date of the most recent financial statements filed by
such company with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 of the 1934 Act, and shall be determined no less frequently than annually.
Significant Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies
As a BDC, we offer, and must provide upon request, significant managerial assistance to 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. We may also receive fees for these services. SLR
Capital Management provides such managerial assistance, if any, on our behalf to portfolio companies that request this assistance.
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 investment grade debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which we refer to,
collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets are qualifying assets. Typically, we will invest in U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase
agreements, provided that such repurchase agreements are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies. A
repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to
repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price which is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate.
There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, if more than 25% of our
total assets constitute repurchase agreements from a single counterparty, we would not meet the diversification tests in order to qualify as a RIC for U.S.
federal income tax purposes. Thus,
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we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit. Our investment adviser will monitor the
creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into repurchase agreement transactions.
Senior Securities
We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to our common stock if our
asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 150% immediately after each such issuance. In addition, while certain senior securities
remain outstanding, we may be required to make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares
unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of
our total assets for temporary purposes without regard to asset coverage. We may borrow money, which would magnify the potential for gain or loss on
amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.
Code of Ethics
We and SLR Capital Partners have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers
Act, respectively, that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain transactions by our personnel. Our codes of ethics generally
do not permit investments by our employees in securities that may be purchased or held by us. Each code of ethics is available on the EDGAR Database
on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of the codes of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request
at the following Email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
Compliance Policies and Procedures
We and our investment adviser have adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent violation
of the federal securities laws. We are required to review these compliance policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of
their implementation and to designate a chief compliance officer to be responsible for their administration. Guy Talarico currently serves as our Chief
Compliance Officer.
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
We have delegated our proxy voting responsibility to our investment adviser. A summary of the Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of our
adviser are set forth below. The guidelines are reviewed periodically by the adviser and our non-interested directors, and, accordingly, are subject to
change.
As an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act, SLR Capital Partners has a fiduciary duty to act solely in the best interests of its
clients. As part of this duty, it recognizes that it must vote securities held by its clients in a timely manner free of conflicts of interest. These policies and
procedures for voting proxies for investment advisory clients are intended to comply with Section 206 of, and Rule 206(4)-6 under, the Advisers Act.
Our investment adviser votes proxies relating to our portfolio securities in the best interest of our stockholders. SLR Capital Partners reviews on a
case-by-case basis each proposal submitted for a proxy vote to determine its impact on our investments. Although it generally votes against proposals
that may have a negative impact on our investments, it may vote for such a proposal if there exists compelling long-term reasons to do so. The proxy
voting decisions of our investment adviser are made by the senior investment professionals who are responsible for monitoring each of our investments.
To ensure that our vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, it requires that: (i) anyone involved in the decision making process disclose to a
managing member of SLR Capital Partners any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any contact that he or she has had with
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any interested party regarding a proxy vote; and (ii) employees involved in the decision making process or vote administration are prohibited from
revealing how we intend to vote on a proposal in order to reduce any attempted influence from interested parties.
You may obtain information about how we voted proxies by making a written request for proxy voting information to: SLR Capital Partners, LLC,
500 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
Privacy Principles
We are committed to maintaining the privacy of our stockholders and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following
information is provided to help you understand what personal information we may have access to, how we protect that information and why, in certain
cases, we may share such information with select other parties.
Generally, we do not receive any non-public personal information relating to our stockholders, although certain non-public personal information
of our stockholders may become available to us. We do not disclose any non-public personal information about our stockholders or former stockholders
to anyone, except as permitted by law or as is necessary in order to service stockholder accounts (for example, through a transfer agent or proxy
solicitor).
We restrict access to non-public personal information about our stockholders to employees of our investment adviser and its affiliates with a
legitimate business need for the information. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed to protect the non-public personal
information of our stockholders.
Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company
As a BDC, we elected to be treated, and intend to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, we generally will not
have to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that we timely distribute to our stockholders as dividends.
To continue to qualify as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described
below). In addition, to qualify for RIC tax treatment we must distribute to our stockholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of our “investment
company taxable income,” which generally is our ordinary income plus the excess of our realized net short-term capital gains over our realized net long-
term capital losses (the “Annual Distribution Requirement”). If we qualify as a RIC and satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, then we will not
be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of our investment company taxable income and net capital gain (i.e., realized net long-term capital
gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses) we distribute (or are deemed to distribute) to stockholders. We will be subject to U.S. federal
income tax at the regular corporate rates on any ordinary income or capital gain not distributed (or deemed not distributed) to our stockholders.
We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain 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 for the one-year
period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any ordinary income and net capital gains that we recognized in preceding years, but were not
distributed during such years, and on which we paid no U.S. federal income tax (the “Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement”).
In order to qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must, among other things:
•
•
at all times during each taxable year, have in effect an election to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act;
derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from (a) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans,
gains from the sale of stock or other securities or currencies, or
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other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and (b) net income derived from an
interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership;” and
•
diversify our holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year:
•
•
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
no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in (i) the securities, other than U.S. government securities or
securities of other RICs, of one issuer, (ii) the securities 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 (iii) the securities of
one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships.”
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 payment-in-kind (“PIK”) income or, in certain
cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments 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 Annual Distribution Requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash
amount.
Because we may use debt financing, we will be 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 Annual
Distribution Requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources or are otherwise limited in our ability to make distributions, we could fail
to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax.
Certain of our investment practices may be subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things:
(i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions; (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gain into higher taxed
short-term capital gain or ordinary income; (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited);
(iv) cause us to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash; (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of
securities is deemed to occur; (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions; and (vii) produce income that will not be
qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above. We will monitor our transactions and may make certain tax elections in
order to mitigate the potential adverse effect of these provisions.
Gain or loss realized by us from the sale or exchange of 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. The treatment of such gain or loss as long-term or short-term will depend on how long we held a
particular warrant. Upon the exercise of a warrant acquired by us, our tax basis in the stock purchased under the warrant will equal the sum of the
amount paid for the warrant plus the strike price paid on the exercise of the warrant.
Failure to Qualify as a Regulated Investment Company
If we were unable to qualify for treatment as a RIC, we would be subject to U.S. federal income 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. Such distributions would be
taxable to our stockholders as dividends and,
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provided certain holding period and other requirements were met, could qualify for treatment as “qualified dividend income” in the hands of
non-corporate stockholders (and thus eligible for the current 20% maximum rate) 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. To requalify as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, we would be required to satisfy the RIC
qualification requirements for that year and dispose of any earnings and profits from any year in which we failed to qualify as a RIC. Subject to a limited
exception applicable to RICs that qualified as such under Subchapter M of the Code for at least one year prior to disqualification and that requalify as a
RIC no later than the second year following the non-qualifying year, we could be subject to tax on any unrealized net built-in gains in the assets held by
us during the period in which we failed to qualify as a RIC that are recognized within the subsequent 5 years, unless we made a special election to pay
corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on such built-in gain at the time of our requalification as a RIC.
Investment Advisory Fees
Pursuant to an investment advisory and management agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”), we have agreed to pay SLR Capital Partners a fee
for investment advisory and management services consisting of two components — a base management fee and a performance-based incentive fee.
The base management fee is determined by taking the average value of the Company’s gross assets at the end of the two most recently completed
calendar quarters calculated at an annual rate of 1.75% on gross assets up to 200% of the Company’s total net assets as of the immediately preceding
quarter end and 1.00% on gross assets that exceed 200% of the Company’s total net assets as of the immediately preceding quarter end. For purposes of
computing the base management fee, gross assets exclude temporary assets acquired at the end of each fiscal quarter for purposes of preserving
investment flexibility in the next fiscal quarter. Temporary assets include, but are not limited to, U.S. treasury bills, other short-term U.S. government or
government agency securities, repurchase agreements or cash borrowings.
The performance-based incentive fee has two parts, as follows: one is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on our pre-incentive fee
net investment income for the immediately preceding calendar quarter. 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 to SLR Capital
Management, and any interest expense and dividend paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the performance-based 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 pay in kind income 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, computed net of all 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 at the end of the immediately preceding calendar
quarter, is compared to a hurdle of 1.75% per quarter (7.00% annualized). Our net investment income used to calculate this part of the incentive fee is
also included in the amount of our gross assets used to calculate the 1.75% base management fee. We pay SLR Capital Partners an incentive fee with
respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows:
•
•
no performance-based incentive fee in any calendar quarter in which our pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the
hurdle of 1.75%;
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 but is less than 2.1875% in any calendar
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quarter (8.75% annualized). We refer to this portion of our pre-incentive fee net investment income (which exceeds the hurdle but is less
than 2.1875%) as the “catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide our investment adviser with 20% of our pre-incentive fee net
investment income as if a hurdle did not apply if this net investment income exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter; and
•
20% of the amount of our pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter (8.75%
annualized) is payable to SLR Capital Partners (once the hurdle is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 20% of all pre-incentive fee
investment income thereafter is allocated to SLR Capital Partners).
The following is a graphical representation of the calculation of the income-related portion of the performance-based 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)
Percentage of pre-incentive fee net investment income
allocated to SLR Capital Partners
These calculations are appropriately pro-rated for any period of less than three months. You should be aware that a rise in the general level of
interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it
easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to our
investment adviser with respect to pre-incentive fee net investment income.
The second part of the incentive fee is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the
Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, as of the termination date), and equals 20% of our realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative
basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a
cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gain incentive fees with respect to each of the investments in our portfolio.
Examples of Quarterly Incentive Fee Calculation
Example 1: Income Related Portion of Incentive Fee (*):
Alternative 1:
Assumptions
Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 1.25%
Hurdle rate(1) = 1.75%
Management fee(2) = 0.4375%
Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(3) = 0.20%
Pre-incentive fee net investment income
(investment income – (management fee + other expenses)) = 0.6125%
Pre-incentive net investment income does not exceed hurdle rate, therefore there is no incentive fee.
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Alternative 2:
Assumptions
Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 2.70%
Hurdle rate(1) = 1.75%
Management fee(2) = 0.4375%
Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(3) = 0.20%
Pre-incentive fee net investment income
(investment income – (management fee + other expenses)) = 2.0625%
Incentive fee = 100% × pre-incentive fee net investment income, subject to the “catch-up”(4)
= 100% × (2.0625% – 1.75%)
= 0.3125%
Alternative 3:
Assumptions
Investment income (including interest, dividends, fees, etc.) = 3.00%
Hurdle rate(1) = 1.75%
Management fee(2) = 0.4375%
Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(3) = 0.20%
Pre-incentive fee net investment income
(investment income – (management fee + other expenses)) = 2.3625%
Incentive fee = 20% × pre-incentive fee net investment income, subject to “catch-up”(4)
Incentive fee = 100% × “catch-up” + (20% × (pre-incentive fee net investment income – 2.1875%))
Catch-up = 2.1875% – 1.75%
= 0.4375%
Incentive fee = (100% × 0.4375%) + (20% × (2.3625% – 2.1875%))
= 0.4375% + (20% × 0.175%)
= 0.4375% + 0.035%
= 0.4725%
(*)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
The hypothetical amount of pre-incentive fee net investment income shown is based on a percentage of total net assets.
Represents 7% annualized hurdle rate.
Represents 1.75% annualized management fee.
Excludes organizational and offering expenses.
The “catch-up” provision is intended to provide our investment adviser with an incentive fee of 20% on all of our pre-incentive fee net investment
income as if a hurdle rate did not apply when our net investment income exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter.
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 (“FMV”) of Investment B determined to be $32 million
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•
•
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 million ($30 million realized capital gains on sale of Investment A multiplied by 20%)
Year 3: None
$5 million (20% multiplied by ($30 million cumulative capital gains less $5 million cumulative capital depreciation)) less $6 million (previous capital
gains fee paid in Year 2)
•
Year 4: Capital gains incentive fee of $200,000
$6.2 million ($31 million cumulative realized capital gains multiplied by 20%) less $6 million (capital gains fee taken 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 $24 million
Year 5: Investment B sold for $20 million
The capital gains incentive fee, if any, would be:
•
•
Year 1: None
Year 2: $5 million capital gains incentive fee
20% multiplied by $25 million ($30 million realized capital gains on Investment A less unrealized capital depreciation on Investment B)
•
Year 3: $1.4 million capital gains incentive fee(1)
$6.4 million (20% multiplied by $32 million ($35 million cumulative realized capital gains less $3 million unrealized capital depreciation)) less
$5 million capital gains fee received in Year 2
•
•
Year 4: None
Year 5: None
$5 million (20% 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
(1) As illustrated in Year 3 of Alternative 2 above, if SLR Capital were to be wound up on a date other than December 31 of any year, SLR Capital
may have paid aggregate capital gain incentive fees that are more than the amount of such fees that would be payable if SLR Capital had been
wound up on December 31 of such year.
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Payment of Our Expenses
All investment professionals of the investment adviser and their respective staffs, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment
advisory and management services, and the compensation and routine overhead expenses of such personnel allocable to such services, are provided and
paid for by SLR Capital Partners. We bear all other costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including (without limitation):
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
the cost of our organization and public offerings;
the cost of calculating our net asset value, including the cost of any third-party valuation services;
the cost of effecting sales and repurchases of our shares and other securities;
interest payable on debt, if any, to finance our investments;
fees payable to third parties relating to, or associated with, making investments, including fees and expenses associated with performing
due diligence reviews of prospective investments and advisory fees;
transfer agent and custodial fees;
fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts;
federal and state registration fees, any stock exchange listing fees;
federal, state and local taxes;
independent directors’ fees and expenses;
brokerage commissions;
fidelity bond, directors and officers errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums;
direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone and staff;
fees and expenses associated with independent audits and outside legal costs;
costs associated with our reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and applicable federal and state securities laws; and
all other expenses incurred by either SLR Capital Management or us in connection with administering our business, including payments
under the Administration Agreement that will be based upon our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by SLR Capital
Management 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 costs of compensation and related expenses of our chief compliance
officer and our chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
Available Information
The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file
electronically with the SEC. The address of that site is (http://www.sec.gov).
Our internet address is www.SLRinvestmentcorp.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 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.
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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 annual report on Form 10-K before you decide whether to make an investment in our
securities. The risks described in this document and set out below are not the only risks we face. If any of the following events occur, our business,
financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value and the trading price of our
common stock could decline or the value of our preferred stock, debt securities, subscription rights or warrants may decline, and you may lose all or
part of your investment. Please refer also to those risk factors relating to our proposed merger with SLR Senior Investment Corp. included under the
caption “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to the Mergers” in pre-effective amendment no. 1 to our registration statement on Form N-14 (333-261675) filed
with the SEC on January 31, 2022, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Risks Relating to Our Investments
SUMMARY RISK FACTORS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.
Our investments are very risky and highly speculative.
The lack of liquidity in our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of our investments at a favorable price, which may adversely affect
our ability to meet our investment objectives.
Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of portfolio companies and industries, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if
any of these companies performs poorly or defaults on its obligations under any of its debt instruments or if there is a downturn in a particular
industry.
Economic sanction laws in the United States and other jurisdictions may prohibit us and our affiliates from transacting with certain countries,
individuals and companies.
If we cannot obtain additional capital because of either regulatory or market price constraints, we could be forced to curtail or cease our new
lending and investment activities, our net asset value could decrease and our level of distributions and liquidity could be affected adversely.
We may suffer a loss if a portfolio company defaults on a loan and the underlying collateral is not sufficient.
Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could adversely impact our results of operations and reduce our return on equity.
We may be exposed to higher risks with respect to our investments that include original issue discount or PIK interest.
Risks Relating to an Investment in Our Securities
•
•
•
•
Our shares may trade at a substantial discount from net asset value and may continue to do so over the long term.
Our common stock price may be volatile and may decrease substantially.
Our business and operation could be negatively affected if we become subject to any securities litigation or shareholder activism, which could
cause us to incur significant expense, hinder execution of investment strategy and impact our stock price.
If the current period of capital market disruption and instability continues for an extended period of time, there is a risk that investors in our equity
securities may not receive distributions consistent with historical levels or at all or that our distributions may not grow over time and a portion of
our distributions may be a return of capital.
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•
•
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other disruptions in the economy, we may reduce or defer our dividends and choose to incur U.S. federal
excise tax in order preserve cash and maintain flexibility.
We may choose to pay distributions in our own common stock, in which case our stockholders may be required to pay U.S. federal income taxes
in excess of the cash distributions they receive.
•
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.
•
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The net asset value per share of our common stock may be diluted if we issue or sell shares of our common stock 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.
To the extent we use debt or preferred stock to finance our investments, changes in interest rates will affect our cost of capital and net investment
income.
Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure
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We are dependent upon SLR Capital Partners’ key personnel for our future success.
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Our business model depends to a significant extent upon strong referral relationships with financial sponsors, and the inability of the senior
investment professionals of our Investment Adviser to maintain or develop these relationships, or the failure of these relationships to generate
investment opportunities, could adversely affect our business.
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Our financial condition and results of operations will depend on SLR Capital Partners’ ability to manage our future growth effectively by
identifying, investing in and monitoring companies that meet our investment criteria.
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We may need to raise additional capital to grow because we must distribute most of our income.
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Any failure on our part to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility and we may be limited in our investment choices as
a BDC.
Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we will, raise additional capital. As a BDC, the necessity
of raising additional capital may expose us to risks, including the typical risks associated with leverage.
We have and will continue to borrow money, which would magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of
investing in us.
It is likely that the terms of any current or future long-term or revolving credit or warehouse facility we may enter into in the future could
constrain our ability to grow our business.
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There will be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments, which may impact our net asset value.
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There are significant potential conflicts of interest, including SLR Capital Partners’ management of other investment funds such as SLR Senior
Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, and SLR HC BDC LLC, which could impact our investment returns, and an investment
in SLR Investment Corp. is not an investment in SLR Senior Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, or SLR HC BDC LLC.
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We may be obligated to pay our Investment Adviser incentive compensation even if we incur a loss.
Our incentive fee may induce SLR Capital Partners to pursue speculative investments.
We may become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax if we are unable to qualify and maintain our qualification for tax treatment as a
regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code.
The failure in cyber security systems, as well as the occurrence of events unanticipated in our disaster recovery systems and management
continuity planning could impair our ability to conduct business effectively.
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•
Our business is subject to increasingly complex corporate governance, public disclosure and accounting requirements that could adversely affect
our business and financial results.
Risks Relating to Our Investments
We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.
RISK FACTORS (CONTINUED)
A number of entities compete with us to make the types of investments that we target in leveraged companies. We compete with other BDCs, public and
private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing,
private equity funds. Many of our 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 than we have, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of
investments and establish more relationships and offer better pricing and a more flexible structure than we are able to do. Furthermore, many of our
potential competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC. If we are unable to source attractive
investments, we may hold a greater percentage of our assets in cash and cash equivalents than anticipated, which could impact potential returns on our
portfolio. 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 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.
Participants in our industry compete on several factors, including price, flexibility in transaction structure, customer service, reputation, market
knowledge and speed in decision-making. We do not seek to compete primarily based on the interest rates we will offer, and we believe that some of our
competitors may make loans with interest rates that will be 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. However, if we match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may experience
decreased net interest income and increased risk of credit loss.
Our investments are very risky and highly speculative.
We invest primarily in leveraged middle-market companies in the form of senior secured loans, financing leases and to a lesser extent, unsecured loans
and equity securities.
Senior Secured Loans. When we make a senior secured term loan investment in a portfolio company, we generally take a security interest in the
available assets of the portfolio company, including the equity interests of its subsidiaries, which we expect to help mitigate the risk that we will not be
repaid. However, 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.
Unsecured Loans and Preferred Securities. Our unsecured and preferred investments are generally subordinated to senior loans and are generally
unsecured. As such, other creditors may rank senior to us in the event of an insolvency. This may result in an above average amount of risk and loss of
principal.
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Equity Investments. When we invest in senior secured loans, unitranche loans, unsecured loans or preferred securities, we may acquire common equity
securities as well. In certain other unique circumstances we may also make equity investments in businesses that make senior loans and/or leases, such
as our investments in Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC, SLR Credit Solutions and SLR Equipment Finance. In addition, we may invest directly in the equity
securities of portfolio companies without limitation as to market capitalization. For instance, we may invest in thinly traded companies, the prices of
which may be subject to erratic market movement. Our goal is ultimately to exit 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.
In addition, investing in middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks, including:
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these companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that we hold,
which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of us realizing any guarantees
we may have obtained in connection with our investment;
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;
they 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;
they 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 our Investment
Adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in the portfolio
companies; and
they may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their
outstanding indebtedness upon maturity.
The lack of liquidity in our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of our investments at a favorable price, which may adversely affect
our ability to meet our investment objectives.
We generally make investments in private companies. We invest and expect to continue investing in companies whose securities have no established
trading market and whose securities are and will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or whose securities are and will be less liquid than
are publicly-traded securities. Investments purchased by us that are liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid due to events
relating to the issuer of the investments, market events, economic conditions or investor perceptions. 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 have previously recorded our investments. As a result, we do not expect to achieve liquidity in our
investments in the near-term. However, to maintain our qualification as a BDC and as a RIC, we may have to dispose of investments if we do not satisfy
one or more of the applicable criteria under the respective regulatory frameworks. Domestic and foreign markets are complex and interrelated, so that
events in one sector of the world markets or economy, or in one geographical region, can reverberate and have materially negative consequences for
other markets, economic or regional sectors in a manner that may not be foreseen and which may negatively impact the liquidity of our investments and
materially harm our business. In addition, we may face other restrictions on our ability to liquidate an investment in a portfolio company to the extent
that we have material non-public information regarding such portfolio company.
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Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of portfolio companies and industries, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if any
of these companies performs poorly or defaults on its obligations under any of its debt instruments or if there is a downturn in a particular industry.
Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of portfolio companies and industries. For example, as of December 31, 2021, our investments in
SLR Credit Solutions, Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC and SLR Equipment Finance comprised 14.9%, 11.2% and 6.4%, respectively, of our total assets and
our investments in multi-sector holdings and diversified financial services industries comprised 20.6% and 17.2%, respectively, of our total assets.
Beyond the asset diversification requirements associated with our qualification as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, we do not have fixed
guidelines for diversification, and while we are not targeting any specific industries, our investments may be concentrated in relatively few industries or
portfolio companies. As a result, the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform
poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one investment. Additionally, a downturn in any particular industry in which we are invested could
also significantly impact the aggregate returns we realize.
Our investments in securities rated below investment grade are speculative in nature and are subject to additional risk factors such as increased
possibility of default, illiquidity of the security, and changes in value based on changes in interest rates.
The securities that we invest in are typically rated below investment grade. Securities rated below investment grade are speculative and are often
referred to as “leveraged loans,” “high yield” or “junk” securities, and may be considered “high risk” compared to debt instruments that are rated
investment grade. High yield securities are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay
interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligations and involve major risk exposure to adverse conditions. In addition, high yield
securities generally offer a higher current yield than that available from higher grade issues, but typically involve greater risk. These securities are
especially sensitive to adverse changes in general economic conditions, to changes in the financial condition of their issuers and to price fluctuation in
response to changes in interest rates. During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, issuers of below investment grade instruments may
experience financial stress that could adversely affect their ability to make payments of principal and interest and increase the possibility of default. The
secondary market for high yield securities may not be as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated securities. In addition, many of our debt
investments will not fully amortize during their lifetime, which means that a borrower may be unable to payoff its debt due to bankruptcy or other
reasons and therefore we may write-off such debt investment prior to its scheduled maturity. Upon such an occurrence, we may realize a loss or a
substantial amount of unpaid principal and interest due upon maturity.
Price declines and illiquidity in the corporate debt markets have adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, the fair value of our
portfolio investments, reducing our net asset value through increased net unrealized depreciation. Any unrealized depreciation that we experience
on our loan portfolio may be an indication of future realized losses, which could reduce our income available for distribution and could adversely
affect our ability to service our outstanding borrowings.
As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined in good faith by or
under the direction of our board of directors. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments are recorded as unrealized depreciation.
Any unrealized depreciation in our loan portfolio could be an indication of a portfolio company’s inability to meet its repayment obligations to us with
respect to the affected loans. This could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of our income available for distribution in
future periods and could materially adversely affect our ability to service our outstanding borrowings. Depending on market conditions, we could incur
substantial losses in future periods, which could further reduce our net asset value and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
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Economic sanction laws in the United States and other jurisdictions may prohibit us and our affiliates from transacting with certain countries,
individuals and companies.
Economic sanction laws in the United States and other jurisdictions may prohibit us or our affiliates from transacting with certain countries, individuals
and companies. In the United States, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control administers and enforces laws, executive
orders and regulations establishing U.S. economic and trade sanctions, which prohibit, among other things, transactions with, and the provision of
services to, certain non-U.S. countries, territories, entities and individuals. These types of sanctions may significantly restrict or completely prohibit
investment activities in certain jurisdictions, and if we, our portfolio companies or other issuers in which we invest were to violate any such laws or
regulations, we may face significant legal and monetary penalties.
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, as well as anti-boycott regulations, may also apply to and
restrict our activities, our portfolio companies and other issuers of our investments. If an issuer or we were to violate any such laws or regulations, such
issuer or we may face significant legal and monetary penalties. The U.S. government has indicated that it is particularly focused on FCPA enforcement,
which may increase the risk that an issuer or us becomes the subject of such actual or threatened enforcement. In addition, certain commentators have
suggested that private investment firms and the funds that they manage may face increased scrutiny and/or liability with respect to the activities of their
underlying portfolio companies. As such, a violation of the FCPA or other applicable regulations by us or an issuer of our portfolio investments could
have a material adverse effect on us. We are committed to complying with the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, as well as anti-
boycott regulations, to which it is subject. As a result, we may be adversely affected because of our unwillingness to enter into transactions that violate
any such laws or regulations.
If we cannot obtain additional capital because of either regulatory or market price constraints, we could be forced to curtail or cease our new
lending and investment activities, our net asset value could decrease and our level of distributions and liquidity could be affected adversely.
Our ability to secure additional financing and satisfy our financial obligations under indebtedness outstanding from time to time will depend upon our
future operating performance, which is subject to the prevailing general economic and credit market conditions, including interest rate levels and the
availability of credit generally, and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. The worsening of current economic and
capital market conditions could have a material adverse effect on our ability to secure financing on favorable terms, if at all.
If we are unable to obtain debt capital, then our equity investors will not benefit from the potential for increased returns on equity resulting from
leverage to the extent that our investment strategy is successful and we may be limited in our ability to make new commitments or fundings to our
portfolio companies.
We may suffer a loss if a portfolio company defaults on a loan and the underlying collateral is not sufficient.
In the event of a default by a portfolio company on a secured loan, we will only have recourse to the assets collateralizing the loan. If the underlying
collateral value is less than the loan amount, we will suffer a loss. In addition, we sometimes make loans that are unsecured, which are subject to the risk
that other lenders may be directly secured by the assets of the portfolio company. In the event of a default, those collateralized lenders would have
priority over us with respect to the proceeds of a sale of the underlying assets. In cases described above, we may lack control over the underlying asset
collateralizing our loan or the underlying assets of the portfolio company prior to a default, and as a result the value of the collateral may be reduced by
acts or omissions by owners or managers of the assets.
In the event of bankruptcy of a portfolio company, we may not have full recourse to its assets in order to satisfy our loan, or our loan may be subject to
equitable subordination. In addition, certain of our loans are subordinate
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to other debt of the portfolio company. If a portfolio company defaults on our loan or on debt senior to our loan, or in the event of a portfolio company
bankruptcy, our loan will be satisfied only after the senior debt receives payment. Where debt senior to our loan exists, the presence of inter-creditor
arrangements may limit our ability to amend our loan documents, assign our loans, accept prepayments, exercise our remedies (through “standstill”
periods) and control decisions made in bankruptcy proceedings relating to the portfolio company. Bankruptcy and portfolio company litigation can
significantly increase collection losses and the time needed for us to acquire the underlying collateral in the event of a default, during which time the
collateral may decline in value, causing us to suffer further losses.
If the value of collateral underlying our loan declines or interest rates increase during the term of our loan, a portfolio company may not be able to
obtain the necessary funds to repay our loan at maturity through refinancing. Decreasing collateral value and/or increasing interest rates may hinder a
portfolio company’s ability to refinance our loan because the underlying collateral cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to
obtain new financing. If a borrower is unable to repay our loan at maturity, we could suffer a loss which may adversely impact our financial
performance.
The business, financial condition and results of operations of our portfolio companies could be adversely affected by worldwide economic
conditions, as well as political and economic conditions in the countries in which they conduct business.
The business and operating results of our portfolio companies may be impacted by worldwide economic conditions, such as the economic impact that
the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed, and may continue to impose, on the U.S. and worldwide economy. Any deterioration of general economic
conditions may lead to significant declines in corporate earnings or loan performance, and the ability of corporate borrowers to service their debt, any of
which could trigger a period of global economic slowdown, and have an adverse impact on our performance and financial results, and the value and the
liquidity of our investments. In an economic downturn, we could have non-performing assets or an increase in non-performing assets, and we would
anticipate that the value of our portfolio would decrease during these periods. For instance, concerns of economic slowdown in China and other
emerging markets and signs of deteriorating sovereign debt conditions in Europe could lead to disruption and instability in the global financial markets.
The significant debt in the United States and European countries is expected to hinder growth in those countries for the foreseeable future. In the future,
the U.S. government may not be able to meet its debt payments unless the federal debt ceiling is raised. If legislation increasing the debt ceiling is not
enacted, as needed, and the debt ceiling is reached, the U.S. federal government may stop or delay making payments on its obligations. Any default by
the U.S. government on its obligations or any prolonged U.S. government shutdown could negatively impact the U.S. economy and our portfolio
companies. Multiple factors relating to the international operations of some of our portfolio companies and to particular countries in which they operate
could negatively impact their business, financial condition and results of operations.
Some of the products of our portfolio companies are developed, manufactured, assembled, tested or marketed outside the United States. Any conflict or
uncertainty in these countries, including due to natural disasters, public health concerns (including the global COVID-19 pandemic), political unrest or
safety concerns, could harm their business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if the government of any country in which their
products are developed, manufactured or sold sets technical or regulatory standards for products developed or manufactured in or imported into their
country that are not widely shared, it may lead some of their customers to suspend imports of their products into that country, require manufacturers or
developers in that country to manufacture or develop products with different technical or regulatory standards and disrupt cross-border manufacturing,
marketing or business relationships which, in each case, could harm their businesses.
Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio.
Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments, in
order to: (i) increase or maintain in whole or in part our ownership
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percentage; (ii) exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or (iii) attempt to preserve
or enhance the value of our investment. We may elect not to make follow-on investments or otherwise lack sufficient funds to make those investments.
We will have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. The failure to
make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may
result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a
desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase our concentration of risk, either
because we prefer other opportunities or because we are subject to BDC requirements that would prevent such follow-on investments or the desire to
maintain our RIC tax treatment.
Where we do not hold controlling equity interests in our portfolio companies, we may not be in a position to exercise control over our portfolio
companies or to prevent decisions by management of our portfolio companies that could decrease the value of our investments.
Although we hold controlling equity positions in some of our portfolio companies, we do not currently hold controlling equity positions in the majority
of our portfolio companies. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we do not have a controlling interest may make
business decisions with which we disagree, and that the management and/or stockholders of such portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in
ways that are adverse to our interests. Due to the lack of liquidity of the debt and equity investments that we typically hold in our portfolio companies,
we may not be able to dispose of our investments in the event we disagree with the actions of a portfolio company and may therefore suffer a decrease in
the value of our investments.
Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could adversely impact our results of operations and reduce our return on equity.
We are subject to the risk that the investments we make in our portfolio companies may be prepaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, we may reduce
our borrowings outstanding or reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in new portfolio companies. These
temporary investments, if any, will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt investment being prepaid and we could experience significant
delays in reinvesting these amounts. Any future investment in a new portfolio company may also be at lower yields than the debt investment that was
prepaid. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts
owed to us. Additionally, prepayments could negatively impact our return on equity, which could result in a decline in the market price of our common
stock.
We may choose to waive or defer enforcement of covenants in the debt securities held in our portfolio, which may cause us to lose all or part of our
investment in these companies.
We structure the debt investments in our portfolio companies to include business and financial covenants placing affirmative and negative obligations on
the operation of the company’s business and its financial condition. However, from time to time we may elect to waive breaches of these covenants,
including our right to payment, or waive or defer enforcement of remedies, such as acceleration of obligations or foreclosure on collateral, depending
upon the financial condition and prospects of the particular portfolio company. These actions may reduce the likelihood of our receiving the full amount
of future payments of interest or principal and be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of the underlying collateral as many of these companies
may have limited financial resources, may be unable to meet future obligations and may go bankrupt. This could negatively impact our ability to pay
distributions, could adversely affect our results of operation and financial condition and cause the loss of all or part of your investment.
In addition, some of the loans in which we may invest may be “covenant-lite” loans. We use the term “covenant-lite” loans to refer generally to loans
that do not have a complete set of financial maintenance covenants.
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Generally, “covenant-lite” loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based,
which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the
borrower’s financial condition. Accordingly, to the extent we invest in “covenant-lite” loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have
a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants.
Our loans could be subject to equitable subordination by a court which would increase our risk of loss with respect to such loans.
Courts may apply the doctrine of equitable subordination to subordinate the claim or lien of a lender against a borrower to claims or liens of other
creditors of the borrower, when the lender or its affiliates is found to have engaged in unfair, inequitable or fraudulent conduct. The courts have also
applied the doctrine of equitable subordination when a lender or its affiliates is found to have exerted inappropriate control over a client, including
control resulting from the ownership of equity interests in a client. We have made direct equity investments or received warrants in connection with
loans. Payments on one or more of our loans, particularly a loan to a client in which we may also hold an equity interest, may be subject to claims of
equitable subordination. If we were deemed to have the ability to control or otherwise exercise influence over the business and affairs of one or more of
our portfolio companies resulting in economic hardship to other creditors of that company, this control or influence may constitute grounds for equitable
subordination and a court may treat one or more of our loans as if it were unsecured or common equity in the portfolio company. In that case, if the
portfolio company were to liquidate, we would be entitled to repayment of our loan on a pro-rata basis with other unsecured debt or, if the effect of
subordination was to place us at the level of common equity, then on an equal basis with other holders of the portfolio company’s common equity only
after all of its obligations relating to its debt and preferred securities had been satisfied.
An investment strategy focused primarily on privately held companies presents certain challenges, including the lack of available information about
these companies, a dependence on the talents and efforts of only a few key portfolio company personnel and a greater vulnerability to economic
downturns.
We invest primarily in privately held companies. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and we are required to rely on the
ability of SLR Capital Partners’ investment professionals 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. Also, smaller privately held companies frequently have less diverse product lines and smaller market presence than
larger competitors. These factors could adversely affect our investment returns as compared to companies investing primarily in the securities of public
companies.
Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.
We invest primarily in leveraged middle-market companies in the form of senior secured loans, financing leases and to a lesser extent, unsecured loans
and equity securities. Our portfolio companies typically have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt
securities in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of interest or principal
on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments in respect of the debt securities in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency,
liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that
portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution in respect of our investment. After repaying
such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking
equally with debt securities in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the
event of an insolvency,
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liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company. Any such limitations on the ability of our portfolio companies
to make principal or interest payments to us, if at all, may reduce our net asset value and have a negative material adverse impact to our business,
financial condition and results of operation.
Our investments in foreign securities may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in debt securities of foreign companies, including emerging market 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. These
risks may be more pronounced for portfolio companies located or operating primarily in emerging markets, whose economies, markets and legal
systems may be less developed.
Although most of our investments will be U.S. dollar-denominated, any investments denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that
the value of a particular currency will change in relation to one or more other currencies. 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.
We may expose ourselves to risks if we engage in 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 transactions may also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions should increase. 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.
The success of our hedging transactions will depend on our ability to correctly predict movements in currencies and interest rates. Therefore, while we
may enter into such 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 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. To the extent we engage in hedging transactions, we
also face the risk that counterparties to the derivative instruments we hold may default, which may expose us to unexpected losses from positions where
we believed that our risk had been appropriately hedged.
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Our Investment Adviser may not be able to achieve the same or similar returns as those achieved for other funds it currently manages or by our
senior investment professionals while they were employed at prior positions.
Our Investment Adviser manages other funds, including other BDCs, and may manage other entities in the future. The track record and achievements of
these other entities are not necessarily indicative of future results that will be achieved by our Investment Adviser because these other entities may have
investment objectives and strategies that differ from ours. Additionally, although in the past our senior investment professionals held senior positions at
a number of investment firms, their track record and achievements are not necessarily indicative of future results that will be achieved by our Investment
Adviser. In their roles at such other firms, our senior investment professionals were part of investment teams, and they were not solely responsible for
generating investment ideas. In addition, such investment teams arrived at investment decisions by consensus.
We may be exposed to higher risks with respect to our investments that include original issue discount or PIK interest.
Zero-coupon bonds pay interest only at maturity rather than at intervals during the life of the security. Deferred interest rate bonds generally provide for
a period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. PIK securities are debt obligations that pay “interest” in the form of other debt
obligations, instead of in cash. Each of these instruments is normally issued and traded at a deep discount from face value. Zero-coupon bonds, deferred
interest rate bonds and PIKs allow an issuer to avoid or delay the need to generate cash to meet current interest payments and, as a result, may involve
greater credit risk than bonds that pay interest currently or in cash. In addition, such investments experience greater volatility in market value due to
changes in interest rates than debt obligations that provide for regular payments of interest.
To the extent the Company invests in original issue discount instruments, including PIK, zero coupon bonds, and debt securities with attached warrants,
investors will be exposed to the risks associated with the inclusion of such non-cash income in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash,
including the following:
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The interest payments deferred on a PIK loan are subject to the risk that the borrower may default when the deferred payments are due in
cash at the maturity of the loan;
The interest rates on PIK loans are higher to reflect the time-value of money on deferred interest payments and the higher credit risk of
borrowers who may need to defer interest payments;
PIK instruments may have unreliable valuations because the accruals require judgments about ultimate collectability of the deferred
payments and the value of the associated collateral;
An election to defer PIK income payments by adding them to principal increases the Company’s gross assets and, thus, increases future
base fees to the Investment Adviser and, because income payments will then be payable on a larger principal amount, the PIK election also
increases the Investment Adviser’s future income incentive fees at a compounding rate;
Market prices of original issue discount instruments are more volatile because they are affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes
than instruments that pay interest periodically in cash;
The deferral of interest on a PIK loan increases its loan-to-value ratio, which is a measure of the riskiness of a loan; and
Original issue discount creates the risk of non-refundable cash payments to the Investment Adviser based on non-cash accruals that may
never be realized.
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Risks Relating to an Investment in Our Securities
Our shares may trade at a substantial discount from net asset value and may continue to do so over the long term.
Shares of BDCs may trade at a market price that is less than the net asset value that is attributable to those shares. The possibility that our shares of
common stock will trade at a substantial discount from net asset value over the long term is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value
will decrease. We cannot predict whether shares of our common stock will trade above, at or below our net asset value in the future. If our common
stock trades below its net asset value, we will generally not be able to issue additional shares or sell our common stock at its market price without first
obtaining the approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our independent directors. At our 2021 Annual Stockholders Meeting, our
stockholders approved our ability to sell or otherwise issue shares of our common stock, not exceeding 25% of our then outstanding common stock
immediately prior to each such offering, at a price or prices below the then current net asset value per share, in each case subject to the approval of our
board of directors and compliance with the conditions set forth in the proxy statement pertaining thereto, during a period beginning on October 27, 2021
and expiring on the earlier of the one-year anniversary of the date of the 2021 Annual Stockholders Meeting and the date of our 2022 Annual
Stockholders Meeting. However, notwithstanding such stockholder approval, since our initial public offering on February 9, 2010, we have not sold any
shares of our common stock in an offering that resulted in proceeds to us of less than our then current net asset value per share. Any offering of our
common stock that requires stockholder approval must occur, if at all, within one year after receiving such stockholder approval. If additional funds are
not available to us, we could be forced to curtail or cease our new lending and investment activities, and our net asset value could decrease and our level
of distributions could be impacted.
Our common stock price may be volatile and may decrease substantially.
The trading price of our common stock may fluctuate substantially. The price of our common stock that will prevail in the market may be higher or
lower than the price you pay, depending on many factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating
performance. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:
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price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;
investor demand for our shares;
significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of BDCs or other companies in our sector, which are not
necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies;
exclusion of our common stock from certain market indices, such as the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index, which could reduce the
ability of certain investment funds to own our common stock and put short-term selling pressure on our common stock;
changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines with respect to RICs or BDCs;
failure to qualify as a RIC, or the loss of RIC tax treatment;
any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts;
changes, or perceived changes, in the value of our portfolio investments;
departures of SLR Capital Partners’ key personnel;
operating performance of companies comparable to us;
changes in the prevailing interest rates;
loss of a major funding source; or
general economic conditions and trends and other external factors.
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Our businesses may be adversely affected by litigation and regulatory proceedings.
From time to time, we may be subject to legal actions as well as various regulatory, governmental and law enforcement inquiries, investigations and
subpoenas. In any such claims or actions, demands for substantial monetary damages may be asserted against us and may result in financial liability or
an adverse effect on our reputation among investors. In connection with acquisitions of, and investments in, businesses complementary to our business,
we have been and may be in the future subject to securities litigation or shareholder activism in connection with such acquisitions or investments.
Securities litigation and shareholder activism, including potential proxy contests, could result in substantial costs and divert management’s and our
board of directors’ attention and resources from our business. We may be unable to accurately estimate our exposure to litigation risk when we record
balance sheet reserves for probable loss contingencies. As a result, any reserves we establish to cover any settlements or judgments may not be sufficient
to cover our actual financial exposure, which may have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition. In regulatory enforcement
matters, claims for disgorgement, the imposition of penalties and the imposition of other remedial sanctions are possible.
If the current period of capital market disruption and instability continues for an extended period of time, there is a risk that investors in our equity
securities may not receive distributions consistent with historical levels or at all or that our distributions may not grow over time and a portion of our
distributions may be a return of capital.
We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis 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 make a specified level of cash distributions. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected
by the impact of one or more of the risk factors described in this annual report or incorporated herein by reference, including the COVID-19 pandemic
described above. For example, if the temporary closure of many corporate offices, retail stores, and manufacturing facilities and factories in the
jurisdictions, including the United States, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic were to continue for an extended period of time, it could result in
reduced cash flows to us from our existing portfolio companies, which could reduce cash available for distribution to our stockholders. If we violate
certain covenants under our existing or future credit facilities or other leverage, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions. If we declare a
distribution and if more stockholders opt to receive cash distributions rather than participate in our dividend reinvestment plan, we may be forced to sell
some of our investments in order to make cash distribution payments. To the extent we make distributions to stockholders that include a return of
capital, such portion of the distribution essentially constitutes a return of the stockholder’s investment. Although such return of capital may not be
taxable, such distributions would generally decrease a stockholder’s basis in our common stock and may therefore increase such stockholder’s tax
liability for capital gains upon the future sale of such stock. A return of capital distribution may cause a stockholder to recognize a capital gain from the
sale of our common stock even if the stockholder sells its shares for less than the original purchase price.
As a RIC, if we do not distribute a certain percentage of our income annually, we may suffer adverse tax consequences, including possibly losing the
U.S. federal income tax benefits allowable to RICs. We cannot assure you that you will receive distributions at a particular level or at all.
In certain cases, we may recognize income before or without receiving the accompanying cash. Depending on the amount of noncash income, this could
result in difficulty satisfying the annual distribution requirement applicable to RICs. Accordingly, we may have to sell some portfolio investments at
times it would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investments to meet these distribution requirements.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other disruptions in the economy, we may reduce or defer our dividends and choose to incur U.S. federal excise
tax in order preserve cash and maintain flexibility.
In order to maintain our tax treatment as a RIC, we must distribute to shareholders for each taxable year at least 90% of our investment company taxable
income (i.e., net ordinary income plus realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses). If we qualify for taxation
as a RIC, we generally will not be subject to corporate-level US federal income tax on our investment company taxable income and net capital gains
(i.e., realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses) that we timely distribute to shareholders. We will be subject
to a 4% U.S. federal excise tax on undistributed earnings of a RIC unless we distribute each calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98.0% of our ordinary
income for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of our capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year,
and (iii) any ordinary income and net capital gains that were recognized for preceding years, but were not distributed during such years and on which we
paid no U.S. federal income tax. Any net operating losses that we incur in periods during which we qualify as a RIC will not offset net capital gains (i.e.,
net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses) that we are otherwise required to distribute, and we cannot pass
such net operating losses through to our stockholders. In addition, net operating losses that we carry over to a taxable year in which we qualify as a RIC
normally cannot offset ordinary income or capital gains.
Under the Code, we may satisfy certain of our RIC distributions with dividends paid after the end of the current year. In particular, if we pay a
distribution in January of the following year that was declared in October, November, or December of the current year and is payable to shareholders of
record in the current year, the dividend will be treated for all US federal income tax purposes as if it were paid on December 31 of the current year. In
addition, under the Code, we may pay dividends, referred to as “spillover dividends,” that are paid during the following taxable year that will allow us to
maintain our qualification for taxation as a RIC and eliminate our liability for corporate-level U.S. federal income tax. Under these spillover dividend
procedures, we may defer distribution of income earned during the current year until December of the following year. For example, we may defer
distributions of income earned during 2022 until as late as December 31, 2023. If we choose to pay a spillover dividend, we will incur the 4% U.S.
federal excise tax on some or all of the distribution.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other disruptions in the economy, we may take certain actions with respect to the timing and amounts of our
distributions in order to preserve cash and maintain flexibility. For example, we may reduce our dividends and/or defer dividends to the following
taxable year. If we defer our dividends, we may choose to utilize the spillover dividend rules discussed above and incur the 4% U.S. federal excise tax
on such amounts. To further preserve cash, we may combine these reductions or deferrals of dividends with one or more distributions that are payable
partially in our stock as discussed below under “We may choose to pay distributions in our own stock, in which case our stockholders may be required
to pay U.S. federal income taxes in excess of the cash distributions they receive.”
We may choose to pay distributions in our own common stock, in which case our stockholders may be required to pay U.S. federal income taxes in
excess of the cash distributions they receive.
We may distribute taxable distributions that are payable in part in shares of our common stock. Under certain applicable provisions of the Code and the
published guidance, distributions of a publicly offered RIC that are in cash or in shares of stock at the election of stockholders may be treated as taxable
distributions. The Internal Revenue Service has issued a revenue procedure indicating that this rule will apply if the total amount of cash to be
distributed is not less than 20% of the total distribution. Under this revenue procedure, if too many stockholders elect to receive their distributions in
cash, the cash available for distribution must be allocated among the stockholders electing to receive cash (with the balance of distributions paid in
stock). In no event will any stockholder electing to receive cash, receive less than the lesser of (a) the portion of the distribution such stockholder has
elected to receive in cash or (b) an amount equal to his or her entire distribution times the percentage limitation on cash available for distribution. If we
decide to make any distributions consistent with
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this revenue procedure that are payable in part in our stock, taxable stockholders receiving such distributions will be required to include the full amount
of the distribution (whether received in cash, our stock, or a combination thereof) as ordinary income (or as long-term capital gain to the extent such
distribution is properly reported as a capital gain distribution) to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for U.S. federal income
tax purposes. As a result, a U.S. stockholder may be required to pay tax with respect to such distributions in excess of any cash received. If a U.S.
stockholder sells the stock it receives as a distribution in order to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income with
respect to the distribution, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to non-U.S. stockholders, we
may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such distributions, including in respect of all or a portion of such distribution that is payable in
stock. If a significant number of our stockholders determine to sell shares of our stock in order to pay taxes owed on distributions, it may put downward
pressure on the trading price of our stock.
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.
The shares of our common stock beneficially owned by each of Messrs. Gross and Spohler immediately prior to completion of our initial public
offering, including any shares that are attributable to such shares issued pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan, are no longer subject
to lock-up restrictions that each of Messrs. Gross and Spohler agreed to in connection with our initial public offering, and are generally available for
resale without restriction, subject to the provisions of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act. In addition, on November 30, 2010, Messrs. Gross
and Spohler jointly acquired 115,000 shares of our common stock in a private placement transaction conducted in accordance with Regulation D under
the Securities Act. Such shares are generally available for resale without restriction, subject to the provisions of Rule 144 promulgated under the
Securities Act. 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.
We may be unable to invest the net proceeds raised from any offerings on acceptable terms or allocate net proceeds from any offering of our
securities in ways with which you may not agree.
We cannot assure you that we will be able to find enough appropriate investments that meet our investment criteria or that any investment we complete
using the proceeds from any securities offering will produce a sufficient return. Until we identify new investment opportunities, we intend to either
invest the net proceeds of future offerings in cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one
year or less or use the net proceeds from such offerings to reduce then-outstanding obligations.
We have significant flexibility in investing the net proceeds of any offering of our securities and may use the net proceeds from an offering in ways with
which you may not agree or for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of the offering.
The net asset value per share of our common stock may be diluted if we issue or sell shares of our common stock 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.
At our 2021 Annual Stockholders Meeting, our stockholders approved our ability to sell or otherwise issue shares of our common stock, not exceeding
25% of our then outstanding common stock immediately prior to each such offering, at a price or prices below the then current net asset value per share,
in each case subject to the approval of our board of directors and compliance with the conditions set forth in the proxy statement pertaining thereto,
during a period beginning on October 27, 2021 and expiring on the earlier of the one-year anniversary of the date of the 2021 Annual Stockholders
Meeting and the date of our 2022 Annual Stockholders Meeting. However, notwithstanding such stockholder approval, since our initial public offering
on February 9, 2010, we have not
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sold any shares of our common stock in an offering that resulted in proceeds to us of less than our then current net asset value per share. Any offering of
our common stock that requires stockholder approval must occur, if at all, within one year after receiving such stockholder approval.
In addition, at our 2011 Annual Stockholders Meeting, our stockholders authorized us to sell or otherwise issue warrants or securities to subscribe for or
convertible into shares of our common stock subject to certain limitations (including, without limitation, that the number of shares issuable does not
exceed 25% of our then outstanding common stock and that the exercise or conversion price thereof is not, at the date of issuance, less than the market
value per share of our common stock). Such authorization has no expiration.
We may also use newly issued shares to implement our dividend reinvestment plan, whether our shares are trading at a premium or at a discount to our
then current net asset value per share. Any decision to issue or sell shares of our common stock below our then current net asset value per share or
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 or sale is in our and our stockholders’ best interests.
If we were to issue or sell shares of our common stock below our then current net asset value per share, such issuances or 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 issuance or 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 or sale. 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.
In addition, 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 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 $1,000 of net asset value.
Similarly, all distributions declared in cash payable to stockholders that are participants in our dividend reinvestment plan are automatically reinvested in
shares of our common stock. As a result, stockholders that opt out of the dividend reinvestment plan may experience dilution over time. Stockholders
who do not elect to receive distributions in shares of common stock may experience accretion to the net asset value of their shares if our shares are
trading at a premium and dilution if our shares are trading at a discount. The level of accretion or discount would depend on various factors, including
the proportion of our stockholders who participate in the plan, the level of premium or discount at which our shares are trading and the amount of the
distribution payable to a stockholder.
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If we issue preferred stock, the net asset value and market value of our common stock may become more volatile.
We cannot assure you that the issuance of preferred stock would result in a higher yield or return to the holders of the common stock. The issuance of
preferred stock would likely cause the net asset value and market value of the common stock to become more volatile. If the distribution 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 the common stock would be
reduced. If the distribution 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 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 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 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 the 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 distribution 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 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
distribution rate on the preferred stock. Holders of preferred stock may have different interests than holders of common stock and may at times have
disproportionate influence over our affairs.
Our board of directors is authorized to reclassify any unissued shares of common stock into one or more classes of preferred stock, which could
convey special rights and privileges to its owners.
Under Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter, our board of directors is authorized to classify and reclassify any authorized but unissued
shares of stock into one or more classes of stock, including preferred stock. Prior to issuance of shares of each class or series, the board of directors is
required by Maryland law and our charter to set the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to other
distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class or series. Thus, the board of directors could authorize the issuance of
shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control
that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest. The cost of any such reclassification would be
borne by our existing common stockholders. The issuance of shares of preferred stock convertible into shares of common stock might also reduce the
net income and net asset value per share of our common stock upon conversion, provided, that we will only be permitted to issue such convertible
preferred stock to the extent we comply with the requirements of Section 61 of the 1940 Act, including obtaining common stockholder approval. These
effects, among others, could have an adverse effect on your investment in our common stock.
Certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock. For example, holders of
preferred stock would vote separately from the holders of common stock on a proposal to cease operations as a BDC. In addition, the 1940 Act provides
that holders of preferred stock are entitled to vote separately from holders of common stock to elect two preferred stock directors. In the event
distributions become two full years in arrears, holders of any preferred stock would have the right to elect a majority of the directors until such arrearage
is completely eliminated. Preferred stockholders also have class voting rights on certain matters, including changes in fundamental investment
restrictions and conversion to open-end status, and accordingly can veto any such changes. Restrictions imposed on the declarations and payment of
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 for tax treatment as a RIC for U.S. 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.
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To the extent we use debt or preferred stock to finance our investments, changes in interest rates will affect our cost of capital and net investment
income.
To the extent we borrow money, or issue preferred stock, to make investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference
between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay distributions on preferred stock 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
debt to finance our investments. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, except to the extent we issue fixed rate debt or
preferred stock, which could reduce our net investment income. We expect that our long-term fixed-rate investments will generally be financed with
equity and long-term debt. We may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. 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 can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt
investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a
substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to our Investment Adviser with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income.
Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if we hold investments with floating interest rates, subject to specified
minimum interest rates (such as a LIBOR floor), while at the same time engaging in borrowings subject to floating interest rates not subject to such
minimums. In such a scenario, rising interest rates may increase our interest expense, even though our interest income from Investments is not
increasing in a corresponding manner as a result of such minimum interest rates.
We may in the future determine to fund a portion of our investments with preferred stock, which would magnify the potential for loss and the risks
of investing in us in a similar way as our borrowings.
Preferred stock, which is another form of leverage, has the same risks to our common stockholders as borrowings because the distributions on any
preferred stock we issue must be cumulative. Payment of such distributions and repayment of the liquidation preference of such preferred stock must
take preference over any distributions or other payments to our common stockholders, and preferred stockholders are not subject to any of our expenses
or losses and are not entitled to participate in any income or appreciation in excess of their stated preference.
Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure
We are dependent upon SLR Capital Partners’ key personnel for our future success.
We depend on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of Messrs. Gross and Spohler, who serve as the managing partners of SLR Capital
Partners and who lead SLR Capital Partners’ investment team. Messrs. Gross and Spohler, together with the other dedicated investment professionals
available to SLR Capital Partners, evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor our investments. Our future success will depend on the diligence,
skill, network of business contacts and continued service of Messrs. Gross and Spohler and the other investment professionals available to SLR Capital
Partners. We cannot assure you that unforeseen business, medical, personal or other circumstances would not lead any such individual to terminate his
relationship with us. The loss of Mr. Gross or Mr. Spohler, or any of the other senior investment professionals who serve on SLR Capital Partners’
investment team, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective as well as on our financial condition and results
of operations. In addition, we can offer no assurance that SLR Capital Partners will remain our Investment Adviser.
The senior investment professionals of SLR Capital Partners are and may in the future become affiliated with entities engaged in business activities
similar to those intended to be conducted by us, and may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time. We expect that Messrs. Gross and Spohler
will dedicate a significant portion of
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their time to the activities of SLR Investment Corp.; however, they may be engaged in other business activities which could divert their time and
attention in the future. Specifically, Mr. Gross serves as Co-Chief Executive Officer and President of SLR Senior Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit
Income BDC LLC, and SLR HC BDC LLC. In addition, Mr. Spohler serves as Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of SLR Senior
Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, and SLR HC BDC LLC.
Our business model depends to a significant extent upon strong referral relationships with financial sponsors, and the inability of the senior
investment professionals of our Investment Adviser to maintain or develop these relationships, or the failure of these relationships to generate
investment opportunities, could adversely affect our business.
We expect that the principals of our Investment Adviser will maintain and develop their relationships with financial sponsors, and we will rely to a
significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If the senior investment professionals of our Investment
Adviser fail to maintain their existing relationships or develop new relationships with other sponsors or sources of investment opportunities, we will not
be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom the senior investment professionals of our Investment Adviser have
relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate
investment opportunities for us. If our Investment Adviser is unable to source investment opportunities, we may hold a greater percentage of our assets
in cash and cash equivalents than anticipated, which could impact potential returns on our portfolio.
A disruption in the capital markets and the credit markets could negatively affect our business.
As a BDC, we must maintain our ability to raise additional capital for investment purposes. Without sufficient access to the capital markets or credit
markets, we may be forced to curtail our business operations or we may not be able to pursue new business opportunities. Disruptive conditions in the
financial industry and the impact of new legislation in response to those conditions could restrict our business operations and could adversely impact our
results of operations and financial condition.
If the fair value of our assets declines substantially, we may fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios imposed upon us by the 1940 Act and our existing
credit facilities. Any such failure could result in an event of default and all of our debt being declared immediately due and payable and would affect our
ability to issue senior securities, including borrowings, and pay distributions, which could materially impair our business operations. Our liquidity could
be impaired further by an inability to access the capital markets or to draw on our credit facilities. For example, we cannot be certain that we will be able
to renew our existing credit facilities as they mature or to consummate new borrowing facilities to provide capital for normal operations, including new
originations. Reflecting concern about the stability of the financial markets, many lenders and institutional investors have reduced or ceased providing
funding to borrowers. This market turmoil and tightening of credit have led to increased market volatility and widespread reduction of business activity
generally.
If we are unable to renew or replace our existing credit facilities and consummate new facilities on commercially reasonable terms, our liquidity will be
reduced significantly. If we consummate new facilities but are then unable to repay amounts outstanding under such facilities and are declared in default
or are unable to renew or refinance these facilities, we would not be able to initiate significant originations or to operate our business in the normal
course. These situations may arise due to circumstances that we may be unable to control, such as inaccessibility to the credit markets, a severe decline
in the value of the U.S. dollar, a further economic downturn or an operational problem that affects third parties or us, and could materially damage our
business. Moreover, we are unable to predict when economic and market conditions may become more favorable. Even if such conditions improve
broadly and significantly over the long term, adverse conditions in particular sectors of the financial markets could adversely impact our business.
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Our financial condition and results of operations will depend on SLR Capital Partners’ ability to manage our future growth effectively by
identifying, investing in and monitoring companies that meet our investment criteria.
Our ability to achieve our investment objective and to grow depends on SLR Capital Partners’ ability to identify, invest in and monitor companies that
meet our investment criteria. Accomplishing this result on a cost-effective basis is largely a function of SLR Capital Partners’ structuring of the
investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services to us and its ability to access financing for us on acceptable terms.
The investment team of SLR Capital Partners has substantial responsibilities under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, and they may
also be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies as the principals of our administrator. In addition, the members of SLR
Capital Partners’ investment team have similar responsibilities with respect to the management of other investment portfolios, including the investment
portfolios of SLR Senior Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, and SLR HC BDC LLC. Such demands on their time may distract
them or slow our rate of investment. In order to grow, we and SLR Capital Partners will need to retain, train, supervise and manage new investment
professionals. However, we can offer no assurance that any such investment professionals will contribute effectively to the work of the Investment
Adviser. Any failure to manage our future growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
We may need to raise additional capital to grow because we must distribute most of our income.
We may need additional capital to fund growth in our investments. We expect to issue equity securities and expect to borrow from financial institutions
in the future. A reduction in the availability of new capital could limit our ability to grow. We must distribute at least 90% of our investment company
taxable income to our stockholders to maintain our tax treatment as a RIC. As a result, any such cash earnings may not be available to fund investment
originations. We expect to borrow from financial institutions and issue additional debt and equity securities. If we fail to obtain funds from such sources
or from other sources to fund our investments, it could limit our ability to grow, which may have an adverse effect on the value of our securities. In
addition, as a BDC, our ability to borrow or issue additional preferred stock may be restricted if our total assets are less than 150% of our total
borrowings and preferred stock.
Any failure on our part to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility and we may be limited in our investment choices as a
BDC.
The 1940 Act imposes numerous constraints on the operations of BDCs. For example, BDCs are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets in
specified types of securities, primarily in private companies or thinly-traded U.S. public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities
and other high quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. Furthermore, any failure to comply with the requirements imposed on BDCs by
the 1940 Act could cause the SEC to bring an enforcement action against us and/or expose us to claims of private litigants. In addition, upon approval of
a majority of our stockholders, we may elect to withdraw our status as a BDC. If we decide to withdraw our election, or if we otherwise fail to qualify,
or maintain our qualification, as a BDC, we may be subject to the substantially greater regulation under the 1940 Act as a closed-end investment
company. Compliance with such regulations would significantly decrease our operating flexibility, and could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we will, raise additional capital. As a BDC, the necessity
of raising additional capital may expose us to risks, including the typical risks associated with leverage.
In order to satisfy the tax requirements applicable to a RIC, to avoid payment of excise taxes and to minimize or avoid payment of income taxes, we
intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our ordinary
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income and realized net capital gains except for certain realized net long-term capital gains, which we may retain, pay applicable income taxes with
respect thereto and elect to treat as deemed distributions to our stockholders. We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from
banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Under
the provisions of the 1940 Act, we had been permitted, as a BDC, to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in
the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% of gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior
securities. However, our stockholders have approved a resolution permitting us to be subject to a 150% asset coverage ratio effective as of October 12,
2018. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy the asset coverage test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our
investments and, depending on the nature of our leverage, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous. Also,
any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness would not be available for distributions to our common stockholders. Furthermore, as a result of
issuing senior securities, we would also be exposed to typical risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of loss. In addition, because our
management fee is calculated as a percentage of our gross assets, which includes any borrowings for investment purposes, the management fee expenses
will increase if we incur additional indebtedness.
As of December 31, 2021, we had $322.5 million outstanding under the Credit Facility, composed of $222.5 million of revolving credit and
$100.0 million outstanding of term loans. We also had $50.0 million outstanding of the 2027 Unsecured Notes, $75.0 million outstanding of the 2026
Unsecured Notes, $125.0 million outstanding of the 2024 Unsecured Notes, $75.0 million outstanding of the 2023 Unsecured Notes, $150.0 million
outstanding of the 2022 Unsecured Notes, and $21.0 million outstanding of the 2022 Tranche C Notes. If we issue preferred stock, the preferred stock
would rank “senior” to common stock in our capital structure, preferred stockholders would generally vote together with common stockholders but
would have separate voting rights on certain matters and might have other rights, preferences, or privileges more favorable than those of our common
stockholders, and the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change of control that
might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in your best interest.
We are not generally able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, sell our common stock, or
warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value per share of our common stock if our board of
directors determines that such sale is in the best interests of SLR Investment Corp. and its stockholders, and our stockholders approve such sale. In any
such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of our board of directors,
closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If we raise additional funds by issuing more
common stock or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, our common stock, then the percentage ownership of our stockholders at that
time will decrease, and you might experience dilution. This dilution would occur as a result of a proportionately greater decrease in a stockholder’s
interest in our earnings and assets and voting interest in us than the increase in our assets resulting from such issuance. Because the number of future
shares of common stock that may be issued below our net asset value per share and the price and timing of such issuances are not currently known, we
cannot predict the actual dilutive effect of any such issuance. We cannot determine the resulting reduction in our net asset value per share of any such
issuance. We also cannot predict whether shares of our common stock will trade above, at or below our net asset value.
At our 2021 Annual Stockholders Meeting, our stockholders approved our ability to sell or otherwise issue shares of our common stock, not exceeding
25% of our then outstanding common stock immediately prior to each such offering, at a price or prices below the then current net asset value per share,
in each case subject to the approval of our board of directors and compliance with the conditions set forth in the proxy statement pertaining thereto,
during a period beginning on October 27, 2021 and expiring on the earlier of the one-year anniversary of the date of the 2021 Annual Stockholders
Meeting and the date of our 2022 Annual Stockholders Meeting. However, notwithstanding such stockholder approval, since our initial public offering
on February 9, 2010, we have not
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sold any shares of our common stock in an offering that resulted in proceeds to us of less than our then current net asset value per share. Any offering of
our common stock that requires stockholder approval must occur, if at all, within one year after receiving such stockholder approval.
Our credit ratings may not reflect all risks of an investment in our debt securities.
Our credit ratings are an assessment by third parties of our ability to pay our obligations. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings
will generally affect the market value of our publicly issued debt securities. Our credit ratings, however, may not reflect the potential impact of risks
related to market conditions generally or other factors discussed above on the market value of, or trading market for, any publicly issued debt securities.
Our stockholders may experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they opt out of our dividend reinvestment plan.
All distributions declared in cash payable to stockholders that are participants in our dividend reinvestment plan are automatically reinvested in shares of
our common stock. In the event we issue new shares in connection with our dividend reinvestment plan, our stockholders that do not elect to receive
distributions in shares of common stock may experience dilution in their ownership percentage over time as a result of such issuance.
We have and will continue to borrow money, which would magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing
in us.
We borrow money as part of our business plan. Borrowings, also known as leverage magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested and, therefore,
increase the risks associated with investing in our securities. As of December 31, 2021, we had $322.5 million outstanding under our Credit Facility,
composed of $222.5 million of revolving credit and $100.0 million outstanding of term loans. We also had $50.0 million outstanding of the 2027
Unsecured Notes, $75.0 million outstanding of the 2026 Unsecured Notes, $125.0 million outstanding of the 2024 Unsecured Notes, $75.0 million
outstanding of the 2023 Unsecured Notes, $150.0 million outstanding of the 2022 Unsecured Notes, and $21.0 million outstanding of the 2022 Tranche
C Notes. We may borrow from and issue senior debt securities to banks, insurance companies and other lenders in the future. Lenders of these senior
securities, including the Credit Facility, the 2027 Unsecured Notes, the 2026 Unsecured Notes, the 2024 Unsecured Notes, the 2023 Unsecured Notes,
the 2022 Unsecured Notes, and the 2022 Tranche C Notes, will have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common
stockholders, and we would expect such lenders to seek recovery against our assets in the event of a default. If the value of our assets increases, then
leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our common stock to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged.
Conversely, 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. Also, any
increase in our income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net investment income to increase more than it would
without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net investment income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not
borrowed. Such a decline could also negatively affect our ability to make distribution payments on our common stock, scheduled debt payments or other
payments related to our securities. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. Our ability to service any debt that we incur
will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. Moreover, as the
management fee payable to our Investment Adviser, SLR Capital Partners, will be payable based on our gross assets, including those assets acquired
through the use of leverage, SLR Capital Partners will have a financial incentive to incur leverage which may not be consistent with our stockholders’
interests. In addition, our common stockholders will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses as a result of leverage, including any increase in the
management fee payable to SLR Capital Partners.
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As a BDC, we had generally been required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings and other senior securities, which include all of
our borrowings and any preferred stock that we may issue in the future, of at least 200%. However, our stockholders have approved a resolution
permitting us to be subject to a 150% asset coverage ratio effective as of October 12, 2018. Even though we are subject to a 150% asset coverage ratio
effective as of October 12, 2018, contractual leverage limitations under our existing credit facilities or future borrowings may limit our ability to incur
additional indebtedness. On August 28, 2019, we entered into the Credit Agreement, which was amended on December 28, 2021, which permits 150%
asset coverage. Some of our wholly and/or substantially owned portfolio companies, including Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC, SLR Credit Solutions and
SLR Equipment Finance, may incur significantly more leverage than we can but we do not consolidate Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC, SLR Credit
Solutions and SLR Equipment Finance and their leverage is non-recourse to us. Additionally, the Credit Facility requires us to comply with certain
financial and other restrictive covenants including maintaining an asset coverage ratio of not less than 150% at any time. Failure to maintain compliance
with these covenants could result in an event of default and all of our debt being declared immediately due and payable. If this ratio declines below
150%, we may not be able to incur additional debt and could be required by law to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is
disadvantageous to do so, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, and we may not be able to make distributions. The amount of
leverage that we employ will depend on our Investment Adviser’s and our board of directors’ assessment of market and other factors at the time of any
proposed borrowing. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain credit at all or on terms acceptable to us.
In addition, our credit facilities impose, and any other debt facility into which we may enter would likely impose, financial and operating covenants that
restrict our business activities, including limitations that could hinder our ability to finance additional loans and investments or to make the distributions
required to maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code.
The debt securities that we may issue will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. We,
and indirectly our stockholders, bear the cost of issuing and servicing such debt securities. Any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in
the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common stock.
Illustration. The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in our common stock assuming various annual returns on
our portfolio, net of interest expense. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical and actual returns may be higher or lower than those appearing
in the table below.
Corresponding return to stockholder(1)
Assumed total return
(net of interest expense)
(10)%
(27.4)%
(5)%
(15.5)%
0%
(3.5)%
5%
8.4%
10%
20.3%
(1) Assumes $2.01 billion in total assets and $818.5 million in total debt outstanding, which reflects our total assets and total debt outstanding as of
December 31, 2021, and a cost of funds of 3.64%. Excludes non-leverage related expenses.
In order for us to cover our annual interest payments on our outstanding indebtedness at December 31, 2021, we must achieve annual returns on our
December 31, 2021 total assets of at least 1.5%.
It is likely that the terms of any current or future long-term or revolving credit or warehouse facility we may enter into in the future could constrain
our ability to grow our business.
Our current lenders have, and any future lender or lenders may have, fixed dollar claims on our assets that are senior to the claims of our stockholders
and, thus, will have a preference over our stockholders with respect to our assets in the collateral pool. Our current credit facilities and borrowings also
subject us to various financial and operating covenants, including, but not limited to, maintaining certain financial ratios and minimum tangible
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net worth amounts. Future credit facilities and borrowings will likely subject us to similar or additional covenants. In addition, we may grant a security
interest in our assets in connection with any such credit facilities and borrowings.
Our credit facilities generally contain customary default provisions such as a minimum net worth amount, a profitability test, and a restriction on
changing our business and loan quality standards. In addition, our credit facilities require or are expected to require the repayment of all outstanding
debt on the maturity which may disrupt our business and potentially the business of our portfolio companies that are financed through our credit
facilities. An event of default under our credit facilities would likely result, among other things, in termination of the availability of further funds under
our credit facilities and accelerated maturity dates for all amounts outstanding under our credit facilities, which would likely disrupt our business and,
potentially, the business of the portfolio companies whose loans we finance through our credit facilities. This could reduce our revenues and, by
delaying any cash payment allowed to us under our credit facilities until the lender has been paid in full, reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair
our ability to grow our business and maintain RIC tax treatment.
The terms of future available financing may place limits on our financial and operation flexibility. If we are unable to obtain sufficient capital in the
future, we may be forced to reduce or discontinue our operations, not be able to make new investments, or otherwise respond to changing business
conditions or competitive pressures.
Our quarterly and annual operating results are subject to fluctuation as a result of the nature of our business, and if we fail to achieve our
investment objective, the net asset value of our common stock may decline.
We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly and annual operating results due to a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control,
including, but not limited to, the interest rate payable on the debt securities that we acquire, the default rate on such securities, the level of our expenses,
variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, changes in our portfolio composition, the degree to which we
encounter competition in our markets, market volatility in our publicly traded securities and the securities of our portfolio companies, 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. In
addition, any of these factors could negatively impact our ability to achieve our investment objectives, which may cause our net asset value of our
common stock to decline.
Our investments may be in portfolio companies that may have limited operating histories and financial resources.
We expect that our portfolio will continue to consist of investments that may have relatively limited operating histories. These companies may be
particularly vulnerable to U.S. and foreign economic downturns such as the U.S. recession that began in mid-2007, the European financial crisis, and
the COVID-19 related economic downturn, may have more limited access to capital and higher funding costs, may have a weaker financial position and
may need more capital to expand or compete. These businesses also may experience substantial variations in operating results. They may face intense
competition, including from companies with greater financial, technical and marketing resources. Furthermore, some of these companies do business in
regulated industries and could be affected by changes in government regulation. Accordingly, these factors could impair their cash flow or result in other
events, such as bankruptcy, which could limit their ability to repay their obligations to us, and may adversely affect the return on, or the recovery of, our
investment in these companies. We cannot assure you that any of our investments in our portfolio companies will be successful. Our portfolio companies
compete with larger, more established companies with greater access to, and resources for, further development in these new technologies. Therefore,
we may lose our entire investment in any or all of our portfolio companies.
There will be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments, which may impact our net asset value.
A large percentage of our portfolio investments are in the form of securities that are not publicly traded. The fair value of securities and other
investments that are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable. We value
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these securities and the 2022 Unsecured Notes on a quarterly basis in accordance with our valuation policy, which is at all times consistent with GAAP.
Our board of directors utilizes the services of third-party valuation firms to aid it in determining the fair value of material assets. The board of directors
discusses valuations and determines the fair value in good faith based on the input of our Investment Adviser and, when utilized, the respective third-
party valuation firms. The factors that may be considered in fair value pricing our investments include the nature and realizable value of any collateral,
the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparisons to publicly
traded companies, discounted cash flow 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 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
securities.
Our equity ownership in a portfolio company may represent a control investment. Our ability to exit an investment in a timely manner because we
are in a control position or have access to inside information in the portfolio company could result in a realized loss on the investment.
If we obtain a control investment in a portfolio company our ability to divest ourselves from a debt or equity investment could be restricted due to
illiquidity in a private stock, limited trading volume on a public company’s stock, inside information on a company’s performance, insider blackout
periods, or other factors that could prohibit us from disposing of the investment as we would if it were not a control investment. Additionally, we may
choose not to take certain actions to protect a debt investment in a control investment portfolio company. As a result, we could experience a decrease in
the value of our portfolio company holdings and potentially incur a realized loss on the investment.
There are significant potential conflicts of interest, including SLR Capital Partners’ management of other investment funds such as SLR Senior
Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, and SLR HC BDC LLC, which could impact our investment returns, and an investment in
SLR Investment Corp. is not an investment in SLR Senior Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, or SLR HC BDC LLC.
Our executive officers and directors, as well as the current and future partners of our Investment Adviser, SLR Capital Partners, may serve as officers,
directors or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do. For example, SLR Capital Partners presently serves as
the Investment Adviser to (i) SLR Senior Investment Corp., a publicly-traded BDC that focuses on investing in senior secured loans, including first lien
and second lien debt instruments, (ii) SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, an unlisted BDC that focuses on investing primarily in senior secured
loans, including non-traditional asset-based loans and first lien loans, and (iii) SLR HC BDC LLC, an unlisted BDC whose principal focus is to invest
directly and indirectly in senior secured loans and other debt instruments typically to middle market companies within the healthcare industry. In
addition, Michael S. Gross, our Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, Bruce Spohler, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Operating Officer and board member, and Richard L. Peteka, our Chief Financial Officer, serve in similar capacities for SLR Senior Investment Corp.,
SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, and SLR HC BDC LLC. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of
which obligations might not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders. In addition, we note that any affiliated investment vehicle formed in the
future and managed by our Investment Adviser or its affiliates may, notwithstanding different stated investment objectives, have overlapping investment
objectives with our own and, accordingly, may invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by us. As a result, SLR Capital Partners may face conflicts
in allocating investment opportunities between us and such other entities. Although SLR Capital Partners will endeavor to allocate investment
opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, it is possible that, in the future, we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by
investment funds managed by our Investment Adviser or an investment manager affiliated with our Investment Adviser. In any such case, when SLR
Capital Partners identifies an investment, it will be forced to choose which investment fund should make the investment.
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As a BDC, we were substantially limited in our ability to co-invest in privately negotiated transactions with affiliated funds until we obtained an
exemptive order from the SEC. The most recent exemptive order, received on June 13, 2017 (the “Exemptive Order”), permits us to participate in
negotiated co-investment transactions with certain affiliates, each of whose investment adviser is an investment adviser that controls, is controlled by or
is under common control with SLR Capital Partners and is registered as an Investment Adviser under the Advisers Act, in a manner consistent with our
investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, and pursuant to the
conditions to the Exemptive Order. If we are unable to rely on the Exemptive Order for a particular opportunity, such opportunity will be allocated first
to the entity whose investment strategy is the most consistent with the opportunity being allocated, and second, if the terms of the opportunity are
consistent with more than one entity’s investment strategy, on an alternating basis. Although our investment professionals will endeavor to allocate
investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, we and our common stockholders could be adversely affected to the extent investment
opportunities are allocated among us and other investment vehicles managed or sponsored by, or affiliated with, our executive officers, directors and
members of our Investment Adviser.
SLR Capital Partners and certain investment advisory affiliates may determine that an investment is appropriate for us and for one or more of those
other funds. In such event, depending on the availability of such investment and other appropriate factors, SLR Capital Partners or its affiliates may
determine that we should invest side-by-side with one or more other funds. Any such investments will be made only to the extent permitted by
applicable law and interpretive positions of the SEC and its staff, and consistent with SLR Capital Partners’ allocation procedures. Related party
transactions may occur among SLR Investment Corp., SLR Credit Solutions, Equipment Operating Leases LLC, Loyer Capital LLC and SLR
Equipment Finance. These transactions may occur in the normal course of business. No administrative or other fees are paid to SLR Capital Partners by
SLR Credit Solutions, Equipment Operating Leases LLC, Loyer Capital LLC and SLR Equipment Finance.
In the ordinary course of our investing activities, we pay management and incentive fees to SLR Capital Partners and reimburse SLR Capital Partners
for certain expenses it incurs. 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 an investor might achieve through direct investments. Accordingly, there may be times when the
management team of SLR Capital Partners has interests that differ from those of our stockholders, giving rise to a conflict.
We have entered into an amended and restated royalty-free license agreement on February 25, 2021 with our Investment Adviser, pursuant to which our
Investment Adviser has granted us a non-exclusive license to use the marks “SOLAR” and “SLR.” Under the license agreement, we have the right to use
the “SLR Investment” name for so long as SLR Capital Partners or one of its affiliates remains our Investment Adviser. In addition, we pay SLR Capital
Management, an affiliate of SLR Capital Partners, our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by SLR Capital Management in
performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent, the fees and expenses associated with performing compliance functions,
and our allocable portion of the compensation of our chief compliance officer and our chief financial officer and their respective staffs. These
arrangements create conflicts of interest that our board of directors must monitor.
Our ability to enter into transactions involving derivatives and financial commitment transactions may be limited.
Through comprehensive new global regulatory regimes impacting derivatives (e.g., the Dodd-Frank Act, European Market Infrastructure Regulation
(“EMIR”), Markets in Financial Investments Regulation (“MIFIR”)/Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (“MIFID II”)), certain over-the-counter
derivatives transactions in which we may engage are either now or will soon be subject to various requirements, such as mandatory central clearing of
transactions which include additional margin requirements and in certain cases trading on electronic platforms, pre-and post-trade transparency reporting
requirements and mandatory bi-lateral exchange of initial margin for non-cleared swaps. The Dodd-Frank Act also created new categories of regulated
market participants,
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such as “swap dealers,” “security-based swap dealers,” “major swap participants,” and “major security-based swap participants” who are subject to
significant new capital, registration, recordkeeping, reporting, disclosure, business conduct and other regulatory requirements. The EU and some other
jurisdictions are implementing similar requirements. Because these requirements are new and evolving (and some of the rules are not yet final), their
ultimate impact remains unclear. However, even if the Company itself is not located in a particular jurisdiction or directly subject to the jurisdiction’s
derivatives regulations, we may still be impacted to the extent we enter into a derivatives transaction with a regulated market participant or counterparty
that is organized in that jurisdiction or otherwise subject to that jurisdiction’s derivatives regulations.
Based on information available as of the date of this annual report on Form 10-K, the effect of such requirements will be likely to (directly or indirectly)
increase our overall costs of entering into derivatives transactions. In particular, new margin requirements, position limits and significantly higher capital
charges resulting from new global capital regulations, even if not directly applicable to us, may cause an increase in the pricing of derivatives
transactions entered into by market participants to whom such requirements apply or affect our overall ability to enter into derivatives transactions with
certain counterparties. Such new global capital regulations and the need to satisfy the various requirements by counterparties are resulting in increased
funding costs, increased overall transaction costs, and significantly affecting balance sheets, thereby resulting in changes to financing terms and
potentially impacting our ability to obtain financing. Administrative costs, due to new requirements such as registration, recordkeeping, reporting, and
compliance, even if not directly applicable to us, may also be reflected in our derivatives transactions. New requirements to trade certain derivatives
transactions on electronic trading platforms and trade reporting requirements may lead to (among other things) fragmentation of the markets, higher
transaction costs or reduced availability of derivatives, and/or a reduced ability to hedge, all of which could adversely affect the performance of certain
of our trading strategies. In addition, changes to derivatives regulations may impact the tax and/or accounting treatment of certain derivatives, which
could adversely impact us.
In November 2020, the SEC adopted new rules regarding the ability of a BDC (or a registered investment company) to use derivatives and other
transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations. BDCs that use derivatives would be subject to a value-at-risk leverage limit, certain other
derivatives risk management program and testing requirements and requirements related to board reporting. These new requirements would apply unless
the BDC qualified as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined in the SEC’s adopted rules. A BDC that enters into reverse repurchase agreements or
similar financing transactions would need to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar
financing transactions could either (i) comply with the asset coverage requirements of the Section 18 of the 1940 Act when engaging in reverse
repurchase agreements or (ii) choose to treat such agreements as derivative transactions under the adopted rule. Under the adopted rule, a BDC may
enter into an unfunded commitment agreement that is not a derivatives transaction, such as an agreement to provide financing to a portfolio company, if
the BDC has a reasonable belief, at the time it enters into such an agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations
with respect to all of its unfunded commitment agreements, in each case as it becomes due. If the BDC cannot meet this test, it is required to treat
unfunded commitments as a derivatives transaction subject to the requirements of the rule. Collectively, these requirements may limit our ability to use
derivatives and/or enter into certain other financial contracts.
We may be obligated to pay our Investment Adviser incentive compensation even if we incur a loss.
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 pre-incentive fee net investment income for that quarter (before deducting incentive compensation) above a performance threshold for that quarter.
Accordingly, since the performance threshold is based on a percentage of our net asset value, decreases in our net asset value make it easier to achieve
the performance threshold. Our pre-incentive fee net investment income for incentive compensation purposes excludes realized and unrealized capital
losses or depreciation that we may incur in the fiscal quarter, even if such capital losses or depreciation result in a net loss on our statement of operations
for that quarter.
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Thus, we may be required to pay SLR Capital Partners 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.
Our incentive fee may induce SLR Capital Partners to pursue speculative investments.
The incentive fee payable by us to SLR Capital Partners may create an incentive for SLR Capital Partners to pursue investments on our behalf that are
riskier or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The incentive fee payable to our Investment
Adviser is calculated based on a percentage of our return on invested capital. This may encourage our Investment Adviser to use leverage to increase the
return on our investments. Under certain circumstances, the use of leverage may increase the likelihood of default, which would impair the value of our
common stock. In addition, our Investment Adviser receives the incentive fee based, in part, upon net capital gains realized on our investments. Unlike
that portion of the incentive fee based on income, there is no hurdle rate applicable to the portion of the incentive fee based on net capital gains. As a
result, our Investment Adviser may have a tendency to invest more capital in investments that are likely to result in capital gains as compared to income
producing securities. Such a 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.
The incentive fee payable by us to our Investment Adviser also may induce SLR Capital Partners to invest on our behalf in instruments that have a
deferred interest feature, even if such deferred payments would not provide cash necessary to enable us to pay current distributions to our stockholders.
Under these investments, we would accrue interest over the life of the investment but would not receive the cash income from the investment until the
end of the term. Our net investment income used to calculate the income portion of our investment fee, however, includes accrued interest. Thus, a
portion of this incentive fee would be based on income that we have not received in cash. In addition, the “catch-up” portion of the incentive fee may
encourage SLR Capital Partners to accelerate or defer interest payable by portfolio companies from one calendar quarter to another, potentially resulting
in fluctuations in timing and distribution amounts.
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, 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 SLR Capital Partners 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 stockholders will bear his or her share of the management and
incentive fee of SLR Capital Partners as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any investment
companies in which we invest.
We may become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax if we are unable to qualify and maintain our qualification for tax treatment as a
regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code.
Although we have elected to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, no assurance can be given that we will continue to be able to qualify
for and maintain RIC tax treatment. To maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the following annual distribution, income source and
asset diversification requirements.
•
The Annual Distribution Requirement for a RIC will be satisfied if we distribute to our stockholders on an annual basis 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 Annual
Distribution Requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we could fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and become
subject to corporate-level U.S federal income tax.
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•
•
The income source requirement will be satisfied if we obtain at least 90% of our income for each year from certain passive investments,
including interest, dividends, gains from the sale of stock or securities, or similar sources.
The asset diversification requirement will be 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 tax treatment. 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.
If we fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment for any reason and 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 could have a material adverse
effect on us, the net asset value of our common stock and the total return, if any, obtainable from your investment in our common stock.
We may have difficulty satisfying the Annual Distribution Requirement in order to qualify and maintain RIC tax treatment if we recognize income
before or without receiving cash representing such income.
In accordance with GAAP and tax requirements, we include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as contractual PIK
interest, which represents contractual interest added to a loan balance and due at the end of such loan’s term. In addition to the cash yields received on
our loans, in some instances, certain loans may also include any of the following: end-of-term payments, exit fees, balloon payment fees or prepayment
fees. The increases in loan balances as a result of contractual PIK arrangements are included in income for the period in which such PIK interest was
accrued, which is often in advance of receiving cash payment, and are separately identified on our statements of cash flows. We also may be required to
include in income certain other amounts prior to receiving the related cash.
Any warrants that we receive in connection with our debt investments will generally be valued as part of the negotiation process with the particular
portfolio company. As a result, a portion of the aggregate purchase price for the debt investments and warrants will be allocated to the warrants that we
receive. This will generally result in “original issue discount” for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which we must recognize as ordinary income,
increasing the amount that we are required to distribute to qualify for the U.S. federal income tax benefits applicable to RICs. Because these warrants
generally will not produce distributable cash for us at the same time as we are required to make distributions in respect of the related original issue
discount, we would need to obtain cash from other sources or to pay a portion of our distributions using shares of newly issued common stock,
consistent with Internal Revenue Service requirements, to satisfy the Annual Distribution and Excise Tax Avoidance requirements.
Other features of the debt instruments that we hold may also cause such instruments to generate original issue discount, resulting in a distribution
requirement in excess of current cash interest received. Since in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing
such income, we may have difficulty meeting the RIC 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. Under such circumstances, 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 unable to obtain cash from other sources and are otherwise unable to satisfy such distribution requirements, we may fail to
qualify for the U.S. federal income tax benefits allowable to RICs and, thus, become subject to a corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on all our
income.
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Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and of our charter and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on
the price of our common stock.
The Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter and bylaws contain provisions that may discourage, delay or make more difficult a change in
control of SLR Investment Corp. or the removal of our directors. We are subject to the Maryland Business Combination Act, subject to any applicable
requirements of the 1940 Act. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution exempting from the Maryland Business Combination Act any business
combination between us and any other person, subject to prior approval of such business combination by our board of directors, including approval by a
majority of our disinterested directors. If the resolution exempting business combinations is repealed or our board of directors does not approve a
business combination, the Maryland Business Combination Act may discourage third parties from trying to acquire control of us and increase the
difficulty of consummating such an offer. Our bylaws exempt from the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act (the “Control Share Act”) acquisitions
of our stock by any person. If we amend our bylaws to repeal the exemption from the Control Share Act, the Control Share Act also may make it more
difficult for a third party to obtain control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such a transaction. The SEC staff has rescinded its position
that, under the 1940 Act, an investment company may not avail itself of the Control Share Act. As a result, we will amend our bylaws to be subject to
the Control Share Act only if our board of directors determines that it would be in our best interests.
We have also adopted measures that may make it difficult for a third party to obtain control of us, including provisions of our charter classifying our
board of directors in three classes serving staggered three-year terms, and authorizing our board of directors to classify or reclassify shares of our stock
in one or more classes or series, to cause the issuance of additional shares of our stock and to amend our charter without stockholder approval to
increase or decrease the number of shares of stock that we have authority to issue. These provisions, as well as other provisions of our charter and
bylaws, may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
The foregoing provisions are expected to discourage certain coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking
to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. However, these provisions may deprive a stockholder of the opportunity to sell such
stockholder’s shares at a premium to a potential acquirer. We believe that the benefits of these provisions outweigh the potential disadvantages of
discouraging any such acquisition proposals because, among other things, the negotiation of such proposals may improve their terms. Our board of
directors has considered both the positive and negative effects of the foregoing provisions and determined that they are in the best interest of our
stockholders.
Our bylaws designate the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings
that may be initiated by our stockholders and provide that claims relating to causes of action under the Securities Act may only be brought in federal
district courts, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or
agents, if any, and could discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and agents, if any.
Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that
court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, will be the sole and exclusive forum
for (a) any Internal Corporate Claim, as such term is defined in the MGCL, (b) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf (other than
actions arising under federal securities laws), (c) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other agents
to us or to our stockholders, (d) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or other agents arising pursuant to any provision
of the MGCL or our charter or bylaws or (e) any other action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or other employees that is
governed by the internal affairs doctrine. With respect to any proceeding described in the foregoing
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sentence that is in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, our stockholders consent to the assignment of the proceeding to the Business and
Technology Case Management Program pursuant to Maryland Rule 16-308 or any successor thereof. None of the foregoing actions, claims or
proceedings may be brought in any court sitting outside the State of Maryland unless we consent in writing to such court. Our bylaws do not apply to
lawsuits asserting claims brought to enforce a duty or liability arising exclusively under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or the 1940 Act, or any
other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
Unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. This
paragraph does not apply to claims arising exclusively under the Exchange Act or the 1940 Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have
exclusive jurisdiction. These exclusive forum provisions may limit the ability of our stockholders to bring a claim in a judicial forum that such
stockholders find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or agents, if any, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our
directors, officers, and agents, if any. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provisions contained in our bylaws to be inapplicable or
unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could materially adversely
affect our business, financial condition, and operating results. For example, under the Securities Act, federal courts have concurrent jurisdiction over all
suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act, and investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and
the rules and regulations thereunder.
The failure in cyber security systems, as well as the occurrence of events unanticipated in our disaster recovery systems and management continuity
planning could impair our ability to conduct business effectively.
The occurrence of a disaster, such as a cyber-attack against us or against a third-party that has access to our data or networks, a natural catastrophe, an
industrial accident, failure of our disaster recovery systems, or consequential employee error, could have an adverse effect on our ability to communicate
or conduct business, negatively impacting our operations and financial condition. This adverse effect can become particularly acute if those events affect
our electronic data processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval systems, or impact the availability, integrity, or confidentiality of our data.
We depend heavily upon computer systems to perform necessary business functions. Despite our implementation of a variety of security measures, our
computer systems, networks, and data, like those of other companies, could be subject to cyber-attacks and unauthorized access, use, alteration, or
destruction, such as from physical and electronic break-ins or unauthorized tampering. If one or more of these events occurs, it could potentially
jeopardize the confidential, proprietary, and other information processed, stored in, and transmitted through our computer systems and networks. Such
an attack could cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations, which could result in financial losses, litigation, regulatory penalties, client
dissatisfaction or loss, reputational damage, and increased costs associated with mitigation of damages and remediation. If unauthorized parties gain
access to such information and technology systems, they may be able to steal, publish, delete or modify private and sensitive information, including
nonpublic personal information related to stockholders (and their beneficial owners) and material nonpublic information. The systems we have
implemented to manage risks relating to these types of events could prove to be inadequate and, if compromised, could become inoperable for extended
periods of time, cease to function properly or fail to adequately secure private information. Breaches such as those involving covertly introduced
malware, impersonation of authorized users and industrial or other espionage may not be identified even with sophisticated prevention and detection
systems, potentially resulting in further harm and preventing them from being addressed appropriately. The failure of these systems or of disaster
recovery plans for any reason could cause significant interruptions in our and our Investment Adviser’s operations and result in a failure to maintain the
security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data, including personal information relating to stockholders, material nonpublic information and other
sensitive information in our possession.
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A disaster or a disruption in the infrastructure that supports our business, including a disruption involving electronic communications or other services
used by us or third parties with whom we conduct business, or directly affecting our headquarters, could have a material adverse impact on our ability to
continue to operate our business without interruption. Our disaster recovery programs may not be sufficient to mitigate the harm that may result from
such a disaster or disruption. In addition, insurance and other safeguards might only partially reimburse us for our losses, if at all.
Third parties with which we do business may also be sources of cybersecurity or other technological risk. We outsource certain functions and these
relationships allow for the storage and processing of our information, as well as client, counterparty, employee, and borrower information. While we
engage in actions to reduce our exposure resulting from outsourcing, ongoing threats may result in unauthorized access, loss, exposure, destruction, or
other cybersecurity incident that affects our data, resulting in increased costs and other consequences as described above.
In addition, cybersecurity has become a top priority for global lawmakers and regulators around the world, and some jurisdictions have proposed or
enacted laws requiring companies to notify regulators and individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal data. If we fail to
comply with the relevant and increasing laws and regulations, we could suffer financial losses, a disruption of our businesses, liability to investors,
regulatory intervention or reputational damage.
We and our service providers are currently impacted by quarantines and similar measures being enacted by governments in response to the
global COVID-19 pandemic, which are obstructing the regular functioning of business workforces (including requiring employees to work from
external locations and their homes). Policies of extended periods of remote working, whether by us or by our Service Providers, could strain technology
resources, introduce operational risks and otherwise heighten the risks described above. Remote working environments may be less secure and more
susceptible to hacking attacks, including phishing and social engineering attempts that seek to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the risks
described above are heightened under current conditions.
We, our Investment Adviser and our portfolio companies are subject to risks associated with “phishing” and other cyber-attacks.
Our business and the business of our portfolio companies relies upon secure information technology systems for data processing, storage and reporting.
Despite careful security and controls design, implementation and updating, ours and our portfolio companies’ information technology systems could
become subject to cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking”,
malicious software coding, social engineering or “phishing” attempts) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data,
or causing operational disruption. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions, including by
computer hackers, nation-state affiliated actors, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted
attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining
unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Our
Investment Adviser’s employees have been and expect to continue to be the target of fraudulent calls, emails and other forms of potentially malicious or
otherwise negatively impacting activities. The result of these incidents may include disrupted operations, misstated or unreliable financial data, liability
for stolen information, misappropriation of assets, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation and damage to our business
relationships, regulatory fines or penalties, or other adverse effects on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, we may be
required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures and to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures
arising from operational and security risks related to cyber-attacks.
Our Investment Adviser’s and other service providers’ increased use of mobile and cloud technologies could heighten the risk of a cyber-attack as well
as other operational risks, as certain aspects of the security of such
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technologies may be complex, unpredictable or beyond their control. Our Investment Adviser’s and other service providers’ reliance on mobile or cloud
technology or any failure by mobile technology and cloud service providers to adequately safeguard their systems and prevent cyber-attacks could
disrupt their operations and result in misappropriation, corruption or loss of personal, confidential or proprietary information. In addition, there is a risk
that encryption and other protective measures against cyber-attacks may be circumvented, particularly to the extent that new computing technologies
increase the speed and computing power available. Even the most well-protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially
vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and
in some cases are designed not to be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we and our service providers may be unable to anticipate
these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us and our service providers to
entirely mitigate this risk. Cybersecurity risks require continuous and increasing attention and other resources from us to, among other actions, identify
and quantify these risks, upgrade and expand our technologies, systems and processes to adequately address such risks. Such attention diverts time and
other resources from other activities and there is no assurance that our efforts will be effective.
Additionally, remote working environments may be less secure and more susceptible to cyber-attacks, including phishing and social engineering
attempts that seek to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the risks associated with cyber-attacks are heightened under current conditions.
We can be 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 distributions.
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;
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 distributions to our stockholders.
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 (except as required by
the 1940 Act) 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 and value of our stock. Nevertheless, the effects may adversely affect our business and impact our ability to make
distributions.
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Our business is subject to increasingly complex corporate governance, public disclosure and accounting requirements that could adversely affect
our business and financial results.
We are subject to changing rules and regulations of federal and state government as well as the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed.
These entities, including the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the SEC and the NASDAQ Stock Market, have issued a significant number
of new and increasingly complex requirements and regulations over the course of the last several years and continue to develop additional regulations
and requirements in response to laws enacted by Congress. Our efforts to comply with these existing requirements, or any revised or amended
requirements, have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, an increase in expenses and a diversion of management’s time from other business
activities.
Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business.
Changes in the laws or regulations, or the interpretations of the laws and regulations, which 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, then we may have to incur significant expenses in order to comply or we may have to restrict our operations. In addition, if
we do not comply with applicable laws, regulations and decisions, then we may lose licenses needed for the conduct of our business and be subject to
civil fines and criminal penalties, any of which could have a material adverse effect upon our business results of operations or financial condition.
Changes to United States tariff and import/export regulations may have a negative effect on our portfolio companies and, in turn, harm us.
There has been ongoing discussion and commentary regarding potential significant changes to United States trade policies, treaties and tariffs. The
current administration, along with Congress, has created significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and other
countries with respect to the trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material
adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular,
trade between the impacted nations and the United States. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our portfolio companies’
access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on their business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn would
negatively impact us.
Our Investment Adviser can resign on 60 days’ notice, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a
disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.
Our Investment Adviser has the right, under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, to resign at any time upon 60 days’ written notice,
whether we have found a replacement or not. If our Investment Adviser resigns, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or hire internal
management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 60 days, or at all. If we are unable
to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations as well as our ability to
pay distributions are likely to be adversely affected and the market price of our shares may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal
management and investment activities is likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of
executives having the expertise possessed by our Investment Adviser and its affiliates. Even if we are able to
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retain comparable management, whether internal or external, the integration of such management and their lack of familiarity with our investment
objective may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.
General Risk Factors
Volatility or a prolonged disruption in the credit markets could materially damage our business.
We are required to record our assets at fair value, as determined in good faith by our board of directors, in accordance with our valuation policy. As a
result, volatility in the capital markets may have a material adverse effect on our valuations and our net asset value, even if we hold investments to
maturity. Volatility or dislocation in the capital markets may depress our stock price below our net asset value per share and create a challenging
environment in which to raise equity and debt capital. 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 have to access, if available, alternative markets for debt and equity
capital. Equity capital may be difficult to raise because, subject to some limited exceptions which apply to us, as a BDC we are generally not able to
issue additional shares of our common stock at a price less than net asset value without first obtaining approval for such issuance from our stockholders
and our independent directors. At our 2021 Annual Stockholders Meeting, our stockholders approved our ability to sell or otherwise issue shares of our
common stock, not exceeding 25% of our then outstanding common stock immediately prior to each such offering, at a price or prices below the then
current net asset value per share, in each case subject to the approval of our board of directors and compliance with the conditions set forth in the proxy
statement pertaining thereto, during a period beginning on October 27, 2021 and expiring on the earlier of the one-year anniversary of the date of the
2021 Annual Stockholders Meeting and the date of our 2022 Annual Stockholders Meeting. However, notwithstanding such stockholder approval, since
our initial public offering on February 9, 2010, we have not sold any shares of our common stock in an offering that resulted in proceeds to us of less
than our then current net asset value per share. Any offering of our common stock that requires stockholder approval must occur, if at all, within one
year after receiving such stockholder approval. In addition, our ability to incur indebtedness (including by issuing preferred stock) is limited by
applicable regulations such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, must equal at least 150% immediately after each time we incur
indebtedness. 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. Any
inability to raise capital could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Additionally, our ability to incur indebtedness is limited by the asset coverage ratio for a BDC, as defined under the 1940 Act. Declining portfolio values
negatively impact our ability to borrow additional funds because our net asset value is reduced for purposes of the asset coverage ratio. If the fair value
of our assets declines substantially, we may fail to maintain the asset coverage ratio stipulated by the 1940 Act, which could, in turn, cause us to lose our
status as a BDC and materially impair our business operations. A lengthy disruption in the credit markets could also materially decrease demand for our
investments.
The significant disruption in the capital markets experienced in the past, including the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has had, and may
in the future have, a negative effect on the valuations of our investments and on the potential for liquidity events involving our investments. The debt
capital that may be available to us in the future may be at a higher cost and have less favorable terms and conditions than those currently in effect. If our
financing costs increase and we have no increase in interest income, then our net investment income will decrease. A prolonged inability to raise capital
may require us to reduce the volume of investments we originate and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and
results of operations. This may also increase the probability that other structural risks negatively impact us. These situations may arise due to
circumstances that we may be unable to control, such as a lengthy disruption in the credit markets, a severe decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, a
sharp economic downturn or recession or an operational problem that affects third parties or us, and could materially damage our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
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Adverse developments in the credit markets may impair our ability to secure debt financing.
In past economic downturns, such as the financial crisis in the United States that began in mid-2007 and during other times of extreme market volatility,
many commercial banks and other financial institutions stopped lending or significantly curtailed their lending activity. In addition, in an effort to stem
losses and reduce their exposure to segments of the economy deemed to be high risk, some financial institutions limited routine refinancing and loan
modification transactions and even reviewed the terms of existing facilities to identify bases for accelerating the maturity of existing lending facilities. If
these conditions recur, for example as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be difficult for us to obtain desired financing to finance the growth of
our investments on acceptable economic terms, or at all.
So far, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in, among other things, increased draws by borrowers on revolving lines of credit and increased requests
by borrowers for amendments, modifications and waivers of their credit agreements to avoid default or change payment terms, increased defaults by
such borrowers and/or increased difficulty in obtaining refinancing at the maturity dates of their loans. In addition, the duration and effectiveness of
responsive measures implemented by governments and central banks cannot be predicted. The commencement, continuation, or cessation of government
and central bank policies and economic stimulus programs, including changes in monetary policy involving interest rate adjustments or governmental
policies, may contribute to the development of or result in an increase in market volatility, illiquidity and other adverse effects that could negatively
impact the credit markets and the Company.
If we are unable to consummate credit facilities on commercially reasonable terms, our liquidity may be reduced significantly. If we are unable to repay
amounts outstanding under any facility we may enter into and are declared in default or are unable to renew or refinance any such facility, it would limit
our ability to initiate significant originations or to operate our business in the normal course. These situations may arise due to circumstances that we
may be unable to control, such as inaccessibility of the credit markets, a severe decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, a further economic downturn or an
operational problem that affects third parties or us, and could materially damage our business. Moreover, we are unable to predict when economic and
market conditions may become more favorable. Even if such conditions improve broadly and significantly over the long term, adverse conditions in
particular sectors of the financial markets could adversely impact our business.
Global economic, regulatory and market conditions may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition, including our
revenue growth and profitability.
We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state and local levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their
interpretation, could change from time to time, including as the result of interpretive guidance or other directives from the U.S. President and others in
the executive branch, and new laws, regulations and interpretations could also come into effect. Any such new or changed laws or regulations could
have a material adverse effect on our business, and political uncertainty could increase regulatory uncertainty in the near term.
The effects of legislative and regulatory proposals directed at the financial services industry or affecting taxation, could negatively impact the
operations, cash flows or financial condition of us and our portfolio companies, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies, intensify the
regulatory supervision of us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies. In
addition, if we do not comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could lose any licenses that we then hold for the conduct of business and could
be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties.
Over the last several years, there also has been an increase in regulatory attention to the extension of credit outside of the traditional banking sector,
raising the possibility that some portion of the non-bank financial sector will be subject to new regulation. While it cannot be known at this time whether
any regulation will be implemented or what form it will take, increased regulation of non-bank credit extension could negatively impact
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our operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us, intensify the regulatory supervision of us or otherwise adversely affect
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although we cannot predict the impact, if any, of these changes to our business, they could adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating
results and cash flows. Until we know what policy changes are made and how those changes impact business and the business of our competitors over
the long term, we will not know if, overall, it will benefit from them or be negatively affected by them.
In 2010, a financial crisis emerged in Europe, triggered by high budget deficits and rising direct and contingent sovereign debt, which created concerns
about the ability of certain nations to continue to service their sovereign debt obligations. Risks resulting from such debt crisis, including any austerity
measures taken in exchange for bailout of certain nations, and any future debt crisis in Europe or any similar crisis elsewhere could have a detrimental
impact on the global economic recovery, sovereign and non-sovereign debt in certain countries and the financial condition of financial institutions
generally. In addition on January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (“UK”) ended its membership in the European Union (“EU”) referred to as Brexit
(“Brexit”). Following the termination of a transition period, the UK and the EU entered into a trade and cooperation agreement to govern the future
relationship between the parties, which was provisionally applied as of January 1, 2021 and entered into force on May 1, 2021 following ratification by
the EU. With respect to financial services, the agreement leaves decisions on equivalence and adequacy to be determined by each of the U.K. and EU
unilaterally in due course. As a result, certain UK licensed entities are unable to provide regulated services in a number of EU jurisdictions from the end
of December 2020, absent regulatory relief or other measures implemented by individual countries. Such agreement is untested and may lead to ongoing
political and economic uncertainty and periods of exacerbated volatility in both the United Kingdom and in wider European and global markets for some
time. The longer term economic, legal, political and social implications of Brexit are unclear at this stage. Brexit has led to ongoing political and
economic uncertainty and periods of increased volatility in both the UK and in wider European markets for some time. Brexit could lead to calls for
similar referendums in other European jurisdictions, which could cause increased economic volatility in the European and global markets. This mid- to
long-term uncertainty could have adverse effects on the economy generally and on our ability to earn attractive returns. In particular, currency volatility
could mean that our returns are adversely affected by market movements and could make it more difficult, or more expensive, for us to execute prudent
currency hedging policies. Potential decline in the value of the British Pound and/or the Euro against other currencies, along with the potential further
downgrading of the UK’s sovereign credit rating, could also have an impact on the performance of certain investments made in the UK or Europe.
Events such as war, terrorism and related geopolitical risks have led, and may in the future lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have
adverse long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Those events could also have an acute effect on individual issuers or
related groups of issuers. These risks could also adversely affect individual issuers and securities markets, interest rates, auctions, secondary trading,
ratings, credit risk, inflation, deflation and other factors relating to the Company’s investments.
Various social and political circumstances in the U.S. and around the world (including wars and other forms of conflict, terrorist acts, security operations
and catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and global health epidemics), may also contribute to increased market
volatility and economic uncertainties or deterioration in the U.S. and worldwide. Such events, including rising trade tensions between the United States
and China, other uncertainties regarding actual and potential shifts in U.S. and foreign, trade, economic and other policies with other countries,
escalating military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results
of operations. These market and economic disruptions could negatively impact the operating results of our portfolio companies.
Additionally, the Federal Reserve may raise, or may announce its intention to raise, the Federal Funds Rate in 2022. These developments, along with the
United States government’s credit and deficit concerns, global economic uncertainties and market volatility and the impacts of COVID-19, could cause
interest rates to be volatile, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets and capital markets on favorable terms.
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Events outside of our control, including the COVID-19 public health crises, could negatively affect our portfolio companies and our results of our
operations.
Periods of market volatility have occurred and could continue to occur in response to pandemics or other events outside of our control. These types of
events have adversely affected and could continue to adversely affect operating results for us and for our portfolio companies. For example, the
COVID-19 pandemic has delivered a shock to the global economy throughout much of 2020 and 2021. This outbreak has led and for an unknown period
of time will continue to lead to disruptions in local, regional, national and global markets and economies affected thereby, including a recession and a
steep increase in unemployment in the United States.
With respect to the U.S. credit markets (in particular for middle market loans), this outbreak has resulted in, and until fully resolved may continue to
result in, the following among other things: (i) government imposition of various forms of shelter-in-place orders and the closing of “non-essential”
businesses, resulting in significant disruption to the businesses of many middle-market loan borrowers including supply chain interruptions, increased
inflationary pressure, demand and practical aspects of their operations, as well as in lay-offs of employees, and, while these effects are hoped to be
temporary, some effects could be persistent or even permanent; (ii) increased draws by borrowers on revolving lines of credit; (iii) increased requests by
borrowers for amendments and waivers of their credit agreements to avoid default, increased defaults by such borrowers and/or increased difficulty in
obtaining refinancing at the maturity dates of their loans; (iv) volatility and disruption of these markets including greater volatility in pricing and spreads
and difficulty in valuing loans during periods of increased volatility, and liquidity issues; and (v) rapidly evolving proposals and/or actions by state and
federal governments to address problems being experienced by the markets and by businesses and the economy in general which will not necessarily
adequately address the problems facing the loan market and middle market businesses.
During 2021, the economic recovery gained significant traction in countries in which comprehensive vaccination programs have led to the lifting of
health and safety restrictions. However, other countries encountered more challenging circumstances as a result of slower distribution of vaccines and
the spread of new variants, most notably the Delta and Omicron variants. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to affect our
business, financial condition, liquidity, our portfolio companies’ results of operations and by extension our operating results will depend on future
developments, such as the speed and extent of further vaccine distribution and the impact of the Delta and Omicron variants or other variants that might
arise, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Additionally, as of February 2022, travelers from the United States are not allowed to visit
Australia or certain countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. These continued travel restrictions may prolong the global economic
downturn. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, the U.S. economy and most other major global economies may continue to experience a
recession, and we anticipate our business and operations could be materially adversely affected by a prolonged recession in the United States and other
major markets.
This outbreak is having, and any future outbreaks could have, an adverse impact on the markets and the economy in general, which could have a
material adverse impact on, among other things, the ability of lenders to originate loans, the volume and type of loans originated, and the volume and
type of amendments and waivers granted to borrowers and remedial actions taken in the event of a borrower default, each of which could negatively
impact the amount and quality of loans available for investment by us and returns to us, among other things. As of the date of this annual report on Form
10-K, it is impossible to determine the scope of this outbreak, or any future outbreaks, how long any such outbreak, market disruption or uncertainties
may last, the effect any governmental actions will have or the full potential impact on us and our portfolio companies. Any potential impact to our
results of operations will depend to a large extent on future developments and new information that could emerge regarding the duration and severity of
COVID-19 and the actions taken by authorities and other entities to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, all of which are beyond our control. These
potential impacts, while uncertain, could adversely affect our and our portfolio companies’ operating results.
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If the economy is unable to substantially reopen, and high levels of unemployment continue for an extended period of time, loan delinquencies, loan
non-accruals, problem assets, and bankruptcies may increase. In addition, collateral for our loans may decline in value, which could cause loan losses to
increase and the net worth and liquidity of loan guarantors could decline, impairing their ability to honor commitments to us. An increase in loan
delinquencies and non-accruals or a decrease in loan collateral and guarantor net worth could result in increased costs and reduced income which would
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Central banks and governments have responded with liquidity
injections to ease the strain on financial systems and stimulus measures to buffer the shock to businesses and consumers. These measures have helped
stabilize certain portions of the financial markets over the short term, but volatility will likely remain elevated until the health crisis itself is under
control (via fewer new cases, lower infection rates and/or verified treatments). There are still many unknowns and new information is incoming daily,
compounding the difficulty of modeling outcomes for epidemiologists and economists alike.
We cannot be certain as to the duration or magnitude of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the markets in which we and our portfolio
companies operate, including with respect to travel restrictions, business closures, mitigation efforts (whether voluntary, suggested, or mandated by law)
and corresponding declines in economic activity that may negatively impact the U.S. economy and the markets for the various types of goods and
services provided by U.S. middle market companies. Depending on the duration, magnitude and severity of these conditions and their related economic
and market impacts, certain portfolio companies may suffer declines in earnings and could experience financial distress, which could cause them to
default on their financial obligations to us and their other lenders.
We will also be negatively affected if our operations and effectiveness or the operations and effectiveness of a portfolio company (or any of the key
personnel or service providers of the foregoing) is compromised or if necessary or beneficial systems and processes are disrupted.
Any public health emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic or any outbreak of other existing or new epidemic diseases, or the threat thereof, and
the resulting financial and economic market uncertainty could have a significant adverse impact on us and the fair value of our investments. Our
valuations, and particularly valuations of private investments and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time
and are often based on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information that may not show the complete impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting measures taken in response thereto. These potential impacts, while uncertain, could adversely affect our and our
portfolio companies’ operating results.
We are currently operating in a period of capital markets disruption and economic uncertainty.
The U.S. capital markets have experienced extreme volatility and disruption following the global outbreak of COVID-19 that began in December 2019.
The global impact of the outbreak is rapidly evolving, and many countries have reacted by instituting quarantines, prohibitions on travel and the closure
of offices, businesses, schools, retail stores and other public venues. Businesses are also implementing similar precautionary measures. Such measures,
as well as the general uncertainty surrounding the dangers and impact of COVID-19, have created significant disruption in supply chains and economic
activity. The impact of COVID-19 has led to significant volatility and declines in the global public equity markets and it is uncertain how long this
volatility will continue. As COVID-19 continues to spread, the potential impacts, including a global, regional or other economic recession, are
increasingly uncertain and difficult to assess. Some economists and major investment banks have expressed concern that the continued spread of the
virus globally could lead to a world-wide economic downturn.
General uncertainty surrounding the dangers and impact of COVID-19 (including the preventative measures taken in response thereto and additional
uncertainty regarding new variants of COVID-19 that continue to emerge throughout the world) has to date created significant disruption in supply
chains and economic activity.
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Disruptions in the capital markets caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the spread between the yields realized on risk-free and higher risk
securities, resulting in illiquidity in parts of the capital markets. These and future market disruptions and/or illiquidity would be expected to have an
adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Unfavorable economic conditions also would be expected to
increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events have limited
and could continue to limit our investment originations, limit our ability to grow and have a material negative impact on our operating results and the
fair values of our debt and equity investments.
In addition, due to the outbreak in the United States, certain personnel of our Investment Adviser are currently working remotely, which may introduce
additional operational risk to us. Staff members of certain of our other service providers may also work remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. An
extended period of remote working could lead to service limitations or failures that could impact us or our performance.
Further, current market conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic may make it difficult for us to obtain debt capital on favorable terms and any
failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business. The debt capital that will be available to us in the future, if at all, may be at a higher
cost and on less favorable terms and conditions than what we would otherwise expect, including being at a higher cost in rising rate environments. If we
are unable to raise debt, then our equity investors may not benefit from the potential for increased returns on equity resulting from leverage and we may
be limited in our ability to make or fund commitments to portfolio companies. An inability to obtain indebtedness could have a material adverse effect
on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The continued uncertainty related to the sustainability and pace of economic recovery in the U.S. and globally could have a negative impact on our
business.
Our business is directly influenced by the economic cycle, and could be negatively impacted by a downturn in economic activity in the U.S. as well as
globally. Fiscal and monetary actions taken by U.S. and non-U.S. government and regulatory authorities could have a material adverse impact on our
business. To the extent uncertainty regarding the U.S. or global economy, including as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, negatively impacts
consumer confidence and consumer credit factors, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Moreover,
Federal Reserve policy, including with respect to certain interest rates and the decision to end its quantitative easing policy, along with the general
policies of the current Presidential administration, may also adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend- and interest-paying securities.
Market volatility, rising interest rates and/or a return to unfavorable economic conditions could adversely affect our business.
There is uncertainty surrounding potential legal, regulatory and policy changes by new presidential administrations in the United States that may
directly affect financial institutions and the global economy.
As a result of the November 2020 elections in the United States, the Democratic Party gained control of both the Presidency and the Senate from the
Republican Party. Therefore, changes in federal policy, including tax policies, and at regulatory agencies are expected to occur over time through policy
and personnel changes, which may lead to changes involving the level of oversight and focus on the financial services industry or the tax rates paid by
corporate entities. The nature, timing and economic and political effects of potential changes to the current legal and regulatory framework affecting
financial institutions remain highly uncertain. Uncertainty surrounding future changes may adversely affect our operating environment and therefore our
business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates, including the transition away from LIBOR and the adoption of alternative
reference rates.
LIBOR, the London Interbank Offered Rate, is the basic rate of interest used in lending between banks on the London interbank market and is widely
used as a reference for setting the interest rate on loans globally. We
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typically use LIBOR as a reference rate in term loans we extend to portfolio companies such that the interest due to us pursuant to a term loan extended
to a portfolio company is calculated using LIBOR. The terms of our debt investments generally include minimum interest rate floors which are
calculated based on LIBOR.
Per an announcement by the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, on March 5, 2021: (i) 24 LIBOR
settings ceased to exist after December 31, 2021 (all seven euro LIBOR settings; all seven Swiss franc LIBOR settings; the Spot
Next, 1-week, 2-month, and 12-month Japanese yen LIBOR settings; the overnight, 1-week, 2-month, and 12-month sterling LIBOR settings; and
the 1-week and 2-month US dollar LIBOR settings); (ii) the overnight and 12-month US LIBOR settings would cease to exist after June 30, 2023; and
(iii) the FCA would consult on whether the remaining nine LIBOR settings should continue to be published on a synthetic basis for a certain period
using the FCA’s proposed new powers that the UK government is legislating to grant to them. Central banks and regulators in a number of major
jurisdictions (for example, United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Switzerland and Japan) have convened working groups to find, and
implement the transition to, suitable replacements for interbank offered rates. To identify a successor rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR, the Alternative
Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”), a U.S.-based group convened by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was
formed. The ARRC has identified the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as its preferred alternative rate for LIBOR. SOFR is a measure of
the cost of borrowing cash overnight, collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities, and is based on directly observable U.S. Treasury-backed repurchase
transactions. On July 29, 2021, the ARCC formally recommended SOFR as its preferred alternative replacement rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR. At this
time, it is not possible to predict the effect of any such changes, any establishment of alternative reference rates or other reforms to LIBOR that may be
enacted in the United States, United Kingdom or elsewhere or, whether the COVID-19 pandemic will have further effect on LIBOR transition plans.
Given the inherent differences between LIBOR and SOFR, or any other alternative reference rates that may be established, the transition from LIBOR
may disrupt the overall financial markets and adversely affect the market for LIBOR-based securities, including our portfolio of LIBOR-indexed,
floating-rate debt securities, or the cost of our borrowings. In addition, 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 LIBOR-based securities, including
the value and/or transferability of the LIBOR-indexed, floating-rate debt securities in our portfolio, or the cost of our borrowings. Additionally, if as
currently expected LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to renegotiate the credit agreements extending beyond June 30, 2023, with our credit facility
lenders and our portfolio companies that utilize LIBOR as a factor in determining the interest rate to replace LIBOR with SOFR or other alternative
reference rates, The transition from LIBOR to SOFR or other alternative reference rates may also introduce operational risks in our accounting, financial
reporting, loan servicing, liability management and other aspects of our business. We are assessing the impact of a transition from LIBOR; however, we
cannot reasonably estimate the impact of the transition at this time.
Inflation may adversely affect the business, results of operations and financial condition of our portfolio companies.
Certain of our portfolio companies are in industries that may be impacted by inflation. If such portfolio companies are unable to pass any increases in
their costs of operations along to their customers, it could adversely affect their operating results and impact their ability to pay interest and principal on
our loans, particularly if interest rates rise in response to inflation. In addition, any projected future decreases in our portfolio companies’ operating
results due to inflation could adversely impact the fair value of those investments. Any decreases in the fair value of our investments could result in
future realized or unrealized losses and therefore reduce our net assets resulting from operations.
Technological innovations and industry disruptions may negatively impact us.
Technological innovations have disrupted traditional approaches in multiple industries and can permit younger companies to achieve success and in the
process disrupt markets and market practices. We can provide no
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assurance that new businesses and approaches will not be created that would compete with us and/or our portfolio companies or alter the market
practices in which SLR Capital Partners and its affiliates and us have been designed to function within and on which we depend on for our investment
return. New approaches could damage our investments, disrupt the market in which we operate and subject us to increased competition, which could
materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of investments.
We are subject to risks related to corporate social responsibility.
Our business (including that of our portfolio companies) faces increasing public scrutiny related to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”)
activities. We risk damage to our brand and reputation if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas, such as diversity, equity and inclusion,
environmental stewardship, support for local communities, corporate governance and transparency and considering ESG factors in our investment
processes. Adverse incidents with respect to ESG activities could impact the value of our brand, our relationship with existing and future portfolio
companies, the cost of our operations and relationships with investors, all of which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Additionally, new regulatory initiatives related to ESG that are applicable to us and our portfolio companies could adversely affect our business. In May
2018, the European Commission adopted an “action plan on financing sustainable growth.” The action plan is, among other things, designed to define
and reorient investment toward sustainability. The action plan contemplates: establishing EU labels for green financial products; increasing disclosure
requirements in the financial services sector around ESG and strengthening the transparency of companies on their ESG policies and introducing a
‘green supporting factor’ in the EU prudential rules for banks and insurance companies to incorporate climate risks into banks’ and insurance
companies’ risk management policies. There is a risk that a significant reorientation in the market following the implementation of these and further
measures could be adverse to our portfolio companies if they are perceived to be less valuable as a consequence of, e.g., their carbon footprint or
“greenwashing” (i.e., the holding out of a product as having green or sustainable characteristics where this is not, in fact, the case). We and our portfolio
companies are subject to the risk that similar measures might be introduced in other jurisdictions in the future. Additionally, compliance with any new
laws or regulations increases our regulatory burden and could make compliance more difficult and expensive, affect the manner in which we or our
portfolio companies conduct our businesses and adversely affect our profitability.
The effect of global climate change may impact the operations of our portfolio companies.
There may be evidence of global climate change. Climate change creates physical and financial risk and some of our portfolio companies may be
adversely affected by climate change. For example, the needs of customers of energy companies vary with weather conditions, primarily temperature
and humidity. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change, energy use could increase or decrease depending on the duration and
magnitude of any changes. Increases in the cost of energy could adversely affect the cost of operations of our portfolio companies if the use of energy
products or services is material to their business. A decrease in energy use due to weather changes may affect some of our portfolio companies’ financial
condition, through decreased revenues. Extreme weather conditions in general require more system backup, adding to costs, and can contribute to
increased system stresses, including service interruptions. Energy companies could also be affected by the potential for lawsuits against or taxes or other
regulatory costs imposed on greenhouse gas emitters, based on links drawn between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
In December 2015 the United Nations, of which the U.S. is a member, adopted a climate accord (the ‘‘Paris Agreement’’) with the long-term goal of
limiting global warming and the short-term goal of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, some of our portfolio companies may
become subject to new or strengthened regulations or legislation, which could increase their operating costs and/or decrease their revenues.
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We cannot predict how changes in tax law will affect us, our investments, or our stockholders, and any such legislation could adversely affect our
business.
Legislative or other actions relating to taxes could have a negative effect on us. The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under
review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department. New legislation and any
other tax law developments, including new or revised U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions, could negatively and
perhaps retroactively affect our ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to us and our shareholders, or
could have other adverse consequences. Investors are urged to consult with their tax advisor regarding tax legislative, regulatory, or administrative
developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our common stock.
Uncertainty about U.S. government initiatives could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The U.S. government has recently called for significant changes to U.S. trade, healthcare, immigration, foreign and government regulatory policy. In this
regard, there is significant uncertainty with respect to legislation, regulation and government policy at the federal level, as well as the state and local
levels. Recent events have created a climate of heightened uncertainty and introduced new and difficult-to-quantify macroeconomic and political risks
with potentially far-reaching implications. There has been a corresponding meaningful increase in the uncertainty surrounding interest rates, inflation,
foreign exchange rates, trade volumes and fiscal and monetary policy. To the extent the U.S. Congress or the current administration implements changes
to U.S. policy, those changes may impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade and relations, unemployment,
immigration, corporate taxes, healthcare, the U.S. regulatory environment, inflation and other areas.
A particular area identified as subject to potential change, amendment or repeal includes the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection
Act, or the “Dodd-Frank Act,” including the Volcker Rule and various swaps and derivatives regulations, credit risk retention requirements and the
authorities of the Federal Reserve, the Financial Stability Oversight Council and the SEC. Given the uncertainty associated with the manner in which
and whether the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act will be implemented, repealed, amended, or replaced, the full impact such requirements will have on
our business, results of operations or financial condition is unclear. The changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act or any changes to the regulations
already implemented thereunder may require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make necessary changes in
order to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with any such laws, regulations or principles, or changes thereto,
may negatively impact our business, results of operations or financial condition. While we cannot predict what effect any changes in the laws or
regulations or their interpretations would have on us as a result of recent financial reform legislation, these changes could be materially adverse to us
and our stockholders.
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
None
Item 2.
Properties
Our executive offices are located at 500 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022, and are provided by SLR Capital Management in accordance
with the terms of the Administration Agreement. We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as it is presently
conducted.
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
On January 17, 2022, a stockholder complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, against us and the
members of the Board, entitled Gates v. SLR Investment Corp., et al.,
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No. 1:22-cv-00261 (the “Gates Complaint”). On January 21, 2022, a stockholder complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern
District of New York, against us and the members of the Board, entitled Shumacher v. SLR Investment Corp., et al., No. 1:22-cv-00576 (the
“Shumacher Complaint” and together with the Gates Complaint, the “Merger Complaints”).
Each of the Gates Complaint and Schumacher Complaint alleges, among other things, that the joint proxy statement/prospectus that we initially
filed with the SEC on December 16, 2021 contains materially misleading and incomplete disclosures. Each of the Gates Complaint and Schumacher
Complaint seeks, among other things, that supplemental disclosures be made to the joint proxy statement/prospectus to address the alleged materially
misleading and incomplete disclosures. As a result of the alleged omissions, each of the Gates Complaint and Schumacher Complaint seeks to hold us
and our directors liable for violating Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 14a-9 promulgated thereunder, and additionally seeks to hold our
directors liable as control persons pursuant to Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act.
We and the members of the Board (the “individual defendants”) believe that we have disclosed in the joint proxy statement/prospectus all
information required to be disclosed therein and that the additional disclosures requested by the plaintiffs are immaterial. Neither we nor the individual
defendants have yet responded to the Merger Complaints. Each of the Merger Complaints seeks, among other relief, an injunction preventing the closing
of the Mergers, rescission of the Merger Agreement or any of its terms to the extent already implemented or awarding of rescissory damages, and
expenses incurred by prosecuting the Merger Complaints, including an award of attorneys’ and experts’ fees.
While we and the individual defendants believe these claims are without merit and intend to defend the lawsuits vigorously, there can be no
assurance that we and the individual defendants will ultimately prevail in either of the Merger Complaints. Additionally, further lawsuits may be filed
before our special meeting to vote on the approval to issue shares of our common stock in connection with the Mergers and/or the consummation of the
Mergers. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material
effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Common Stock
Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SLRC”. The following table sets forth, for each fiscal
quarter during the last two fiscal years, the net asset value (“NAV”) per share of our common stock, the high and low closing sales prices for our
common stock, such sales prices as a percentage of NAV per share and quarterly distributions per share.
Fiscal 2021
Fourth Quarter
Third Quarter
Second Quarter
First Quarter
Fiscal 2020
Fourth Quarter
Third Quarter
Second Quarter
First Quarter
NAV(1)
High
Low
Price Range
$19.93
20.20
20.29
20.26
$19.90
19.75
19.58
19.35
$17.55
18.42
17.88
17.35
$20.16
20.14
20.11
19.24
$18.14
17.38
17.73
21.15
$15.43
15.36
11.03
7.55
Premium or
(Discount)
of High Closing
Price to NAV(2)
Premium or
(Discount)
of
Low Closing
Price to
NAV (2)
Declared
Distributions (3)
(0.2)%
(2.2)
(3.5)
(4.5)
(10.0)%
(13.7)
(11.8)
9.9
$
$
(11.9)%
(8.8)
(11.9)
(14.4)
(23.5)%
(23.7)
(45.2)
(60.8)
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
(1)
(2)
(3)
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 net asset values shown are based on outstanding shares at the end of each period.
Calculated as of the respective high or low closing price divided by NAV and subtracting 1.
Represents the cash distribution for the specified quarter.
On February 25, 2022 the last reported sales price of our common stock was $18.04 per share. As of February 25, 2022, we had 17 shareholders of
record.
Shares of BDCs may trade at a market price that is less than the value of the net assets attributable to those shares. The possibility that our shares
of common stock will trade at a discount from net asset value or at premiums that are unsustainable over the long term are separate and distinct from the
risk that our net asset value will decrease. Since our IPO on February 9, 2010, our shares of common stock have traded at both a discount and a premium
to the net assets attributable to those shares. As of February 25, 2022, our shares of common stock traded at a discount equal to approximately 9.5% of
the net assets attributable to those shares based upon our net asset value as of December 31, 2021. It is not possible to predict whether the shares offered
hereby will trade at, above, or below net asset value.
DISTRIBUTIONS
Tax characteristics of all distributions will be reported to stockholders on Form 1099 after the end of the calendar year. Future quarterly
distributions, if any, will be determined by the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”). We expect that our distributions to stockholders will
generally be from accumulated net investment income, from net realized capital gains or non-taxable return of capital, if any, as applicable.
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We have elected to be taxed as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To maintain our RIC tax treatment, we must distribute at least 90% of our
ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, out of the assets legally available for
distribution. In addition, although we currently intend to distribute realized net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of short-term
capital losses), if any, at least annually, out of the assets legally available for such distributions, we may in the future decide to retain such capital gains
for investment.
We maintain an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan for our common stockholders. As a result, if we declare a distribution, then stockholders’
cash distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, unless they specifically “opt out” of the dividend
reinvestment plan so as to receive cash distributions.
We may not be able to achieve operating results that will allow us to make distributions at a specific level or to increase the amount of these
distributions from time to time. In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a business development company, we may in the future be
limited in our ability to make distributions. Also, our revolving credit facility may limit our ability to declare distributions if we default under certain
provisions. If we do not distribute a certain percentage of our income annually, we will suffer adverse tax consequences, including possible loss of the
tax benefits available to us as a regulated investment company. In addition, in accordance with GAAP and tax regulations, we include in income certain
amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as contractual payment-in-kind income, which represents contractual income added to the loan
balance that becomes due at the end of the loan term, or the accrual of original issue or market discount. Since we may recognize income before or
without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our investment company
taxable income to obtain tax benefits as a regulated investment company.
With respect to the distributions to stockholders, income from origination, structuring, closing and certain other upfront fees associated with
investments in portfolio companies are treated as taxable income and accordingly, distributed to stockholders.
We cannot assure stockholders that they will receive any distributions at a particular level.
All distributions declared in cash payable to stockholders that are participants in our dividend reinvestment plan are generally automatically
reinvested in shares of our common stock. As a result, stockholders that do not participate in the dividend reinvestment plan may experience dilution
over time. Stockholders who do not elect to receive distributions in shares of common stock may experience accretion to the net asset value of their
shares if our shares are trading at a premium and dilution if our shares are trading at a discount. The level of accretion or discount would depend on
various factors, including the proportion of our stockholders who participate in the plan, the level of premium or discount at which our shares are trading
and the amount of the distribution payable to a stockholder.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
None.
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STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH
This graph compares the cumulative total return on our common stock with that of the Standard & Poor’s BDC Index, Standard & Poor’s 500
Stock Index and the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index, for the period from December 31, 2016 through December 31, 2021. The graph assumes that
a person invested $10,000 in each of the following: our common stock (SLRC), the S&P BDC Index, the S&P 500 Index, and the Russell 2000
Financial Services Index. The graph measures total stockholder return, which takes into account both changes in stock price and dividends. It assumes
that dividends paid are invested in additional shares of the same class of equity securities at the frequency with which dividends are paid of such
securities during the applicable fiscal year.
The graph and other information furnished under this Part II Item 5 of this 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 1934 Act. The stock price performance included in the
above graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.
FEES AND EXPENSES
The following table is intended to assist an investor in understanding the costs and expenses that you will bear directly or indirectly. We caution
you that some of the percentages indicated in the table below are estimates and may vary. Except where the context suggests otherwise, whenever this
report contains a reference to fees or expenses paid by “us” or “SLRC,” or that “we” will pay fees or expenses, you will indirectly bear such fees or
expenses as an investor in SLR Investment Corp..
Stockholder transaction expenses:
Sales load (as a percentage of offering price)
Offering expenses (as a percentage of offering price)
Dividend reinvestment plan expenses
Total stockholder transaction expenses (as a percentage of offering price)
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— %(1)
— %(2)
— %(3)
— %(2)
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Annual expenses (as a percentage of net assets attributable to common stock)(4):
Base management fee
Incentive fees payable under our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement
(up to 20%)
Interest payments on borrowed funds
Acquired fund fees and expenses
Other expenses (estimated)
Total annual expenses
3.36%(5)
1.22%(6)
3.55%(7)
— %
1.18%(8)
9.31%
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
In the event that the shares of common stock are sold to or through underwriters, a corresponding prospectus supplement will disclose the
applicable sales load and the “Example” will be updated accordingly.
The prospectus supplement corresponding to each offering will disclose the applicable offering expenses and total stockholder transaction
expenses.
The expenses of the dividend reinvestment plan are included in “other expenses.”
Annual Expenses are presented in this manner because common shareholders will bear all costs of running the Company.
Our 1.75% base management fee under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement is based on our gross assets, which is defined as all
the assets of SLRC, excluding temporary assets, including those acquired using borrowings for investment purposes, and assumes our gross assets
remain consistent with gross assets for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. The base management fee is reduced to 1.00% on gross assets
that execeed 200% of total net assets as of the immediately preceding quarter.
(6) Assumes that annual incentive fees earned by our investment adviser, SLR Capital Partners, remain consistent with the incentive fees earned by
SLR Capital Partners for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. The incentive fee consists of two parts:
The first part, which is payable quarterly in arrears, equals 20% of the excess, if any, of our “Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income” that exceeds a
1.75% quarterly (7.00% annualized) hurdle rate, which we refer to as the Hurdle, subject to a “catch-up” provision measured at the end of each calendar
quarter. The first part of the incentive fee is computed and paid on income that may include interest that is accrued but not yet received in cash. The
operation of the first part of the incentive fee for each quarter is as follows:
•
•
•
no incentive fee is payable to our investment adviser in any calendar quarter in which our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income does
not exceed the Hurdle of 1.75%;
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 but is less than 2.1875% in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized) is payable to our investment adviser. We
refer to this portion of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income (which exceeds the Hurdle but is less than 2.1875%) as the
“catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide our investment adviser with 20% of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, as if a
Hurdle did not apply when our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter; and
20% of the amount of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, if any, that exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter (8.75%
annualized) is payable to our investment adviser (once the Hurdle is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 20% of all Pre-Incentive Fee
Investment Income thereafter is allocated to our investment adviser).
The second part of the incentive fee equals 20% of our “Incentive Fee Capital Gains,” if any, which equals our realized capital gains on a cumulative
basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a
cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gain incentive fees. The second part of the incentive fee is payable, in arrears,
at the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, as of the termination date).
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(7) We have historically and will in the future borrow funds from time to time to make investments to the extent we determine that the economic
situation is conducive to doing so. The costs associated with our outstanding borrowings are indirectly born by our investors. For purposes of this
section, we have computed interest expense using the average consolidated balance outstanding for borrowings during the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2021. We used the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) rate or similar base rate on December 31, 2021 and the interest rate
on the Credit Facility, the 2027 Unsecured Notes, the 2026 Unsecured Notes, the 2024 Unsecured Notes, the 2023 Unsecured Notes, the 2022
Unsecured Notes and the 2022 Tranche C Notes on December 31, 2021. We have also included, as applicable, the estimated amortization of fees
incurred in establishing the Credit Facility, the 2027 Unsecured Notes, the 2026 Unsecured Notes, the 2024 Unsecured Notes, the 2023 Unsecured
Notes, the 2022 Unsecured Notes and the 2022 Tranche C Notes as of December 31, 2021. Additionally, we included the estimated cost of
commitment fees for unused balances on the Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2021, we had $322.5 million outstanding under the Credit
Facility and $50 million, $75 million, $125 million, $75 million, $150 million and $21 million outstanding under the 2027 Unsecured Notes, the
2026 Unsecured Notes, the 2024 Unsecured Notes, the 2023 Unsecured Notes, the 2022 Unsecured Notes and the 2022 Tranche C Notes,
respectively. We may also issue preferred stock, subject to our compliance with applicable requirements under the 1940 Act, although we have no
immediate intention to do so.
(8)
“Other expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year, which considers the amounts incurred for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2021 and include our overhead expenses, including payments under our Administration Agreement based on our allocable portion
of overhead and other expenses incurred by SLR Capital Management in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement.
Example
The following example demonstrates the projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses that would be incurred over various periods with
respect to a hypothetical investment in our common stock. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have assumed that our annual operating
expenses would remain at the levels set forth in the table above and have excluded performance-based incentive fees. As such, the below example is
based on an annual expense ratio of 8.09%. See Note 7 above for additional information regarding certain assumptions regarding our level of leverage.
In the event that shares are sold to or through underwriters, a corresponding prospectus supplement will restate this example to reflect the applicable
sales load.
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5%
annual return
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
$ 81
$ 235
$ 380
$ 705
The example and the expenses in the tables above should not be considered a representation of our future expenses, and actual expenses
may be greater or less than those shown. While the example assumes, as required by the SEC, a 5% annual return, our performance will vary and may
result in a return greater or less than 5%. The incentive fee under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, which, assuming a 5% annual
return, would either not be payable or would have an insignificant impact on the expense amounts shown above, is not included in the example. This
illustration assumes that we will not realize any capital gains (computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation) in any of
the indicated time periods. If we achieve sufficient returns on our investments, including through the realization of capital gains, to trigger an incentive
fee of a material amount, our expenses and returns to our investors would be higher. For example, if we assumed that we received our 5% annual return
completely in the form of net realized capital gains on our investments, computed net of all cumulative unrealized depreciation on our investments, the
projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses set forth in the above illustration would be as follows:
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5%
annual return
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
$ 91
$ 262
$ 419
$ 759
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In addition, the example assumes no sales load. Also, while the example assumes reinvestment of all distributions at net asset value, participants in
our dividend reinvestment plan will receive a number of shares of our common stock, determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the distribution
payable to a participant by the market price per share of our common stock at the close of trading on the distribution payment date, which may be at,
above or below net asset value unless the company makes open market purchases and the shares received will be determined based on the average price
paid by our agent, plus commissions.
Item 6.
Reserved
Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The information contained in this section should be read in conjunction with the Selected Financial and Other Data and our Consolidated
Financial Statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report.
Some of the statements in this report constitute forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or our future performance or financial
condition. The forward-looking statements contained herein involve risks and uncertainties, including statements as to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
our future operating results, including our ability to achieve objectives as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic;
our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies;
the impact of investments that we expect to make;
our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties;
the dependence of our future success on the general economy and its impact on the industries in which we invest and the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic thereon;
the impact of any protracted decline in the liquidity of credit markets on our business and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
thereon;
the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives, including as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic;
the valuation of our investments in portfolio companies, particularly those having no liquid trading market, and the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic thereon;
market conditions and our ability to access alternative debt markets and additional debt and equity capital, and the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic thereon;
our expected financings and investments;
the adequacy of our cash resources and working capital;
the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic thereon;
and
the ability of our investment adviser to locate suitable investments for us and to monitor and administer our investments and the
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic thereon.
changes in the political conditions and relations between the United States, Russia, Ukraine and other nations.
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These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our
control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements,
including without limitation:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
an economic downturn, including as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, could impair our portfolio companies’ ability to
continue to operate, which could lead to the loss of some or all of our investments in such portfolio companies;
a contraction of available credit and/or an inability to access the equity markets, including as a result of the current COVID-19
pandemic, could impair our lending and investment activities;
interest rate volatility could adversely affect our results, particularly because we use leverage as part of our investment strategy;
currency fluctuations could adversely affect the results of our investments in foreign companies, particularly to the extent that we
receive payments denominated in foreign currency rather than U.S. dollars;
the ability of the parties to consummate the Mergers on the expected timeline, or at all;
the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Mergers;
the effects of disruption on our business from the proposed Mergers;
the combined company’s plans, expectations, objectives and intentions as a result of the Mergers;
any potential termination of the Merger Agreement;
the actions of our stockholders or the stockholders of SLRC with respect to the proposals submitted for their approval in connection
with the Mergers; and
the risks, uncertainties and other factors we identify in Item 1A. — Risk Factors contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2021 and in our other filings with the SEC.
We generally use words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements.
Our actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including any factors set forth in “Risk
Factors” and elsewhere in this report.
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. 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 in the future may file with the SEC, including any annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and
current reports on Form 8-K.
Overview
Solar Capital LLC, a Maryland limited liability company, was formed in February 2007 and commenced operations on March 13, 2007 with initial
capital of $1.2 billion of which 47.04% was funded by affiliated parties.
SLR Investment Corp. (the “Company”, “SLRC”, “we” or “our”) f/k/a Solar Capital, Ltd., a Maryland corporation formed in November 2007, is a
closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company
(“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Furthermore, as the Company is an investment company, it
continues to apply the guidance in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946. In
addition, for U.S federal income tax purposes, the Company has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
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On February 9, 2010, we priced our initial public offering, selling 5.68 million shares of our common stock. Concurrent with our initial public
offering, Michael S. Gross, our Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, and Bruce Spohler, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Operating Officer, collectively purchased an additional 0.6 million shares of our common stock through a private placement transaction exempt from
registration under the Securities Act.
We invest primarily in privately held U.S. middle-market companies, where we believe the supply of primary capital is limited and the investment
opportunities are most attractive. Our investment objective is to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity
investments. We invest primarily in leveraged middle-market companies in the form of senior secured loans, financing leases and to a lesser extent,
unsecured loans and equity securities. From time to time, we may also invest in public companies that are thinly traded. Our business is focused
primarily on the direct origination of investments through portfolio companies or their financial sponsors. Our investments generally range between
$5 million and $100 million each, although we expect that this investment size will vary proportionately with the size of our capital base and/or with
strategic initiatives. Our investment activities are managed by SLR Capital Partners, LLC (the “Investment Adviser”) and supervised by the Board, a
majority of whom are non-interested, as such term is defined in the 1940 Act. SLR Capital Management, LLC (the “Administrator”) provides the
administrative services necessary for us to operate.
In addition, we may invest a portion of our portfolio in other types of investments, which we refer to as opportunistic investments, which are not
our primary focus but are intended to enhance our overall returns. These investments may include, but are not limited to, direct investments in public
companies that are not thinly traded and securities of leveraged companies located in select countries outside of the United States.
As of December 31, 2021, the Investment Adviser has directly invested approximately $12.5 billion in more than 450 different portfolio
companies since 2006. Over the same period, the Investment Adviser completed transactions with over 200 different financial sponsors.
Merger Agreement
On December 1, 2021, we entered into the Merger Agreement, which provides that, subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement,
Merger Sub will merge with and into SUNS, with SUNS continuing as the surviving company and as our wholly-owned subsidiary and, immediately
thereafter, SUNS will merge with and into us, with us continuing as the surviving company. Both the Board and SUNS’s board of directors, including all
of the respective independent directors, in each case, on the recommendation of a special committee comprised solely of the independent directors of us
and SUNS, as applicable, have approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby.
At the effective time of the Merger (“Effective Time”), each share of our common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective
Time (other than shares owned by us or any of our controlled subsidiaries (the “Cancelled Shares”)) will be converted into the right to receive a number
of shares of our common stock equal to the Exchange Ratio (as defined below) (cash may be paid in lieu of fractional shares).
As of a mutually agreed date no earlier than 48 hours (excluding Sundays and holidays) prior to the Effective Time (such date, the “Determination
Date”), each of us and SUNS will deliver to the other a calculation of its NAV as of such date, in each case using a pre-agreed set of assumptions,
methodologies and adjustments. We refer to such calculation with respect to us as the “Closing SLRC Net Asset Value” and with respect to SUNS as the
“Closing SUNS Net Asset Value”. Based on such calculations, the parties will calculate the “SLRC Per Share NAV”, which will be equal to (i) the
Closing SLRC Net Asset Value divided by (ii) the number of shares of our common stock issued and outstanding as of the Determination Date
(excluding any Cancelled Shares), and the “SUNS Per Share NAV”, which will be equal to (A) the Closing SUNS Net Asset Value divided by (B) the
number of shares of SUNS Common Stock issued and outstanding as of the Determination Date. The “Exchange Ratio” will be equal to the quotient
(rounded to four decimal places) of (i) the SUNS Per Share NAV divided by (ii) the SLRC Per Share NAV.
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We and SUNS will update and redeliver the Closing SLRC Net Asset Value or the Closing SUNS Net Asset Value, respectively, in the event of a
material change to such calculation between the Determination Date and the closing of the Mergers and if needed to ensure that the calculation is
determined within 48 hours (excluding Sundays and holidays) prior to the Effective Time.
The Merger Agreement contains customary representations and warranties by each of us, SUNS and SLR Capital Partners. The Merger
Agreement also contains customary covenants, including, among others, covenants relating to the operation of each of our and SUNS’s businesses
during the period prior to the closing of the Mergers.
Consummation of the Mergers, which is currently anticipated to occur during the first half of calendar year 2022, is subject to certain closing
conditions, including requisite approvals of our and SUNS’s stockholders and certain other closing conditions.
The Merger Agreement also contains certain termination rights in favor of us and SUNS, including if the Mergers are not completed on or before
December 1, 2022 or if the requisite approvals of our or SUNS’s stockholders are not obtained. The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the
termination of the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances, a third party acquiring SUNS may be required to pay us a termination fee of
approximately $7.6 million. The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the termination of the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances, a third
party acquiring us may be required to pay to SUNS a termination fee of approximately $25.6 million.
Effective upon the closing of the Mergers, SLR Capital Partners has voluntarily agreed to a permanent reduction of the annual base management
fee rate by 25 basis points, resulting in an annual base management fee rate payable by us to SLR Capital Partners of 1.50% on gross assets up to 200%
of our total net assets as of the immediately preceding quarter end. We will retain the contractual annual base management fee rate payable by us to SLR
Capital Partners of 1.00% on gross assets that exceed 200% of our total net assets as of the immediately preceding quarter end.
The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of
the Merger Agreement, which is incorporated by reference as Exhibit 2.1 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and incorporated by reference herein. The
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained in the Merger Agreement were made only for purposes of the Merger Agreement and
as of specific dates; were solely for the benefit of the parties to the Merger Agreement (except as may be expressly set forth in the Merger Agreement);
may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the parties, including being qualified by confidential disclosures made for the purposes of allocating
contractual risk between the parties to the Merger Agreement instead of establishing these matters as facts; and may be subject to standards of
materiality applicable to the contracting parties that differ from those applicable to investors. Investors and security holders should not rely on such
representations, warranties, covenants or agreements, or any descriptions thereof, as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of any of
the parties to the Merger Agreement or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements may change after the date of the Merger Agreement, which subsequent information may or may
not be fully reflected in public disclosures by the parties to the Merger Agreement.
Recent Developments
On January 6, 2022, the Company closed a private offering of $135 million of the 2027 Series F Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of
3.33% and a maturity date of January 6, 2027. Interest on the 2027 Series F Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on January 6 and July 6. The 2027
Series F Unsecured Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
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On March 1, 2022, the Board declared a quarterly distribution of $0.41 per share payable on April 1, 2022 to holders of record as of March 18,
2022.
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the related effect on the U.S. and global economies, has continued to have adverse
consequences for the business operations of some of the Company’s portfolio companies and, as a result, has had adverse effects on the Company’s
operations. The ultimate economic fallout from the pandemic, and the long-term impact on economies, markets, industries and individual issuers,
including the Company, remain uncertain. The operational and financial performance of the issuers of securities in which the Company invests depends
on future developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak, and such uncertainty may in turn adversely affect the value and liquidity of
the Company’s investments and negatively impact the Company’s performance.
Investments
Our level of investment activity can and does vary substantially from period to period depending on many factors, including the amount of debt
and equity capital available to middle market companies, the level of merger and acquisition activity for such companies, the general economic
environment and the competitive environment for the types of investments we make. As a BDC, we must not 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). Qualifying assets include investments in “eligible portfolio companies.” The definition of “eligible portfolio company” includes certain
public companies that do not have any securities listed on a national securities exchange and companies whose securities are listed on a national
securities exchange but whose market capitalization is less than $250 million.
Revenue
We generate revenue primarily in the form of interest and dividend income from the securities we hold and capital gains, if any, on investment
securities that we may sell. Our debt investments generally have a stated term of three to seven years and typically bear interest at a floating rate usually
determined on the basis of a benchmark London interbank offered rate (“LIBOR”), commercial paper rate, or the prime rate. Interest on our debt
investments is generally payable monthly or quarterly but may be bi-monthly or semi-annually. In addition, our investments may provide
payment-in-kind (“PIK”) income. Such amounts of accrued PIK income are added to the cost of the investment on the respective capitalization dates
and generally become due at maturity of the investment or upon the investment being called by the issuer. We may also generate revenue in the form of
commitment, origination, structuring fees, fees for providing managerial assistance and, if applicable, consulting fees, etc.
Expenses
All investment professionals of the investment adviser and their respective staffs, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment
advisory and management services, and the compensation and routine overhead expenses of such personnel allocable to such services, are provided and
paid for by SLR Capital Partners. We bear all other costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including (without limitation):
•
•
•
•
•
the cost of our organization and public offerings;
the cost of calculating our net asset value, including the cost of any third-party valuation services;
the cost of effecting sales and repurchases of our shares and other securities;
interest payable on debt, if any, to finance our investments;
fees payable to third parties relating to, or associated with, making investments, including fees and expenses associated with performing
due diligence reviews of prospective investments and advisory fees;
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
transfer agent and custodial fees;
fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts;
federal and state registration fees, any stock exchange listing fees;
federal, state and local taxes;
independent directors’ fees and expenses;
brokerage commissions;
fidelity bond, directors and officers errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums;
direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone and staff;
fees and expenses associated with independent audits and outside legal costs;
costs associated with our reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and applicable federal and state securities laws; and
all other expenses incurred by either SLR Capital Management or us in connection with administering our business, including payments
under the Administration Agreement that will be based upon our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by SLR Capital
Management 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 costs of compensation and related expenses of our chief compliance
officer and our chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
We expect our general and administrative operating expenses related to our ongoing operations to increase moderately in dollar terms. During
periods of asset growth, we generally expect our general and administrative operating expenses to decline as a percentage of our total assets and increase
during periods of asset declines. Incentive fees, interest expense and costs relating to future offerings of securities, among others, may also increase or
reduce overall operating expenses based on portfolio performance, interest rate benchmarks, and offerings of our securities relative to comparative
periods, among other factors.
Portfolio and Investment Activity
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we invested approximately $596 million across 52 portfolio companies. This compares to investing
approximately $427 million in 40 portfolio companies for the year ended December 31, 2020. Investments sold, prepaid or repaid during the year ended
December 31, 2021 totaled approximately $468 million versus approximately $363 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
At December 31, 2021, our portfolio consisted of 106 portfolio companies and was invested 26.7% in cash flow senior secured loans, 27.0% in
asset-based senior secured loans / SLR Credit Solutions (“SLR Credit”), 13.5% in Kingsbridge Holdings LLC (“KBH”), 16.4% in equipment senior
secured financings / SLR Equipment Finance (“SLR Equipment”), and 16.4% in life science senior secured loans, in each case, measured at fair value,
versus 105 portfolio companies invested 18.8% in cash flow senior secured loans, 27.0% in asset-based senior secured loans / SLR Credit, 14.2% in
KBH, 18.6% in equipment senior secured financings / SLR Equipment, and 21.4% in life science senior secured loans, in each case, measured at fair
value, at December 31, 2020.
At December 31, 2021, 79.4% or $1.20 billion of our income producing investment portfolio* is floating rate and 20.6% or $313.4 million is fixed
rate, measured at fair value. At December 31, 2020, 72.1% or $1.10 billion of our income producing investment portfolio* is floating rate and 27.9% or
$425.4 million is fixed rate, measured at fair value. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had one and zero issuers on non-accrual status, respectively.
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Since inception through December 31, 2021, SLRC and its predecessor companies have invested approximately $7.3 billion in more than 320
portfolio companies. Over the same period, SLRC has completed transactions with more than 150 different financial sponsors.
* We have included SLR Credit Solutions, SLR Equipment Finance and Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC within our income producing investment
portfolio.
SLR Credit Solutions
On December 28, 2012, we acquired an equity interest in Crystal Capital Financial Holdings LLC (“Crystal Financial”) for $275 million in cash.
Crystal Financial owned approximately 98% of the outstanding ownership interest in SLR Credit Solutions (“SLR Credit”), f/k/a Crystal Financial LLC.
The remaining financial interest was held by various employees of SLR Credit, through their investment in Crystal Management LP. SLR Credit had a
diversified portfolio of 23 loans having a total par value of approximately $400 million at November 30, 2012 and a $275 million committed revolving
credit facility. On July 28, 2016, the Company purchased Crystal Management LP’s approximately 2% equity interest in SLR Credit for approximately
$5.7 million. Upon the closing of this transaction, the Company holds 100% of the equity interest in SLR Credit. On September 30, 2016, Crystal
Capital Financial Holdings LLC was dissolved. As of December 31, 2021, total commitments to the revolving credit facility are $200 million.
As of December 31, 2021, SLR Credit had 22 funded commitments to 19 different issuers with total funded loans of approximately $287.4 million
on total assets of $347.8 million. As of December 31, 2020, SLR Credit had 30 funded commitments to 24 different issuers with total funded loans of
approximately $404.1 million on total assets of $433.9 million. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the largest loan outstanding totaled
$35.0 million and $45.0 million, respectively. For the same periods, the average exposure per issuer was $15.1 million and $16.8 million,
respectively. SLR Credit’s credit facility, which is non-recourse to the Company, had approximately $100.7 million and $183.9 million of borrowings
outstanding at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, SLR Credit had net income
of $14.2 million and $23.3 million, respectively, on gross income of $34.0 million and $45.3 million, respectively. Due to timing and non-cash items,
there may be material differences between GAAP net income and cash available for distributions. As such, and subject to fluctuations in SLR Credit’s
funded commitments, the timing of originations, and the repayments of financings, the Company cannot guarantee that SLR Credit will be able to
maintain consistent dividend payments to us. SLR Credit’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and
December 31, 2020 are attached as an exhibit to this annual report on Form 10-K.
SLR Equipment Finance
On July 31, 2017, we acquired a 100% equity interest in NEF Holdings, LLC, which conducts its business through its wholly-owned subsidiary
Nations Equipment Finance, LLC. Effective February 25, 2021, Nations Equipment Finance, LLC and its related companies is doing business as SLR
Equipment Finance (“SLR Equipment”). SLR Equipment is an independent equipment finance company that provides senior secured loans and leases
primarily to U.S. based companies. We invested $209.9 million in cash to effect the transaction, of which $145.0 million was invested in the equity of
SLR Equipment through our wholly-owned consolidated taxable subsidiary NEFCORP LLC and our wholly-owned consolidated subsidiary NEFPASS
LLC and $64.9 million was used to purchase certain leases and loans held by SLR Equipment through NEFPASS LLC. Concurrent with the transaction,
SLR Equipment refinanced its existing senior secured credit facility into a $150.0 million non-recourse facility with an accordion feature to expand up
to $250.0 million. In September 2019, SLR Equipment amended the facility, increasing commitments to $214.0 million with an accordion feature to
expand up to $314.0 million and extended the maturity date of the facility to July 31, 2023.
As of December 31, 2021, SLR Equipment had 135 funded equipment-backed leases and loans to 61 different customers with a total net
investment in leases and loans of approximately $211.0 million on total assets
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of $264.0 million. As of December 31, 2020, SLR Equipment had 138 funded equipment-backed leases and loans to 61 different customers with a total
net investment in leases and loans of approximately $188.4 million on total assets of $263.4 million. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020,
the largest position outstanding totaled $19.2 million and $25.1 million, respectively. For the same periods, the average exposure per customer was
$3.5 million and $3.1 million, respectively. SLR Equipment’s credit facility, which is non-recourse to the Company, had approximately $118.0 million
and $100.6 million of borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and
2020, SLR Equipment had net losses of $9.7 million and $8.9 million, respectively, on gross income of $22.9 million and $24.5 million, respectively.
Due to timing and non-cash items, there may be material differences between GAAP net income and cash available for distributions. As such, and
subject to fluctuations in SLR Equipment’s funded commitments, the timing of originations, and the repayments of financings, the Company cannot
guarantee that SLR Equipment will be able to maintain consistent dividend payments to us. SLR Equipment’s consolidated financial statements for the
fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are attached as an exhibit to this annual report on Form 10-K.
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC
On November 3, 2020, the Company acquired 87.5% of Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC (“KBH”) through KBH Topco LLC (“KBHT”), a newly
formed Delaware corporation. KBH is a residual focused independent mid-ticket lessor of equipment primarily to U.S. investment grade companies. The
Company invested $216.6 million to effect the transaction, of which $136.6 million was invested to acquire 87.5% of KBHT’s equity and $80.0 million
in KBH’s debt. The existing management team of KBH committed to continue to lead KBH after the transaction. Post the transaction, the Company
owns 87.5% of KBHT equity and the KBH management team owns the remaining 12.5% of KBHT’s equity.
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, KBHT had total assets of $738.4 million and $744.7 million, respectively. For the same periods, debt
recourse to KBHT totaled $216.9 million and $219.0 million, respectively, and non-recourse debt totaled $323.8 million and $335.9 million,
respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2021 and the period November 3, 2020 through December 31, 2020, KBHT had net income of
$12.2 million and $2.2 million, respectively, on gross income of $245.9 million and $43.6 million, respectively. Due to timing and non-cash items, there
may be material differences between GAAP net income and cash available for distributions. As such, and subject to fluctuations in KBHT’s funded
commitments, the timing of originations, and the repayments of financings, the Company cannot guarantee that KBHT will be able to maintain
consistent dividend payments to us. KBHT’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the period November 3, 2020
to December 31, 2020 are attached as an exhibit to this annual report on Form 10-K.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with GAAP 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 consolidated
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. Within the context of these critical accounting policies and disclosed subsequent events
herein, we are not currently aware of any other reasonably likely events or circumstances that would result in materially different amounts being
reported.
Valuation of Portfolio Investments
We conduct the valuation of our assets, pursuant to which our net asset value is determined, at all times consistent with GAAP, and the 1940 Act.
Our valuation procedures are set forth in more detail in Note 2(b) to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Determination of fair value involves subjective judgments and estimates. Accordingly, the notes to our consolidated financial statements express
the uncertainty with respect to the possible effect of such valuations, and any change in such valuations, on our consolidated financial statements.
Valuation of 2022 Unsecured Notes
The Company has made an election to apply the fair value option of accounting to the 2022 Unsecured Notes, in accordance with ASC 825-10.
We believe accounting for the 2022 Unsecured Notes at fair value better aligns the measurement methodologies of assets and liabilities, which may
mitigate certain earnings volatility.
Revenue Recognition
The Company records dividend income and interest, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount, on an accrual basis.
Investments that are expected to pay regularly scheduled interest and/or dividends in cash are generally placed on non-accrual status when principal or
interest/dividend cash payments are past due 30 days or more (90 days or more for equipment financing) and/or when it is no longer probable that
principal or interest/dividend cash payments will be collected. Such non-accrual investments are restored to accrual status if past due principal and
interest or dividends are paid in cash, and in management’s judgment, are likely to continue timely payment of their remaining interest or dividend
obligations. Interest or dividend cash payments received on investments may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon
management’s judgment. Some of our investments may have contractual PIK income. PIK income computed at the contractual rate, as applicable, is
accrued and reflected as a receivable up to the capitalization date. PIK investments offer issuers the option at each payment date of making payments in
cash or in additional securities. When additional securities are received, they typically have the same terms, including maturity dates and interest rates as
the original securities issued. On these payment dates, the Company capitalizes the accrued interest or dividends receivable (reflecting such amounts as
the basis in the additional securities received). PIK generally becomes due at the maturity of the investment or upon the investment being called by the
issuer. At the point the Company believes PIK is not expected to be realized, the PIK investment will be placed on non-accrual status. When a PIK
investment is placed on non-accrual status, the accrued, uncapitalized interest or dividends is reversed from the related receivable through interest or
dividend income, respectively. The Company does not reverse previously capitalized PIK income. Upon capitalization, PIK is subject to the fair value
estimates associated with their related investments. PIK investments on non-accrual status are restored to accrual status if the Company again believes
that PIK is expected to be realized. Loan origination fees, original issue discount, and market discounts are capitalized and amortized into income using
the effective interest method. Upon the prepayment of a loan, any unamortized loan origination fees are recorded as interest income. We record
prepayment premiums on loans and other investments as interest income when we receive such amounts. Capital structuring fees are recorded as other
income when earned.
The typically higher yields and interest rates on PIK securities, to the extent we invested, reflects the payment deferral and increased credit risk
associated with such instruments and that such investments may represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans. PIK securities may have
unreliable valuations because their continuing accruals require continuing judgments about the collectability of the deferred payments and the value of
any associated collateral. PIK income has the effect of generating investment income and increasing the incentive fees payable at a compounding rate. In
addition, the deferral of PIK income also increases the loan-to-value ratio at a compounding rate. PIK securities create the risk that incentive fees will be
paid to the Investment Adviser based on non-cash accruals that ultimately may not be realized, but the Investment Adviser will be under no obligation to
reimburse the Company for these fees. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, capitalized PIK income totaled $7.6 million and
$5.4 million, respectively.
Net Realized Gain or Loss and Net Change in Unrealized Gain or Loss
We generally measure realized gain or loss by the difference between the net proceeds from the repayment or sale and the amortized cost basis of
the investment, without regard to unrealized appreciation or depreciation
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previously recognized, but considering unamortized origination or commitment fees and prepayment penalties. The net change in unrealized gain or loss
reflects the change in portfolio investment values during the reporting period, including the reversal of previously recorded unrealized gain or loss, when
gains or losses are realized. Gains or losses on investments are calculated by using the specific identification method.
Income Taxes
SLRC, a U.S. corporation, has elected to be treated, and intends to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify
for U.S. federal income taxation as a RIC, the Company is required, among other things, to timely distribute to its stockholders at least 90% of
investment company taxable income, as defined by the Code, for each year. Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a given tax year, we
may choose to carry forward taxable income in excess of current year distributions into the next tax year and pay a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal 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 distributions, the Company accrues an estimated excise tax, if any, on estimated excess taxable income.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of
Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” The guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contract
modifications, hedging relationships and other transactions, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected
to be discontinued because of the reference rate reform. ASU 2020-04 is effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. The
Company is evaluating the potential impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on the Company’s financial statements.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Results comparisons are for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Results for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2019 can be found in Item 7 of the Company’s report on Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2021, which is incorporated by reference herein.
Investment Income
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, gross investment income totaled $139.4 million and $121.7 million, respectively. The
increase in gross investment income for the year over year periods was primarily due to growth in the size of the income producing portfolio.
Expenses
Expenses totaled $78.4 million and $62.5 million, respectively, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, of which $38.6 million
and $27.2 million, respectively, were base management fees and performance-based incentive fees and $29.9 million and $27.2 million, respectively,
were interest and other credit facility expenses. Administrative services and other general and administrative expenses totaled $9.9 million and
$8.2 million, respectively, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Expenses generally consist of management and performance-based
incentive fees, interest and other credit facility expenses, administrative services fees, insurance expenses, legal fees, directors’ fees, transfer agency
fees, printing and proxy expenses, audit and tax services expenses, and other general and administrative expenses. Interest and other credit facility
expenses generally consist of interest, unused fees, agency fees and loan origination fees, if any, among others. The increase in expenses from 2020 to
2021 was primarily driven by a larger income producing investment portfolio, which resulted in higher management and incentive fees as well as higher
interest costs. Additionally, higher general and administrative expenses resulted from expenses related to the potential merger with SLR Senior
Investment Corp.
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Net Investment Income
The Company’s net investment income totaled $60.9 million and $59.2 million, or $1.44 and $1.40, per average share, respectively, for the fiscal
years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Net Realized Gain (Loss)
The Company had investment sales and prepayments totaling approximately $468 million and $363 million, respectively, for the fiscal years
ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Net realized gain (loss) over the same periods were $0.03 million and ($26.6) million, respectively. Net realized
gain for fiscal year 2021 was de minimis. Net realized loss for fiscal year 2020 was primarily related to the exit of our investment in IHS Intermediate,
Inc.
Net Change in Unrealized Loss
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, net change in unrealized loss on the Company’s assets and liabilities totaled $1.4 million
and $17.1 million, respectively. Net unrealized loss for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 is primarily due to depreciation in the value of our
investments in American Teleconferencing Services, Ltd., Rug Doctor and SOAGG LLC, among others, partially offset by appreciation in the value of
our investments in KBH Topco, LLC, SLR Credit Solutions and PhyMed Management LLC, among others. Net unrealized loss for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2020 is primarily due to depreciation in the value of our investments in NEF Holdings LLC, Rug Doctor, PhyMed Management LLC,
SOINT, LLC and SOAGG LLC, among others, partially offset by the reversal of previously recognized unrealized depreciation in the value of our
investment in IHS Intermediate, Inc. and unrealized appreciation in the value of our investments in Crystal Financial LLC and B. Riley Financial Inc.,
among others.
Net Increase in Net Assets From Operations
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had a net increase in net assets resulting from operations of $59.6 million
and $15.5 million, respectively. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, earnings per average share were $1.41 and $0.37, respectively.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The Company’s liquidity and capital resources are generated and generally available through its Credit Facility (as defined below), the 2022
Unsecured Notes, the 2022 Tranche C Notes, the 2023 Unsecured Notes, the 2024 Unsecured Notes, the 2026 Unsecured Notes and the 2027 Unsecured
Notes, through cash flows from operations, investment sales, prepayments of senior and subordinated loans, income earned on investments and cash
equivalents, and periodic follow-on equity and/or debt offerings. As of December 31, 2021, we had a total of $377.5 million of unused borrowing
capacity under the Credit Facility, subject to borrowing base limits.
We may from time to time issue equity and/or debt securities in either public or private offerings. The issuance of such securities will depend on
future market conditions, funding needs and other factors and there can be no assurance that any such issuance will occur or be successful. The primary
uses of existing funds and any funds raised in the future is expected to be for investments in portfolio companies, repayment of indebtedness, cash
distributions to our stockholders, or for other general corporate purposes.
On December 28, 2021, the Company closed on Amendment No. 1 to its August 28, 2019 senior secured credit agreement (the “Credit Facility”).
Post amendment, the Credit Facility is composed of $600 million of revolving credit and $100 million of term loans. Borrowings generally bear interest
at a rate per annum equal to the base rate plus a range of 1.75%-2.00% or the alternate base rate plus 0.75%-1.00%. The Credit Facility has a 0% floor
and matures in December 2026 and includes ratable amortization in the final year.
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On December 28, 2021, the Company prepaid and terminated the NEFPASS SPV LLC credit facility, dated September 26, 2018.
On September 14, 2021, the Company closed a private offering of $50,000 of the 2027 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 2.95% and a
maturity date of March 14, 2027. Interest on the 2027 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on March 14 and September 14. The 2027 Unsecured
Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On February 12, 2020, a new lender to the Company executed a commitment increase to the Credit Facility providing for an additional
$75.0 million of revolving credit, bringing the Credit Facility’s total revolving credit capacity to $545.0 million.
On December 18, 2019, the Company closed a private offering of $125 million of the 2024 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.20%
and a maturity date of December 15, 2024. Interest on the 2024 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on June 15 and December 15. The 2024
Unsecured Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On December 18, 2019, the Company closed a private offering of $75 million of the 2026 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.375%
and a maturity date of December 15, 2026. Interest on the 2026 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on June 15 and December 15. The 2026
Unsecured Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On December 28, 2017, the Company closed a private offering of $21 million of the 2022 Tranche C Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.50% and
a maturity date of December 28, 2022. Interest on the 2022 Tranche C Notes is due semi-annually on June 28 and December 28. The 2022 Tranche C
Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On November 22, 2017, we issued $75 million in aggregate principal amount of publicly registered 2023 Unsecured Notes for net proceeds of
$73.8 million. Interest on the 2023 Unsecured Notes is paid semi-annually on January 20 and July 20, at a fixed rate of 4.50% per year, commencing on
January 20, 2018. The 2023 Unsecured Notes mature on January 20, 2023.
On February 15, 2017, the Company closed a private offering of $100 million of the 2022 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.60% and
a maturity date of May 8, 2022. Interest on the 2022 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on May 8 and November 8. The 2022 Unsecured Notes were
issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On November 8, 2016, the Company closed a private offering of $50 million of the 2022 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.40% and
a maturity date of May 8, 2022. Interest on the 2022 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on May 8 and November 8. The 2022 Unsecured Notes were
issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On January 11, 2013, the Company closed its most recent follow-on public equity offering of 6.3 million shares of common stock raising
approximately $146.9 million in net proceeds. The primary uses of the funds raised were for investments in portfolio companies, reductions in revolving
debt outstanding and for other general corporate purposes.
Cash Equivalents
We deem certain U.S. Treasury bills, repurchase agreements and other high-quality, short-term debt securities as cash equivalents. The Company
makes purchases that are consistent with its purpose of making investments in securities described in paragraphs 1 through 3 of Section 55(a) of the
1940 Act. From time to
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time, including at or near the end of each fiscal quarter, we consider using various temporary investment strategies for our business. One strategy
includes taking proactive steps by utilizing cash equivalents as temporary assets with the objective of enhancing our investment flexibility pursuant to
Section 55 of the 1940 Act. More specifically, from time-to-time we may purchase U.S. Treasury bills or other high-quality, short-term debt securities at
or near the end of the quarter and typically close out the position on a net cash basis subsequent to quarter end. We may also utilize repurchase
agreements or other balance sheet transactions, including drawing down on the Credit Facility, as deemed appropriate. The amount of these transactions
or such drawn cash for this purpose is excluded from total assets for purposes of computing the asset base upon which the management fee is
determined. We held approximately $320 million in cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021.
Debt
Unsecured Notes
On September 14, 2021, the Company closed a private offering of $50,000 of the 2027 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 2.95% and a
maturity date of March 14, 2027. Interest on the 2027 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on March 14 and September 14. The 2027 Unsecured
Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On December 18, 2019, the Company closed a private offering of $125 million of the 2024 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.20%
and a maturity date of December 15, 2024. Interest on the 2024 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on June 15 and December 15. The 2024
Unsecured Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On December 18, 2019, the Company closed a private offering of $75 million of the 2026 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.375%
and a maturity date of December 15, 2026. Interest on the 2026 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on June 15 and December 15. The 2026
Unsecured Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On December 28, 2017, the Company closed a private offering of $21 million of the 2022 Tranche C Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.50% and
a maturity date of December 28, 2022. Interest on the 2022 Tranche C Notes is due semi-annually on June 28 and December 28. The 2022 Tranche C
Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On November 22, 2017, we issued $75 million in aggregate principal amount of publicly registered 2023 Unsecured Notes for net proceeds of
$73.8 million. Interest on the 2023 Unsecured Notes is paid semi-annually on January 20 and July 20, at a fixed rate of 4.50% per year, commencing on
January 20, 2018. The 2023 Unsecured Notes mature on January 20, 2023.
On February 15, 2017, the Company closed a private offering of $100 million of the 2022 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.60% and
a maturity date of May 8, 2022. Interest on the 2022 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on May 8 and November 8. The 2022 Unsecured Notes were
issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On November 8, 2016, the Company closed a private offering of $50 million of the 2022 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.40% and
a maturity date of May 8, 2022. Interest on the 2022 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on May 8 and November 8. The 2022 Unsecured Notes were
issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
Revolving & Term Loan Facilities
On December 28, 2021, the Company closed on Amendment No. 1 to its August 28, 2019 senior secured credit agreement. Post amendment, the
Credit Facility is composed of $600 million of revolving credit and
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$100 million of term loans. Borrowings generally bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the base rate plus a range of 1.75%-2.00% or the alternate
base rate plus 0.75%-1.00%. The Credit Facility has a 0% floor and matures in December 2026 and includes ratable amortization in the final year. The
Credit Facility may be increased up to $800 million with additional new lenders or an increase in commitments from current lenders. The Credit Facility
contains certain customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. In addition, the Credit Facility contains certain financial covenants
that among other things, requires the Company to maintain a minimum shareholder’s equity and a minimum asset coverage ratio. At December 31,
2021, outstanding USD equivalent borrowings under the Credit Facility totaled $322.5 million, composed of $222.5 million of revolving credit and
$100.0 million of term loans.
On December 28, 2021, the Company prepaid and terminated the NEFPASS SPV LLC credit facility, dated September 26, 2018.
Certain covenants on our issued debt may restrict our business activities, including limitations that could hinder our ability to finance additional
loans and investments or to make the distributions required to maintain our status as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. At December 31, 2021, the
Company was in compliance with all financial and operational covenants required by our credit facilities.
Contractual Obligations
A summary of our significant contractual payment obligations is as follows as of December 31, 2021:
Payments Due by Period (in millions)
Credit Facility (1)
Unsecured senior notes
Term Loans
Total
$222.5
496.0
100.0
Less than
1 Year
$ —
171.0
—
1-3 Years
$ —
200.0
—
3-5 Years
$ 222.5
75.0
100.0
More Than
5 Years
$ —
50.0
—
(1) As of December 31, 2021, we had a total of $377.5 million of unused borrowing capacity under the Credit Facility, subject to borrowing base
limits.
Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we are permitted, as a BDC, to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as
defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% of gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance
of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy the asset coverage test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a
portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our leverage, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be
disadvantageous. Also, any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness would not be available for distributions to our common stockholders.
Furthermore, as a result of issuing senior securities, we would also be exposed to typical risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of
loss.
We have also entered into two contracts under which we have future commitments: the Advisory Agreement, pursuant to which SLR Capital
Partners, LLC has agreed to serve as our investment adviser, and the Administration Agreement, pursuant to which the Administrator has agreed to
furnish us with the facilities and administrative services necessary to conduct our day-to-day operations and provide on our behalf managerial assistance
to those portfolio companies to which we are required to provide such assistance. Payments under the Advisory Agreement are equal to (1) a percentage
of the value of our average gross assets and (2) a two-part incentive fee. Payments under the Administration Agreement are equal to an amount based
upon our allocable portion of the Administrator’s overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent,
technology systems, insurance and our allocable portion of the costs of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and their respective
staffs. Either party may terminate each of the Advisory Agreement and administration agreement without penalty upon 60 days’ written notice to the
other. See note 3 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
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On July 31, 2017, the Company, NEFPASS LLC and NEFCORP LLC entered into a servicing agreement. NEFCORP LLC was engaged to
provide NEFPASS LLC with administrative services related to the loans and capital leases held by NEFPASS LLC. NEFPASS LLC may terminate this
agreement upon 30 days’ written notice to NEFCORP LLC.
Senior Securities
Information about our senior securities is shown in the following table (in thousands) as of each year ended December 31 for the past ten years,
unless otherwise noted. The “—” indicates information which the SEC expressly does not require to be disclosed for certain types of senior securities.
Class and Year
Revolving Credit Facility
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2020
Fiscal 2019
Fiscal 2018
Fiscal 2017
Fiscal 2016
Fiscal 2015
Fiscal 2014
Fiscal 2013
Fiscal 2012
2022 Unsecured Notes
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2020
Fiscal 2019
Fiscal 2018
Fiscal 2017
Fiscal 2016
2022 Tranche C Notes
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2020
Fiscal 2019
Fiscal 2018
Fiscal 2017
2023 Unsecured Notes
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2020
Fiscal 2019
Fiscal 2018
Fiscal 2017
2024 Unsecured Notes
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2020
Fiscal 2019
2026 Unsecured Notes
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2020
Fiscal 2019
Total Amount
Outstanding(1)
Asset
Coverage
Per Unit(2)
Involuntary
Liquidating
Preference
Per Unit(3)
Average
Market Value
Per Unit(4)
$
222,500
126,000
42,900
96,400
245,600
115,200
207,900
—
—
264,452
150,000
150,000
150,000
150,000
150,000
50,000
21,000
21,000
21,000
21,000
21,000
75,000
75,000
75,000
75,000
75,000
125,000
125,000
125,000
75,000
75,000
75,000
91
$
552
421
182
593
1,225
990
1,459
—
—
1,510
372
501
638
923
748
430
52
70
89
129
105
186
250
319
461
374
309
417
531
186
250
319
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Table of Contents
Class and Year
2027 Unsecured Notes
Fiscal 2021
2042 Unsecured Notes
Fiscal 2017
Fiscal 2016
Fiscal 2015
Fiscal 2014
Fiscal 2013
Fiscal 2012
Senior Secured Notes
Fiscal 2017
Fiscal 2016
Fiscal 2015
Fiscal 2014
Fiscal 2013
Fiscal 2012
Term Loans
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2020
Fiscal 2019
Fiscal 2018
Fiscal 2017
Fiscal 2016
Fiscal 2015
Fiscal 2014
Fiscal 2013
Fiscal 2012
NEFPASS Facility
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2020
Fiscal 2019
Fiscal 2018
SSLP Facility
Fiscal 2019
Fiscal 2018
Total Senior Securities
Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2020
Fiscal 2019
Fiscal 2018
Fiscal 2017
Fiscal 2016
Fiscal 2015
Fiscal 2014
Fiscal 2013
Fiscal 2012
Total Amount
Outstanding(1)
Asset
Coverage
Per Unit(2)
$
50,000
$
124
—
100,000
100,000
100,000
100,000
100,000
—
75,000
75,000
75,000
75,000
75,000
100,000
75,000
75,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
50,000
—
30,000
30,000
30,000
—
53,785
818,500
677,000
593,900
476,185
541,600
390,200
432,900
225,000
225,000
489,452
—
859
702
2,294
2,411
571
—
645
527
1,721
1,808
428
248
250
319
308
250
430
351
1,147
1,206
285
—
100
128
185
—
331
2,029
2,259
2,525
2,930
2,702
3,354
3,039
5,162
5,425
2,794
Involuntary
Liquidating
Preference
Per Unit(3)
Average
Market Value
Per Unit(4)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
$
N/A
N/A
1,002
982
943
934
923
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
(1)
Total amount of each class of senior securities outstanding (in thousands) at the end of the period presented.
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(2)
(3)
The asset coverage ratio for a class of senior securities representing indebtedness is calculated as our consolidated total assets, less all liabilities
and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, divided by all senior securities representing indebtedness. This asset coverage ratio is
multiplied by one thousand to determine the Asset Coverage Per Unit. In order to determine the specific Asset Coverage Per Unit for each class of
debt, the total Asset Coverage Per Unit is allocated based on the amount outstanding in each class of debt at the end of the period. As of
December 31, 2021, asset coverage was 202.9%.
The amount to which such class of senior security would be entitled upon the involuntary liquidation of the issuer in preference to any security
junior to it.
(4) Not applicable except for the 2042 Unsecured Notes which were publicly traded. The Average Market Value Per Unit is calculated by taking the
daily average closing price during the period and dividing it by twenty-five dollars per share and multiplying the result by one thousand to
determine a unit price per thousand consistent with Asset Coverage Per Unit. The average market value for the fiscal 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and
2012 periods was $100,175, $98,196, $94,301, $93,392, and $92,302, respectively.
The following is a schedule of financial highlights for the respective years:
Per Share Data: (a)
Net asset value, beginning of year
Net investment income
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
Net increase in net assets resulting from
operations
Distributions to stockholders (see note
8a):
From net investment income
From net realized gains
From return of capital
Anti-dilution
Net asset value, end of year
Per share market value, end of year
Total Return(b)
Net assets, end of year
Shares outstanding, end of year
Ratios to average net assets:
Net investment income
Operating expenses
Interest and other credit facility
expenses**
Total expenses
Average debt outstanding
Portfolio turnover ratio
Year ended
December 31,
2016
Year ended
December 31,
2015
Year ended
December 31,
2014
Year ended
December 31,
2013
Year ended
December 31,
2012
$
$
$
20.79
1.68
0.84
2.52
(1.60)
—
—
0.03
21.74
20.82
37.49%
$
$
$
22.05
1.52
(1.18)
0.34
(1.60)
—
—
—
20.79
16.43
(0.29)%
$
$
$
22.50
1.56
(0.43)
1.13
(1.55)
—
(0.05)
0.02
22.05
18.01
(13.58)%
$
$
$
22.70
1.91
(0.22)
1.69
(1.55)
(0.46)
—
0.12
22.50
22.55
2.82%
$
$
$
22.02
2.20
0.91
3.11
(2.27)
(0.16)
—
—
22.70
23.91
20.03%
$
918,507
42,248,525
$
882,698
42,464,762
$
936,568
42,465,162
$
995,637
44,244,195
$
878,273
38,694,060
7.91%
6.25%
2.73%
8.98%
6.94%
3.84%*
1.68%
5.52%*
6.93%
4.24%
1.50%
5.74%
8.43%
5.82%
1.99%
7.81%
9.79%
6.25%
2.28%
8.53%
$
495,795
$
262,341
$
225,000
$
318,186
$
237,859
31.0%
13.0%
53.7%
25.6%
54.7%
(a) Calculated using the average shares outstanding method.
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Table of Contents
(b)
*
**
Total return is based on the change in market price per share during the year and takes into account distributions, if any, reinvested in accordance
with the dividend reinvestment plan. Total return does not include a sales load.
The ratio of operating expenses to average net assets and the ratio of total expenses to average net assets is shown net of a voluntary incentive fee
waiver (see note 3).
For the year ended December 31, 2015, the ratios of operating expenses to average net assets and total expenses to average net assets would be
4.02% and 5.70%, respectively, without the voluntary incentive fee waiver.
Ratios shown without the non-recurring costs associated with the amendments and establishment of the Credit Facility and 2022 Unsecured Notes
would be 2.39%, 1.68%, 1.50%, 1.74% and 1.41%, respectively for the years shown.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
From time-to-time and in the normal course of business, the Company may make unfunded capital commitments to current or prospective
portfolio companies. Typically, the Company may agree to provide delayed-draw term loans or, to a lesser extent, revolving loan or equity
commitments. These unfunded capital commitments always take into account the Company’s liquidity and cash available for investment, portfolio and
issuer diversification, and other considerations. Accordingly, the Company had the following unfunded capital commitments at December 31, 2021 and
December 31, 2020, respectively:
(in millions)
SLR Credit Solutions*
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Glooko, Inc.
BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.
CC SAG Holdings Corp. (Spectrum Automotive)
Inszone Mid, LLC
One Touch Direct, LLC
Rezolute, Inc.
Maurices, Incorporated
SLR Equipment Finance
NAC Holdings Corporation
Ivy Fertility Services, LLC
SOC Telemed, Inc.
RQM+ Corp.
Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc.
Kid Distro Holdings, LLC
Foundation Consumer Brands, LLC
Neuronetics, Inc.
MMIT Holdings, LLC
Basic Fun, Inc.
Pinnacle Treatment Centers, Inc.
SunMed Group Holdings, LLC
Ultimate Baked Goods Midco LLC
American Teleconferencing Services, Ltd.
Smile Doctors LLC
Soleo Health Holdings, Inc.
94
December 31,
2021
December 31,
2020
$
44.3
43.5
25.1
23.0
18.8
12.5
7.2
5.7
5.7
5.0
4.8
4.5
4.4
3.8
3.7
2.7
2.3
2.2
2.0
1.9
1.4
0.8
0.8
0.6
—
—
$
44.3
—
—
—
—
—
5.0
—
—
4.2
—
—
—
—
3.5
—
—
6.7
—
1.1
1.4
—
—
—
26.7
7.4
Table of Contents
(in millions)
Cardiva Medical, Inc.
Kindred Biosciences, Inc.
PQ Bypass, Inc.
Centrexion Therapeutics, Inc.
Sentry Data Systems, Inc.
Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc.
Total Commitments
December 31,
2021
December 31,
2020
$
$
—
—
—
—
—
—
226.7
$
$
7.3
6.9
5.0
3.8
1.6
1.3
126.2
* The Company controls the funding of the SLR Credit Solutions commitment and may cancel it at its discretion.
The credit agreements of the above loan commitments contain customary lending provisions and/or are subject to the portfolio company’s
achievement of certain milestones that allow relief to the Company from funding obligations for previously made commitments in instances where the
underlying company experiences materially adverse events that affect the financial condition or business outlook for the company. Since these
commitments may expire without being drawn upon, unfunded commitments do not necessarily represent future cash requirements or future earning
assets for the Company. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had sufficient cash available and/or liquid securities available
to fund its commitments and had reviewed them for any appropriate fair value adjustment.
In the normal course of its business, we invest or trade in various financial instruments and may enter into various investment activities with
off-balance sheet risk, which may include forward foreign currency contracts. Generally, these financial instruments represent future commitments to
purchase or sell other financial instruments at specific terms at future dates. These financial instruments contain varying degrees of off-balance sheet
risk whereby changes in the market value or our satisfaction of the obligations may exceed the amount recognized in our Consolidated Statements of
Assets and Liabilities. Distributions
The following table reflects the cash distributions per share on our common stock for the two most recent fiscal years and the current fiscal year to
date:
Date Declared
Fiscal 2022
March 1, 2022
Fiscal 2021
November 3, 2021
August 3, 2021
May 5, 2021
February 24, 2021
Total 2021
Fiscal 2020
November 5, 2020
August 4, 2020
May 7, 2020
February 20, 2020
Total 2020
Record Date
Payment Date
Amount
March 18, 2022
April 1, 2022
December 16, 2021
September 23, 2021
June 23, 2021
March 18, 2021
January 5, 2022
October 5, 2021
July 2, 2021
April 2, 2021
December 17, 2020
September 17, 2020
June 18, 2020
March 19, 2020
January 5, 2021
October 2, 2020
July 2, 2020
April 3, 2020
$
$
$
$
$
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
1.64
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
1.64
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Table of Contents
Tax characteristics of all distributions will be reported to stockholders on Form 1099 after the end of the calendar year. Future quarterly
distributions, if any, will be determined by our Board. We expect that our distributions to stockholders will generally be from accumulated net
investment income, from net realized capital gains or non-taxable return of capital, if any, as applicable.
We have elected to be taxed as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To maintain our RIC tax treatment, we must distribute at least 90% of our
ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, out of the assets legally available for
distribution. In addition, although we currently intend to distribute realized net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of short-term
capital losses), if any, at least annually, out of the assets legally available for such distributions, we may in the future decide to retain such capital gains
for investment.
We maintain an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan for our common stockholders. As a result, if we declare a distribution, then stockholders’
cash distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, unless they specifically “opt out” of the dividend
reinvestment plan so as to receive cash distributions.
We may not be able to achieve operating results that will allow us to make distributions at a specific level or to increase the amount of these
distributions from time to time. In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a business development company, we may in the future be
limited in our ability to make distributions. Also, the Credit Facility may limit our ability to declare distributions if we default under certain provisions.
If we do not distribute a certain percentage of our income annually, we will suffer adverse tax consequences, including possible loss of the tax benefits
available to us as a regulated investment company. In addition, in accordance with GAAP and tax regulations, we include in income certain amounts that
we have not yet received in cash, such as contractual payment-in-kind income, which represents contractual income added to the loan balance that
becomes due at the end of the loan term, or the accrual of original issue or market discount. Since we may recognize income before or without receiving
cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income to
obtain tax benefits as a regulated investment company.
With respect to the distributions to stockholders, income from origination, structuring, closing and certain other upfront fees associated with
investments in portfolio companies are treated as taxable income and accordingly, distributed to stockholders.
Related Parties
We have entered into a number of business relationships with affiliated or related parties, including the following:
•
We have entered into the Advisory Agreement with SLR Capital Partners. Mr. Gross, our Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and
President and Mr. Spohler, our Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and board member, are managing members and senior
investment professionals of, and have financial and controlling interests in, the Investment Adviser. In addition, Mr. Peteka, our Chief
Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary serves as the Chief Financial Officer for SLR Capital Partners.
•
The Administrator provides us with the office facilities and administrative services necessary to conduct day-to-day operations pursuant to
our Administration Agreement. We reimburse the Administrator for the allocable portion 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 the compensation of our chief compliance officer, our chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
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Table of Contents
•
We have entered into a license agreement with the Investment Adviser, pursuant to which the Investment Adviser has granted us a
non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the licensed marks “SOLAR” and “SLR”.
The Investment Adviser may also manage other funds in the future that may have investment mandates that are similar, in whole and in part, with
ours. For example, the Investment Adviser presently serves as investment adviser to SLR Senior Investment Corp., a publicly traded BDC, which
focuses on investing in senior secured loans, including first lien and second lien debt instruments, as well as SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, an
unlisted BDC that focuses on investing primarily in senior secured loans, including non-traditional asset-based loans and first lien loans and SLR HC
BDC LLC, an unlisted BDC whose principal focus is to invest directly and indirectly in senior secured loans and other debt instruments typically to
middle market companies within the healthcare industry. In addition, Michael S. Gross, our Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, Bruce
Spohler, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and Richard L. Peteka, our Chief Financial Officer, serve in similar capacities for
SLR Senior Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC and SLR HC BDC LLC. The Investment Adviser and certain investment advisory
affiliates may determine that an investment is appropriate for us and for one or more of those other funds. In such event, depending on the availability of
such investment and other appropriate factors, the Investment Adviser or its affiliates may determine that we should invest side-by-side with one or
more other funds. Any such investments will be made only to the extent permitted by applicable law and interpretive positions of the SEC and its staff,
and consistent with the Investment Adviser’s allocation procedures. On June 13, 2017, the Adviser received an exemptive order that permits the
Company to participate in negotiated co-investment transactions with certain affiliates, in a manner consistent with the Company’s investment objective,
positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, and pursuant to various conditions (the
“Order”). If the Company is unable to rely on the Order for a particular opportunity, such opportunity will be allocated first to the entity whose
investment strategy is the most consistent with the opportunity being allocated, and second, if the terms of the opportunity are consistent with more than
one entity’s investment strategy, on an alternating basis. Although the Adviser’s investment professionals will endeavor to allocate investment
opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, the Company and its stockholders could be adversely affected to the extent investment opportunities are
allocated among us and other investment vehicles managed or sponsored by, or affiliated with, our executive officers, directors and members of the
Adviser.
Related party transactions may occur among SLR Investment Corp., SLR Credit Solutions, Equipment Operating Leases LLC, Kingsbridge
Holdings, LLC, Loyer Capital LLC, SLR Business Credit, SLR Healthcare ABL and SLR Equipment Finance. These transactions may occur in the
normal course of business. No administrative or other fees are paid to SLR Capital Partners by SLR Credit Solutions, Equipment Operating Leases LLC,
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC, Loyer Capital LLC, SLR Business Credit, SLR Healthcare ABL or SLR Equipment Finance.
In addition, we have adopted a formal code of ethics that governs the conduct of our officers and directors. Our officers and directors also remain
subject to the duties imposed by both the 1940 Act and the Maryland General Corporation Law.
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk
We are subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. In addition, U.S. and global capital markets and credit markets have
experienced a higher level of stress due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in an increase in the level of volatility across such
markets and a general decline in value of the securities that we hold. Because we fund a portion of our investments with borrowings, our net investment
income is affected by the difference between the rate at which we invest and the rate at which we borrow. As a result, there can be no assurance that a
significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. In connection with the COVID-19
pandemic, the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks have reduced certain interest rates and LIBOR has decreased. In a prolonged low interest
rate environment, including a reduction of LIBOR to zero, the difference between the total
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Table of Contents
interest income earned on interest earning assets and the total interest expense incurred on interest bearing liabilities may be compressed, reducing our
net interest income and potentially adversely affecting our operating results. Conversely, in a rising interest rate environment, such difference could
potentially increase thereby increasing our net investment income. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, certain of the investments in our
comprehensive investment portfolio had floating interest rates. These floating rate investments were primarily based on floating LIBOR and typically
have durations of one to three months after which they reset to current market interest rates. Additionally, some of these investments have LIBOR floors.
The Company also has revolving credit facilities that are generally based on floating LIBOR. Assuming no changes to our balance sheet as of
December 31, 2021 and no new defaults by portfolio companies, a hypothetical one percent decrease in LIBOR on our comprehensive floating rate
assets and liabilities would increase our net investment income by two cents per average share over the next twelve months. Assuming no changes to our
balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 and no new defaults by portfolio companies, a hypothetical one percent increase in LIBOR on our
comprehensive floating rate assets and liabilities would decrease our net investment income by approximately six cents per average share over the next
twelve months. However, we may hedge against interest rate fluctuations from time-to-time by using standard hedging instruments such as futures,
options, swaps and forward contracts subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. While hedging activities may insulate us against adverse changes in
interest rates, they may also limit our ability to participate in any benefits of certain changes in interest rates with respect to our portfolio of investments.
At December 31, 2021, we have no interest rate hedging instruments outstanding on our balance sheet.
Increase (Decrease) in LIBOR
Increase (Decrease) in Net Investment Income Per Share Per Year
(1.00%)
0.02
1.00%
$(0.06)
We may also have exposure to foreign currencies through various investments. These investments are converted into U.S. dollars at the balance
sheet date, exposing us to movements in foreign exchange rates. In order to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, we may
borrow from time-to-time in such currencies under our multi-currency revolving credit facility or enter into forward currency or similar contracts.
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Table of Contents
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2021 and 2020
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Consolidated Schedules of Investments as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
99
Page
100
101
104
105
106
107
108
124
Table of Contents
MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, and for performing an assessment
of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021. 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. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and
procedures that (i) pertain to assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation
of consolidated 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 (iii) 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
consolidated financial statements.
Management performed an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021
based upon criteria in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission (“COSO”). Based on our assessment, management determined that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as
of December 31, 2021 based on the criteria on Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.
The effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 has been audited by KPMG LLP, an
independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein.
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To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
SLR Investment Corp. (formerly, Solar Capital Ltd.):
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of assets and liabilities, including the consolidated schedules of investments, of SLR
Investment Corp. (and subsidiaries) (the Company) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in net
assets, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated
financial statements). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria
established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of
December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2021,
in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework
(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
Basis for Opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial
reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying management’s report on
internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and an opinion
on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S.
federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether
effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated
financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test
basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities
owned as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, by correspondence with the custodian, portfolio companies or agents. Our audits also included evaluating the
accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial
statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting,
assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the
assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits
provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
101
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Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
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.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was
communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the
consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit
matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical
audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Fair value of investments and certain financial liabilities
As described in Notes 2 and 6 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company measures its investments at fair value and has made an
irrevocable election to apply the fair value option of accounting to certain financial liabilities. Investments and certain financial liabilities are
valued using a market approach, an income approach, or both approaches, as applicable. In determining the fair value of investments and financial
liabilities whose market quotations are not readily available, the Company makes subjective judgments and estimates using unobservable inputs.
As of December 31, 2021, the fair value of such investments and financial liabilities was $1.7 billion and $150 million, respectively.
We identified the assessment of the fair value of investments and certain financial liabilities with no readily determinable market value as a critical
audit matter. A high degree of auditor judgment was required to assess the Company’s fair value assumptions. Specifically, subjective auditor
judgment was required to assess the (1) credit risk associated with the borrower and its ability to make interest and principal payments for debt
investments, (2) selection of comparable companies and the financial performance multiples of such comparable companies used in the market
approach for equity investments and (3) market yields of comparable companies of similar credit risk used in the income approach for financial
liabilities. Additionally, the involvement of valuation professionals with specialized skills and knowledge was required to assist in evaluating the
Company’s fair value estimates.
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the design and tested the operating
effectiveness of certain internal controls over the Company’s process to measure the fair value of investments and certain financial liabilities,
including controls related to the development of the above assumptions. For recently purchased investments we evaluated changes in the
borrowers assessed credit risk and market yields from the purchase date to year end. We evaluated the Company’s ability to estimate fair value by
comparing dispositions to the Company’s most recent fair value
102
Table of Contents
estimate prior to the disposition. We also involved valuation professionals with specialized skills and knowledge, who for a selection of
investments and financial liabilities developed estimates of fair value by assessing available market information using market yields of
comparable companies of similar credit risk, for debt investments and financial liabilities fair valued using an income approach, and financial
performance multiples of comparable companies, for equity investments fair valued using a market approach, and compared the results to the
Company’s fair value estimates.
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2007.
New York, New York
March 1, 2022
/s/ KPMG LLP
103
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
(in thousands, except share amounts)
December 31,
2021
December 31,
2020
Assets
Investments at fair value:
Companies less than 5% owned (cost: $985,088 and $832,507, respectively)
Companies more than 25% owned (cost: $711,865 and $724,428, respectively)
Cash
Cash equivalents (cost: $320,000 and $379,997, respectively)
Dividends receivable
Interest receivable
Receivable for investments sold
Prepaid expenses and other assets
Total assets
Liabilities
Debt ($818,500 and $677,000 face amounts, respectively, reported net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $6,462
and $5,549, respectively. See notes 6 and 7)
Payable for investments and cash equivalents purchased
Distributions payable
Management fee payable (see note 3)
Performance-based incentive fee payable (see note 3)
Interest payable (see note 7)
Administrative services payable (see note 3)
Other liabilities and accrued expenses
Total liabilities
Commitments and contingencies (see note 11)
$
964,379 $
706,203
2,935
320,000
9,028
6,521
1,378
567
822,298
709,653
8,779
379,997
7,927
6,478
255
571
$ 2,011,011 $ 1,935,958
$
812,038 $
320,041
17,327
7,435
1,864
4,492
2,689
2,844
671,451
380,038
17,327
6,535
792
3,416
1,946
2,430
$ 1,168,730 $ 1,083,935
Net Assets
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 200,000,000 and 200,000,000 common shares authorized, respectively, and
42,260,826 and 42,260,826 shares issued and outstanding, respectively
Paid-in capital in excess of par (see note 2f)
Accumulated distributable net loss (see note 2f)
Total net assets
Net Asset Value Per Share
$
$
$
423 $
936,999
(95,141)
842,281 $
423
962,481
(110,881)
852,023
19.93 $
20.16
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Year ended December 31,
2020
2021
2019
INVESTMENT INCOME:
Interest:
Companies less than 5% owned
Companies more than 25% owned
Dividends:
Companies less than 5% owned
Companies more than 25% owned
Other income:
Companies less than 5% owned
Companies more than 25% owned
Total investment income
EXPENSES:
Management fees (see note 3)
Performance-based incentive fees (see note 3)
Interest and other credit facility expenses (see note 7)
Administrative services expense (see note 3)
Other general and administrative expenses
Total expenses
Net investment income
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS AND CASH EQUIVALENTS:
Net realized gain (loss) on investments and cash equivalents:
Companies less than 5% owned
Companies more than 25% owned
Net realized gain (loss) on investments and cash equivalents
Net realized loss on extinguishment of debt:
Net realized gain (loss)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments and cash equivalents:
Companies less than 5% owned
Companies more than 25% owned
Net change in unrealized loss
NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS
Net realized and unrealized loss on investments and cash equivalents
$ 86,122 $ 84,143 $106,099
5,429
11,354
8,861
133
37,564
50
26,794
56
39,382
4,157
24
139,354
1,885
12
121,745
3,727
18
154,711
28,277
10,309
29,876
5,575
4,390
78,427
26,774
18,111
28,901
5,265
3,215
82,266
$ 60,927 $ 59,215 $ 72,445
24,951
2,272
27,156
5,215
2,936
62,530
$
26 $ (26,638) $
—
26
—
26
—
(26,638)
—
(26,638)
754
(661)
93
(1,853)
(1,760)
(10,500)
9,113
(1,387)
(1,361)
(14,861)
192
(14,669)
(16,429)
$ 59,566 $ 15,451 $ 56,016
8,970
(26,096)
(17,126)
(43,764)
EARNINGS PER SHARE (see note 5)
$
1.41 $
0.37 $
1.33
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
105
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Year ended December 31,
2020
2021
2019
$ 60,927 $ 59,215 $ 72,445
(1,760)
(14,669)
56,016
(26,638)
(17,126)
15,451
26
(1,387)
59,566
(41,221)
(28,087)
(69,308)
(48,795)
(20,513)
(69,308)
(65,715)
(3,592)
(69,307)
—
(9,742)
852,023
—
(13,291)
919,171
$842,281 $852,023 $905,880
—
(53,857)
905,880
—
—
—
Increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations:
Net investment income
Net realized gain (loss)
Net change in unrealized loss
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations
Distributions to stockholders (see note 8a):
From net investment income
From return of capital
Net distributions to stockholders
Capital transactions (see note 13):
Net increase in net assets resulting from capital transactions
Total decrease in net assets
Net assets at beginning of year
Net assets at end of year
Capital share activity (see note 13):
Net increase from capital share activity
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
106
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations
Adjustments to reconcile net increase in net assets resulting from operations to net cash provided
$ 59,566
$ 15,451
$
56,016
2021
Year ended December 31,
2020
2019
by (used in) operating activities:
Net realized (gain) loss on investments and cash equivalents
Net realized loss on extinguishment of debt
Net change in unrealized loss on investments
(26)
—
1,387
26,638
—
17,126
(Increase) decrease in operating assets:
Purchase of investments
Proceeds from disposition of investments
Net accretion of discount on investments
Capitalization of payment-in-kind income
Collections of payment-in-kind income
Receivable for investments sold
Interest receivable
Dividends receivable
Other receivables
Prepaid expenses and other assets
Increase (decrease) in operating liabilities:
Payable for investments and cash equivalents purchased
Management fee payable
Performance-based incentive fee payable
Administrative services expense payable
Interest payable
Other liabilities and accrued expenses
Deferred financing costs
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Cash distributions paid
Proceeds from issuance of unsecured debt
Proceeds from secured borrowings
Repayments of secured borrowings
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF YEAR
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
107
(596,256)
468,532
(6,087)
(7,592)
1,411
(1,123)
(43)
(1,101)
—
4
(59,997)
900
1,072
743
1,076
414
2,019
(135,101)
(69,308)
49,936
812,132
(723,500)
69,260
(65,841)
388,776
$ 322,935
(93)
1,853
14,669
(403,693)
360,014
(9,242)
(1,071)
672
(134)
2,218
(1,423)
593
168
168,271
243
(332)
41
(1,036)
(1,015)
969
187,688
(426,897)
357,632
(7,581)
(5,384)
1,339
1,952
(1,077)
2,561
—
44
(39,624)
(212)
(3,489)
(811)
(262)
(10)
1,234
(61,370)
(69,308)
—
337,000
(253,900)
13,792
(47,578)
436,354
$ 388,776
(69,307)
197,957
967,385
(1,054,585)
41,450
229,138
207,216
436,354
$
$ 28,800
$ 27,418
$
29,937
Table of Contents
Description
Senior Secured Loans — 111.5%
First Lien Bank Debt/Senior Secured Loans
Aegis Toxicology Sciences Corporation
Alteon Health, LLC
American Teleconferencing Services, Ltd.**
American Teleconferencing Services, Ltd.**
AmeriMark Intermediate Holdings, LLC(14)
Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc
Basic Fun, Inc.
CC SAG Holdings Corp. (Spectrum
Automotive)
Community Brands ParentCo, LLC (f/k/a
Ministry Brands)
Enhanced Permanent Capital, LLC(3)
Foundation Consumer Brands, LLC
iCIMS, Inc.
Inszone Mid, LLC
Ivy Fertility Services, LLC
Kid Distro Holdings, LLC (Distro Kid)
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC(2)
KORE Wireless Group, Inc.(3)
Logix Holding Company, LLC
Maurices, Incorporated
MMIT Holdings, LLC
NAC Holdings Corporation (Jaguar)
One Touch Direct, LLC
PhyNet Dermatology LLC
Pinnacle Treatment Centers, Inc.
PPT Management Holdings, LLC
RQM+ Corp.
Stryten Energy LLC
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Industry
Spread
Above
Index(7) LIBOR Floor
Interest
Rate(1)
Acquisition
Date
Maturity
Date
Par Amount Cost
Fair
Value
Health Care Providers & Services
Health Care Providers & Services
Communications Equipment
Communications Equipment
Internet & Catalog Retail
Diversified Financial Services
Specialty Retail
L+550
L+650
L+650
L+650
L+600
L+600
L+550
5/9/2025 $
1.00% 6.50%
5/7/2018
9/1/2023
1.00% 7.50% 9/14/2018
1.00% 7.50%
9/9/2021
5/5/2016
1.00% 7.50% 9/17/2021 3/31/2022
1.00% 7.00% 7/28/2021 10/15/2026
1.00% 7.00% 9/14/2018 11/30/2022
1.00% 6.50% 10/30/2020 10/30/2023
12,402 $ 12,283 $ 12,402
14,117 14,079 14,117
24,822 24,453 3,345
4,576 4,508 4,576
25,226 24,739 24,721
6,345 6,329 6,345
2,902 2,871 2,902
Diversified Consumer Services
L+575
0.75% 6.50% 6/29/2021 6/29/2028
12,168 11,995 12,168
L+400
Software
L+700
Capital Markets
L+638
Personal Products
L+650
Software
L+575
Insurance
L+625
Health Care Providers & Services
L+600
Software
L+700
Multi-Sector Holdings
Wireless Telecommunication Services L+550
L+575
Communications Equipment
L+675
Specialty Retail
L+625
IT Services
L+525
Insurance
P+75
Commercial Services & Supplies
L+600(17)
Health Care Providers & Services
L+575
Health Care Providers & Services
L+800(15)
Health Care Providers & Services
L+575
Life Sciences Tools & Services
L+800
Auto Parts & Equipment
1.00% 5.00% 7/30/2021 12/2/2022
1.00% 8.00% 12/29/2020 12/29/2025
1.00% 7.38% 2/12/2021 2/12/2027
1.00% 7.50%
9/7/2018 9/12/2024
1.00% 6.75% 9/28/2021 6/30/2026
1.00% 7.25% 12/22/2021 2/25/2026
1.00% 7.00% 9/24/2021 10/1/2027
1.00% 8.00% 12/21/2018 12/21/2024
—
5.72% 12/21/2018 12/21/2024
1.00% 6.75% 9/14/2018 12/22/2024
1.00% 7.75% 8/27/2021
6/1/2024
1.00% 7.25% 9/21/2021 9/15/2027
1.00% 6.25% 7/30/2021 9/28/2024
4/3/2020 9/30/2022
—
4.00%
9/5/2018 8/16/2024
1.00% 7.00%
1.00% 6.75% 1/22/2020 12/31/2022
1.00% 9.00% 9/14/2018 12/16/2022
1.00% 6.75% 8/20/2021 8/12/2026
1.00% 9.00% 8/11/2021 10/12/2026
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
108
34,901 34,538 34,901
26,061 25,418 26,061
33,367 32,633 33,367
19,341 19,120 19,341
11,141 11,035 11,086
21,677 21,299 21,298
29,743 29,168 29,148
80,000 79,713 80,000
36,470 36,062 36,470
7,400 7,359 7,178
5,135 5,044 5,135
31,026 30,541 31,026
15,924 15,730 15,844
274
14,589 14,529 14,589
11,996 11,953 11,996
21,120 21,086 18,374
16,504 16,349 16,462
26,184 25,676 25,923
274
274
Table of Contents
Description
SunMed Group Holdings, LLC
Ultimate Baked Goods Midco LLC (Rise
Baking)
USR Parent, Inc. (Staples)
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Industry
Spread
Above
Index(7)
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+575
LIBOR Floor
Interest
Rate(1)
Acquisition
Date
0.75% 6.50% 6/16/2021 6/16/2028 $
Maturity
Date
Par Amount
Cost
Fair
Value
Packaged Foods & Meats
Specialty Retail
L+625
L+884
1.00% 7.25% 8/12/2021 8/13/2027
6/3/2020 9/12/2022
1.00% 9.84%
Total First Lien Bank Debt/Senior Secured Loans
Second Lien Asset-Based Senior Secured Loans
ACRES Commercial Mortgage, LLC
Varilease Finance, Inc.
Diversified Financial Services
Multi-Sector Holdings
L+705
L+750
1.00% 8.05% 12/24/2021 8/21/2028
1.00% 8.50% 8/22/2014 11/15/2025
Total Second Lien Asset-Based Senior Secured Loans
Second Lien Bank Debt/Senior Secured Loans
PhyMed Management LLC
Rug Doctor LLC (2)
Health Care Providers & Services L+1500(16)
Diversified Consumer Services
L+975(11)
1.00% 16.00% 12/18/2015 9/30/2022
1.50% 11.25% 12/23/2013 5/16/2023
Total Second Lien Bank Debt/Senior Secured Loans
First Lien Life Science Senior Secured Loans
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.(3)
Ardelyx, Inc.
Axcella Health Inc.
BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.(3)
Centrexion Therapeutics, Inc.
Cerapedics, Inc.
Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc.
Glooko, Inc.
Neuronetics, Inc.
OmniGuide Holdings, Inc. (13)
Rezolute, Inc
Rubius Therapeutics, Inc. (3)
scPharmaceuticals, Inc.
SOC Telemed, Inc.
L+765
Pharmaceuticals
L+745
Pharamceuticals
L+745
Pharmaceuticals
L+860
Pharmaceuticals
—
Biotechnology
Pharmaceuticals
L+725
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+695
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+850
L+790
Health Care Technology
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+765
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+1405
L+875
Biotechnology
L+550
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals
L+795
Health Care Providers & Services L+747
Total First Lien Life Science Senior Secured Loans
Total Senior Secured Loans
7/1/2024
1.78% 9.43% 12/31/2019
1/1/2027
0.10% 7.55% 12/22/2021
0.25% 7.70% 5/10/2018 11/1/2022
9/2/2021
0.10% 8.70%
9/1/2026
9.00% 11/17/2021 11/17/2026
—
1/1/2024
2.45% 9.70% 6/28/2019
3/1/2025
2.50% 9.45% 3/22/2019
1.00% 9.50% 8/18/2017
6/1/2022
0.10% 8.00% 9/30/2021 10/1/2026
3/2/2020 2/28/2025
1.66% 9.31%
7/1/2023
0.10% 14.15% 7/30/2018
4/1/2026
0.12% 8.87% 4/14/2021
2.10% 7.60% 12/21/2018
6/1/2026
2.23% 10.18% 9/17/2019 9/17/2023
4/1/2026
0.13% 7.60% 3/26/2021
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
109
18,536 $ 18,232 $ 18,351
19,381 18,920 18,896
3,275
3,275
$ 579,211 $559,571
3,275
29,925 $ 29,328 $ 29,326
29,563 29,467 29,563
$ 58,795 $ 58,889
37,819 $ 37,757 $ 36,874
11,828 11,819 11,829
$ 49,576 $ 48,703
9,318
20,074 $ 20,512 $ 20,475
21,735 21,645 21,637
14,972 16,198 16,170
9,278
9,302
34,574 34,082 34,055
16,400 16,693 16,728
26,861 27,518 27,465
1,405
1,089
8,322
8,364
15,613 15,874 15,878
18,879 17,845 18,958
5,675
5,661
40,291 41,103 41,097
4,098
4,160
31,137 31,211 31,214
$271,580 $272,527
$959,162 $939,690
1,414
8,339
4,165
5,663
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Industry
Interest Rate(1)
Acquisition
Date
Maturity
Date
Par Amount Cost
Fair
Value
Description
Equipment Financing — 32.5%
Aero Operating LLC (10)
Air Methods Corporation (10)
AmeraMex International, Inc. (10)
Blackhawk Mining, LLC (10)
Boart Longyear Company (10)
Capital City Jet Center, Inc. (10)
Champion Air, LLC (10)
Clubcorp Holdings, Inc. (10)
Dongwon Autopart Technology Inc. (10)
EasyPak, LLC (10)
Environmental Protection & Improvement Company,
LLC (10)
Commercial Services & Supplies
Airlines
Commercial Services & Supplies
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
Metals & Mining
Airlines
Airlines
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure
Auto Components
Containers & Packaging
Road & Rail
8.47-9.64%
7.08-7.13%
10.00%
10.97-11.16%
9.06-10.44%
10.00%
10.00%
8.87-9.41%
7.96%
9.01%
3/1/2025-12/1/2026 $
3/28/2022
2/12/2021
11/3/2021 11/3/2026-11/23/2026
3/29/2019
2/16/2018
5/28/2020
4/4/2018
3/19/2018
5/27/2021
2/2/2021
1/6/2021
3/1/2022-11/1/2022
7/1/2024-1/1/2026
10/4/2023-6/22/26
1/1/2023
6/1/2025-1/1/2027
1/1/2026
1/1/2024
Equipment Operating Leases, LLC (2)(12)
First American Commercial Bancorp, Inc. (10)
First National Capital, LLC (10)
Freightsol LLC (10)
Garda CL Technical Services, Inc. (10)
Georgia Jet, Inc. (10)
GMT Corporation (10)
Haljoe Coaches USA, LLC (10)
Hawkeye Contracting Company, LLC (10)
HTI Logistics Corporation (10)
International Automotive Components Group, North
Multi-Sector Holdings
Diversified Financial Services
Diversified Financial Services
Road & Rail
Commercial Services & Supplies
Airlines
Machinery
Road & Rail
Construction & Engineering
Commercial Services & Supplies
Auto Components
America, Inc. (10)
Kool Pak, LLC (10)
Loyer Capital LLC (2)(12)
Lux Credit Consultants,
LLC (10)
Lux Vending, LLC (10)
Mountain Air Helicopters,
Inc. (10)
Road & Rail
Multi-Sector Holdings
Road & Rail
Consumer Finance
Commercial Services & Supplies
8.25%
7.53-8.37%
7.50%
9.00%
12.51-12.89%
8.30-8.77%
9/30/2020
4/27/2018
10/28/2021
11/5/2021
4/9/2019
3/22/2018
12/4/2017
10/23/2018
7/31/2017
10/8/2021
9.69-9.94% 11/15/2018
8.00%
10.71%
8.53%
10.50%
10/1/2027
8/1/2022-4/27/2025
11/1/2026
8/1/2026
11/1/2023
6/5/2023-10/5/2023
1/4/2024
10/1/2025
7/1/2024
11/1/2025
5/1/2024-9/1/2025
7.95%
8.58%
8.73-11.52%
6/23/2021
2/5/2018
5/16/2019
6/23/2025
3/1/2024
5/16/24-9/25/24
3,103 $ 3,100 $
4,063
3,149
1,642
5,374
3,102
1,685
4,326
2,347
616
4,145
3,148
1,615
5,374
3,102
1,685
4,326
2,382
616
3,100
4,063
3,180
1,636
5,374
3,053
1,685
4,326
2,347
616
5,921
19,671
2,487
8,681
1,364
1,245
795
5,476
1,061
1,252
414
5,959
19,671
2,492
8,681
1,381
1,245
795
5,484
1,061
1,252
414
5,921
18,939
2,487
8,681
1,364
1,242
795
5,476
915
1,252
404
8,184
345
11,000
8,250
345
11,000
8,184
345
10,725
8.28-9.65%
12.46-13.26%
6/17/2021
8/20/2021
12/1/2024-12/1/2025
8/20/2024-10/1/2024
9,343
2,526
9,343
2,583
9,343
2,526
10.00%
7/31/2017
2/28/2025
479
476
479
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
110
Table of Contents
Description
Rane Light Metal Castings Inc. (10)
Rango, Inc. (10)
Rossco Crane & Rigging, Inc. (10)
Royal Coach Lines, Inc.(10)
Royal Express Inc. (10)
Sidelines Tree Service LLC (10)
South Texas Oilfield Solutions, LLC (10)
ST Coaches, LLC (10)
Stafford Logistics,
Inc. (10)
Star Coaches Inc. (10)
Sturgeon Services International Inc. (10)
Superior Transportation, Inc. (10)
Tailwinds, LLC (10)
The Smedley Company & Smedley Services,
Inc. (10)
Trinity Equipment Rentals, Inc. (10)
Trolleys, Inc. (10)
Up Trucking Services,
LLC (10)
Warrior Crane Services, LLC (10)
Wind River Environmental, LLC (10)
Womble Company, Inc. (10)
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Industry
Machinery
Commercial Services & Supplies
Commercial Services & Supplies
Road & Rail
Road & Rail
Diversified Consumer Services
Energy Equipment & Services
Road & Rail
Interest Rate(1)
10.00%
9.33-9.79%
11.53%
9.56%
9.53%
10.25%
12.52-13.76%
8.22-8.58%
Acquisition
Date
6/1/2020
9/24/2019
8/25/2017
11/21/2019
1/17/2019
7/31/2017
3/29/2018
7/31/2017
Maturity
Date
7/1/2024
4/1/2023-11/1/2024
9/1/2022
8/1/2025
2/1/2024
10/1/2022
9/1/2022-7/1/2023
10/1/2022-1/25/2025
Commercial Services & Supplies
Road & Rail
Energy Equipment & Services
Road & Rail
Air Freight & Logistics
Commercial Services & Supplies
12.62%
8.42%
18.38%
10.22-10.62%
8.50-9.00%
9/11/2019
3/9/2018
7/31/2017
7/31/2017
7/26/2019
2/15/2026
4/1/2025
2/28/2022
1/1/2026
8/1/2024-10/16/2025
Commercial Services & Supplies
Road & Rail
Road & Rail
10.21-15.36%
7.94-8.75%
9.99%
7/31/2017
10/8/2021
7/18/2018
10/29/2023-2/10/2024
11/1/2024-12/1/2026
8/1/2022
Commercial Services & Supplies
Diversified Consumer Services
Energy Equipment & Services
11.21%
8.95%
8.43-10.00%
9.11%
3/23/2018
7/11/2019
7/31/2019
12/27/2019
8/1/2024
8/1/2024-8/1/2026
8/1/2024-10/5/25
1/1/2025
Par Amount
$
253 $
Cost
253 $
3,656
126
1,041
690
46
1,363
1,951
7,094
3,401
132
4,578
2,267
3,800
777
1,573
705
2,567
873
547
Fair
Value
253
3,547
126
950
683
45
1,338
1,839
7,094
2,916
125
4,578
2,267
3,536
777
1,540
696
2,518
870
537
3,615
126
1,041
683
46
1,363
1,951
7,094
3,401
132
4,578
2,267
3,798
777
1,573
696
2,567
870
547
SLR Equipment Finance Equity Interests (2)(9)*
Multi-Sector Holdings
7/31/2017
Shares/Units
200
145,000
129,102
$292,365 $273,795
Total Equipment Financing
Preferred Equity – 0.7%
SOAGG LLC (2)(3)(4)
SOINT, LLC (2)(3)(4)
Total Preferred Equity
Aerospace & Defense
Aerospace & Defense
8.00%
5.00%(11)
12/14/2010
6/8/2012
6/30/2023
6/30/2023
446 $
56,030
$
446 $
5,603
6,049 $
1,121
4,509
5,630
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
111
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Description
Common Equity/Equity Interests/Warrants—53.6%
aTyr Pharma, Inc. Warrants *
CardioFocus, Inc. Warrants *
Centrexion Therapeutics, Inc.
Warrants *
Conventus Orthopaedics, Inc.
Warrants *
Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc. Warrants *
Essence Group Holdings Corporation (Lumeris) Warrants *
KBH Topco LLC (Kingsbridge) (2)(5)
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor) (2)*
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor)
Class B (2)*
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor)
Warrants (2)*
Senseonics Holdings, Inc. (3)(8)*
SLR Credit Solutions (2)(3)
Venus Concept Ltd. Warrants* (f/k/a Restoration Robotics)
Total Common Equity/Equity Interests/Warrants
Total Investments (6) — 198.3%
Industry
Pharmaceuticals
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Pharmaceuticals
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Health Care Technology
Multi-Sector Holdings
Diversified Consumer Services
Diversified Consumer Services
Diversified Consumer Services
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Diversified Financial Services
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Description
Cash Equivalents — 38.0%
U.S. Treasury Bill
Total Investments & Cash Equivalents —236.3%
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (136.3%)
Net Assets — 100.0%
Industry
Government
Acquisition
Date
11/18/2016
3/31/2017
6/28/2019
6/15/2016
8/18/2017
3/22/2017
11/3/2020
12/23/2013
12/23/2013
12/23/2013
7/25/2019
12/28/2012
5/10/2018
Shares/Units
Cost
6,347 $
90
106 $
51
289,102
136
157,500
444,388
208,000
73,500,000
231,177
65
74
63
136,596
15,683
Fair
Value
—
—
65
—
80
258
145,996
—
522
5,216
5,216
30,370
406,923
280,303
27,352
381
117
280,737
152
—
1,086
298,766
—
$ 439,377 $
451,467
$1,696,953 $ 1,670,582
Acquisition
Date
Maturity
Date
Par Amount
12/31/2021
1/25/2022 $
320,000 $ 320,000 $
320,000
$2,016,953 $ 1,990,582
(1,148,301)
842,281
$
(1)
(2)
Floating rate debt investments typically bear interest at a rate determined by reference to the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), and which typically reset monthly, quarterly
or semi-annually. For each debt investment we have provided the current rate of interest, or in the case of leases the current implied yield, in effect as of December 31, 2021.
Denotes investments in which we are deemed to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940
(“1940 Act”), due to beneficially owning, either directly or through one or more controlled companies, more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of the investment.
Transactions during the year ended December 31, 2021 in these controlled investments are as follows:
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
112
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Name of Issuer
AviatorCap SII, LLC
Equipment Operating Leases, LLC
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC
KBH Topco, LLC (Kingsbridge)
Loyer Capital LLC
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor, common
equity)
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor, class B)
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor, warrants)
Rug Doctor LLC
SLR Credit Solutions
SLR Equipment Finance (equity)
SLR Equipment Finance (debt)
SOAGG LLC
SOINT, LLC
Fair Value at
December 31, 2020
2,941
$
25,540
80,000
136,596
14,456
1,226
5,216
—
10,559
296,766
129,102
850
2,300
4,101
709,653
$
Gross
Additions
$ —
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1,270
—
—
—
—
271
$ 1,541
Gross
Reductions
2,941
$
6,667
—
—
3,731
—
—
—
—
—
—
850
—
—
$ 14,189
Realized
Gain
(Loss)
$ —
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
$ —
Change in
Unrealized
Gain
(Loss)
$ —
66
(79)
9,400
—
(1,226)
—
—
(6)
2,000
—
—
(1,179)
137
9,113
$
Interest/Dividend
Income
$
$
92
1,950
6,568
13,250
1,426
—
—
—
1,300
22,500
—
42
1,543
271
48,942
Fair Value at
December 31, 2021
—
$
18,939
80,000
145,996
10,725
—
5,216
—
11,829
298,766
129,102
—
1,121
4,509
706,203
$
(3)
Indicates assets that the Company believes may not represent “qualifying assets” under Section 55(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
(“1940 Act”), as amended. If we fail to invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could be prevented from making follow-on
investments in existing portfolio companies or could be required to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to comply with the 1940
Act. As of December 31, 2021, on a fair value basis, non-qualifying assets in the portfolio represented 23.1% of the total assets of the Company.
The Company’s investments in SOAGG, LLC and SOINT, LLC include a two and one dollar investment in common shares, respectively.
(4)
(5) Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC is held through KBH Topco LLC, a Delaware corporation.
(6) Aggregate net unrealized appreciation for U.S. federal income tax purposes is $19,495; aggregate gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation
for U.S. federal tax purposes is $82,598 and $63,103, respectively, based on a tax cost of $1,651,087. Unless otherwise noted, all of the
Company’s investments are pledged as collateral against the borrowings outstanding on the senior secured credit facility. The Company generally
acquires its investments in private transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
These investments are generally subject to certain limitations on resale, and may be deemed to be “restricted securities” under the Securities Act.
All investments are Level 3 unless otherwise indicated.
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
113
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
(7)
Floating rate instruments accrue interest at a predetermined spread relative to an index, typically the LIBOR or PRIME rate. These instruments are
often subject to a LIBOR or PRIME rate floor.
(8) Denotes a Level 1 investment.
(9)
SLR Equipment Finance is held through NEFCORP LLC, a wholly-owned consolidated taxable subsidiary and NEFPASS LLC, a wholly-owned
consolidated subsidiary.
Indicates an investment that is wholly held by the Company through NEFPASS LLC.
Interest is paid in kind (“PIK”).
(10)
(11)
(12) Denotes a subsidiary of SLR Equipment Finance.
(13) OmniGuide Holdings, Inc., Domain Surgical, Inc. and OmniGuide, Inc. are co-borrowers.
(14) AmeriMark Interactive, LLC, AmeriMark Direct LLC, AmeriMark Intermediate Sub, Inc., L.T.D. Commodities LLC, Dr. Leonard’s Healthcare
Corp. and Amerimark Intermediate Holdings, LLC are each co-Borrowers.
(15) Spread is 6.00% Cash / 2.00% PIK.
(16) Spread is 2.50% Cash / 12.50% PIK.
(17) Spread is 5.50% Cash / 0.50% PIK.
*
**
Non-income producing security.
Investment is on non-accrual status.
Industry Classification
Multi-Sector Holdings (includes Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC, SLR Equipment Finance, Equipment
Percentage of Total
Investments (at fair value) as
of December 31, 2021
Operating Leases, LLC and Loyer Capital LLC)
Diversified Financial Services (includes SLR Credit Solutions)
Health Care Providers & Services
Pharmaceuticals
Software
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Biotechnology
Wireless Telecommunication Services
Personal Products
Road & Rail
IT Services
Diversified Consumer Services
Insurance
Commercial Services & Supplies
Capital Markets
Auto Parts & Equipment
Internet & Catalog Retail
Packaged Foods & Meats
Life Sciences Tools & Services
Communications Equipment
Specialty Retail
Auto Components
Airlines
Health Care Technology
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
114
24.8%
20.7%
9.6%
7.8%
5.0%
5.0%
2.4%
2.2%
2.0%
1.9%
1.9%
1.8%
1.6%
1.6%
1.6%
1.5%
1.5%
1.1%
1.0%
0.9%
0.7%
0.6%
0.6%
0.5%
Table of Contents
Industry Classification
Machinery
Aerospace & Defense
Metals & Mining
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure
Consumer Finance
Air Freight & Logistics
Energy Equipment & Services
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
Construction & Engineering
Containers & Packaging
Total Investments
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Percentage of Total
Investments (at fair value) as
of December 31, 2021
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.0%
100.0%
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
115
Table of Contents
Description
Senior Secured Loans — 93.7%
First Lien Bank Debt/Senior Secured Loans
Aegis Toxicology Sciences Corporation
Alteon Health, LLC
American Teleconferencing Services, Ltd.
(PGI)
Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc
AviatorCap SII,
LLC (2)
Basic Fun, Inc
Enhanced Permanent Capital, LLC(3)
iCIMS, Inc.
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC(2)
KORE Wireless Group, Inc.
Legility, LLC
Logix Holding Company, LLC
One Touch Direct, LLC
Pet Holdings ULC & Pet Supermarket, Inc.
(3)
PhyNet Dermatology LLC
Pinnacle Treatment Centers, Inc.
PPT Management Holdings, LLC
Sentry Data Systems, Inc
Smile Doctors LLC
Soleo Health Holdings, Inc
The Children’s Place, Inc.(3)
USR Parent, Inc. (Staples)
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Industry
Spread
Above
Index(7) LIBOR Floor
Interest
Rate(1)
Acquisition
Date
Maturity
Date
Par Amount Cost
Fair
Value
Health Care Providers & Services
Health Care Providers & Services
L+550
L+650
1.00% 6.50%
5/7/2018
1.00% 7.50% 9/14/2018
5/9/2025 $
9/1/2023
16,869 $ 16,666 $ 16,531
14,293 14,233 14,007
Communications Equipment
Diversified Financial Services
L+650
L+600
1.00% 7.50%
6/8/2023
1.00% 7.00% 9/14/2018 11/30/2022
5/5/2016
29,984 29,520 27,735
5,841
5,841
5,808
L+700
Aerospace & Defense
L+675
Specialty Retail
L+700
Capital Markets
L+650
Software
L+700
Multi-Sector Holdings
Wireless Telecommunication Services L+550
L+600
Commercial Services & Supplies
L+575
Communications Equipment
P+100
Commercial Services & Supplies
—
7.23% 3/19/2019 1/29/2021
1.00% 7.75% 10/30/2020 10/30/2023
1.00% 8.00% 12/29/2020 12/29/2025
1.00% 7.50%
9/7/2018 9/12/2024
1.00% 8.00% 12/21/2018 12/21/2024
5.75% 12/21/2018 12/21/2024
1.00% 7.00% 2/27/2020 12/17/2025
1.00% 6.75% 9/14/2018 12/22/2024
4/3/2020 3/29/2021
6.50%
—
—
2,941
3,138
2,941
2,941
3,183
3,135
18,288 17,763 17,763
19,341 19,050 18,955
80,000 79,634 80,000
36,477 35,949 36,477
19,625 19,282 18,644
6,887
7,027
2,458
2,458
6,983
2,458
Specialty Retail
Health Care Providers & Services
L+550
L+550
1.00% 6.50% 9/14/2018
1.00% 6.50%
7/5/2022
9/5/2018 8/16/2024
28,745 28,614 28,457
17,065 16,973 16,468
Health Care
Providers & Services
Health Care Providers & Services
Software
Personal Products
Health Care Providers & Services
Specialty Retail
Specialty Retail
L+625
L+850(15)
L+675
L+600
L+575
L+800
L+884
1.00% 7.25% 1/22/2020 12/31/2022
1.00% 9.50% 9/14/2018 12/16/2022
1.00% 7.75% 9/27/2020 10/6/2025
1.00% 7.00% 12/17/2020 10/6/2022
1.00% 6.75% 3/31/2020 12/29/2021
5/9/2024
1.00% 9.00% 10/5/2020
6/3/2020 9/12/2022
1.00% 9.84%
11,773 11,688 11,773
20,816 20,749 18,943
15,765 15,462 15,450
3,236
3,302
7,579
7,579
15,765 $ 15,542 $ 15,528
4,440
4,418
$377,687 $373,248
3,237
7,579
4,418
Total First Lien Bank Debt/Senior Secured Loans
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
116
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Description
Second Lien Asset-Based Senior Secured Loans
Industry
Spread
Above
Index(7)
LIBOR Floor
Interest
Rate(1)
Acquisition
Date
Maturity
Date
Par Amount Cost
Fair
Value
Greystone Select Holdings LLC &
Greystone & Co., Inc.
Varilease Finance, Inc.
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance
Multi-Sector Holdings
L+800
L+750
1.00% 9.00% 3/29/2017 4/17/2024 $
1.00% 8.50% 8/22/2014 11/15/2025
Total Second Lien Asset-Based Senior Secured Loans
Second Lien Bank Debt/Senior Secured Loans
PhyMed Management LLC
Rug Doctor LLC (2)
Health Care Providers & Services L+1100(17)
L+975(11)
Diversified Consumer Services
1.00% 12.00% 12/18/2015 9/30/2022
1.50% 11.25% 12/23/2013 5/16/2023
Total Second Lien Bank Debt/Senior Secured Loans
First Lien Life Science Senior Secured Loans
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
Apollo Endosurgery, Inc.
Ardelyx, Inc. (3)
Axcella Health Inc.
Cardiva Medical, Inc.
Centrexion Therapeutics, Inc.
Cerapedics, Inc.
Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc.
GenMark Diagnostics, Inc. (3)
Kindred Biosciences, Inc. (16)
Neuronetics, Inc.
OmniGuide Holdings, Inc. (13)
PQ Bypass, Inc.
Rubius Therapeutics, Inc. (3)
scPharmaceuticals, Inc.
SI-BONE, Inc. (3)
Pharmaceuticals
L+765
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+750
L+745
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals
L+850
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+795
Pharmaceuticals
L+725
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+695
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+850
Health Care Providers & Services L+590
Pharmaceuticals
L+675
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+765
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+805
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+795
L+550
Pharmaceuticals
L+795
Pharmaceuticals
Health Care Equipment & Supplies L+940
Total First Lien Life Science Senior Secured Loans
Total Senior Secured Loans
1/9/2018
7/1/2024
1.78% 9.43% 12/31/2019
9/1/2024
1.36% 8.86% 3/15/2019
0.25% 7.70% 5/10/2018 11/1/2022
0.20% 8.70%
1/1/2023
1.76% 9.71% 9/24/2018 12/1/2023
1/1/2024
2.45% 9.70% 6/28/2019
3/1/2024
2.50% 9.45% 3/22/2019
1.00% 9.50% 8/18/2017
6/1/2022
2/1/2023
2/1/2019
2.51% 8.41%
2.17% 8.92% 9/30/2019 9/30/2024
3/2/2020 2/28/2025
1.66% 9.31%
1.00% 9.05% 7/30/2018
2/1/2021
1.00% 8.95% 12/20/2018 12/19/2022
5.65% 12/21/2018 12/21/2023
2.23% 10.18% 9/17/2019 9/17/2023
6/1/2025
0.33% 9.73% 5/29/2020
—
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
117
19,506 $ 19,398 $ 19,506
36,438 36,307 36,438
$ 55,705 $ 55,944
33,881 $ 33,736 $ 31,340
10,559 10,543 10,559
$ 44,279 $ 41,899
2,410 $
20,074 $ 20,287 $ 20,275
20,492 20,860 20,799
24,500 25,275 25,235
26,000 27,070 26,910
27,667 28,596 29,327
16,400 16,472 16,564
24,175 24,501 24,537
2,177 $
2,395
49,522 50,892 50,884
9,197
9,242
15,613 15,689 15,691
10,500 11,532 11,287
10,000 10,190 10,500
40,291 40,692 40,747
4,725
4,684
17,843 17,856 17,843
$326,286 $326,961
$803,957 $798,052
9,243
4,721
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Description
Equipment Financing — 33.4%
AmeraMex International,
Inc. (10)
Blackhawk Mining, LLC (14)
Boart Longyear Company (14)
C&H Paving, Inc. (14)
Capital City Jet Center, Inc. (10)
Central Freight Lines, Inc. (10)
Champion Air, LLC (10)
Easton Sales and Rentals,
LLC (10)
Environmental Protection & Improvement Company,
LLC (10)
Equipment Operating Leases, LLC (2)(12)
EquipmentShare.com, Inc. (14)
Family First Freight, LLC (10)
Freightsol LLC (14)
Garda CL Technical Services, Inc. (14)
Georgia Jet, Inc. (10)
Globecomm Systems Inc. (14)
GMT Corporation (14)
Haljoe Coaches USA, LLC (14)
HTI Logistics Corporation (10)
Hypro, Inc. (10)
Interstate NDT, Inc. (14)
ISR Holdings, LLC (10)
JP Motorsports, Inc. (14)
Kool Pak, LLC (14)
Lineal Industries, Inc. (10)
Loyer Capital LLC (2)(12)
Mountain Air Helicopters,
Inc. (10)
NEF Holdings, LLC (2)
Rane Light Metal Castings
Inc. (14)
Rango, Inc. (10)(14)
Rossco Crane & Rigging,
Inc. (14)
Industry
Interest Rate(1)
Acquisition
Date
Maturity
Date
Par Amount Cost
Fair
Value
Commercial Services & Supplies
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
Metals & Mining
Construction & Engineering
Airlines
Road & Rail
Airlines
10.00% 3/29/2019
3/28/2022
$
10.97-11.16% 2/16/2018 3/1/2022-11/1/2022
10.44% 5/28/2020
7/1/2024
9.94-11.66% 12/26/2018 1/1/2024-11/1/2024
10/4/2023-6/22/26
1/14/2024
1/1/2023
4/4/2018
10.00%
7.16%
7/31/2017
10.00% 3/19/2018
5,435 $ 5,397 $ 5,489
3,443
3,415
3,531
3,455
3,455
3,455
3,410
3,455
3,416
3,812
3,882
3,882
1,212
1,212
1,212
2,255
2,255
2,255
Commercial Services & Supplies
10.00% 9/18/2018
10/1/2021
1,235
1,233
1,188
Road & Rail
Multi-Sector Holdings
Commercial Services & Supplies
Road & Rail
Road & Rail
Commercial Services & Supplies
Airlines
Wireless Telecommunication Services
Machinery
Road & Rail
Commercial Services & Supplies
Machinery
Road & Rail
Commercial Services & Supplies
Road & Rail
Road & Rail
Construction & Engineering
Multi-Sector Holdings
Commercial Services & Supplies
Multi-Sector Holdings
Machinery
Commercial Services & Supplies
8.25%
9/30/2020
10/1/2027
7.53-8.37% 4/27/2018 8/1/2022-4/27/2025
6.60%
1/8/2020
8.00-10.33% 7/31/2017
4/9/2019
12.51-12.89%
1/8/2025
2/1/2022-5/1/2023
11/1/2023
8.30-8.77% 3/22/2018 6/5/2023-10/5/2023
8.00%
12/4/2017
13.18% 5/10/2018
12.55% 10/23/2018
8.03-9.69% 7/31/2017
9.69-9.94% 11/15/2018
9/30/2019
11.53%
12/4/2021
7/1/2021
10/23/2023
7/1/2022-7/1/2024
5/1/2024-9/1/2025
10/1/2023
10.91-14.11% 6/11/2018 7/1/2023-10/25/2023
9.25%
8/27/2019
16.06% 8/17/2018
2/5/2018
8.58%
12/21/2018
8.00%
8.73-11.52% 5/16/2019
8/27/2022
1/25/2022
3/1/2024
12/21/2021
5/16/24-9/25/24
10.00% 7/31/2017 4/30/2022-2/28/2025
8.50%
8/14/2020
8/14/2021
10.00%
6/1/2020
9.33%-9.79% 9/24/2019 4/1/2023-11/1/2024
7/1/2024
6,520
26,338
8,097
1,022
1,880
1,956
973
413
5,446
4,883
527
1,925
1,795
3,124
118
484
45
14,731
6,567
26,338
7,658
1,021
1,910
1,957
973
413
5,409
4,883
527
1,940
1,795
3,124
118
484
45
14,731
6,520
25,540
8,097
1,014
1,880
1,953
954
413
5,446
4,132
514
1,875
1,704
3,124
117
484
45
14,456
1,870
850
1,865
850
1,902
850
338
5,137
338
5,207
338
5,041
Commercial Services & Supplies
11.13-11.53% 8/25/2017
4/1/2021-9/1/2022
332
332
330
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
118
Table of Contents
Description
Royal Coach Lines, Inc.(14)
Royal Express Inc. (14)
Sidelines Tree Service
LLC (14)
South Texas Oilfield Solutions, LLC (14)
ST Coaches, LLC (14)
Stafford Logistics, Inc. (10)
Star Coaches Inc. (14)
Sturgeon Services International Inc. (10)
Sun-Tech Leasing of Texas, L.P. (14)
Superior Transportation, Inc. (14)
Tailwinds, LLC (10)
The Smedley Company & Smedley Services,
Inc. (10)
Thora Capital, LLC (10)
Trinity Equipment Rentals, Inc. (14)
Trolleys, Inc. (14)
Up Trucking Services,
LLC (14)
Warrior Crane Services, LLC (10)
Wind River Environmental, LLC (10)
Womble Company, Inc. (14)
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Industry
Road & Rail
Road & Rail
Diversified Consumer Services
Energy Equipment & Services
Road & Rail
Commercial Services & Supplies
Road & Rail
Energy Equipment & Services
Road & Rail
Road & Rail
Air Freight & Logistics
Interest Rate(1)
9.56%
9.53%
10.25%
12.52-13.76%
8.21-8.58%
12.63-13.12%
8.42%
18.42%
8.68%
9.40-12.26%
8.50%-9.00%
Acquisition
Date
11/21/2019
1/17/2019
7/31/2017
3/29/2018
7/31/2017
9/11/2019
3/9/2018
7/31/2017
7/31/2017
7/31/2017
7/26/2019
10/1/2022
9/1/2022-7/1/2023
10/1/2022-1/25/2025
10/1/2024-10/1/2025
4/1/2025
2/28/2022
7/25/2021
4/1/2022-8/1/2024
8/1/2024-10/16/2025
Commercial Services & Supplies
Airlines
Commercial Services & Supplies
Road & Rail
10.03-14.97%
9.00%
11.23%
9.98%
7/31/2017
7/3/2019
9/13/2018
7/18/2018
10/29/2023-2/10/2024
7/1/2025
10/1/2022
8/1/2022
Road & Rail
Commercial Services & Supplies
Diversified Consumer Services
Energy Equipment & Services
11.21-12.53%
8.95%
8.43%-10.00%
9.11%
3/23/2018
7/11/2019
7/31/2019
12/27/2019
4/1/2022-8/1/2024
8/1/2024-8/1/2026
8/1/2024-10/5/25
1/1/2025
NEF Holdings, LLC Equity Interests (2)(9)
Multi-Sector Holdings
7/31/2017
Total Equipment Financing
Preferred Equity – 0.8%
SOAGG LLC (2)(3)(4)
SOINT, LLC (2)(3)(4)
Total Preferred Equity
Aerospace & Defense
Aerospace & Defense
8.00%
5.00%(11)
12/14/2010
6/8/2012
6/30/2023
6/30/2023
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
119
Maturity
Date
8/1/2025
2/1/2024
Par Amount
1,215
$
914
Cost
$
1,215
927
Fair
Value
1,085
914
$
79
2,194
4,755
6,870
3,385
816
36
5,524
2,633
3,902
5,602
538
1,999
1,638
3,087
1,112
694
79
2,194
4,755
6,870
3,385
816
36
5,511
2,633
3,905
5,602
538
1,999
1,657
3,087
1,118
694
76
2,110
4,318
6,604
2,902
770
36
5,142
2,633
3,634
5,596
538
1,919
1,651
3,030
1,112
681
Shares/Units
200
145,000
$304,810
129,102
$284,846
446
53,321
$
$
446
5,332
5,778
$
$
2,300
4,101
6,401
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Description
Common Equity/Equity Interests/Warrants—51.9%
aTyr Pharma, Inc. Warrants *
B Riley Financial Inc. (3)(8)
CardioFocus, Inc. Warrants *
Centrexion Therapeutics, Inc. Warrants *
Conventus Orthopaedics, Inc. Warrants *
Crystal Financial LLC (2)(3)
Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc. Warrants *
Essence Group Holdings Corporation (Lumeris)
Warrants *
KBH Topco LLC
(Kingsbridge) (2)(5)
PQ Bypass, Inc. Warrants *
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug
Doctor) (2)*
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor) Class B (2)*
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor) Warrants (2)*
Scynexis, Inc. Warrants *
Senseonics Holdings, Inc. Warrants *
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Warrants *
Venus Concept Ltd. Warrants* (f/k/a Restoration
Robotics)
Total Common Equity/Equity Interests/Warrants
Total Investments (6) — 179.8%
Industry
Pharmaceuticals
Research & Consulting Services
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Pharmaceuticals
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Diversified Financial Services
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Health Care Technology
Multi-Sector Holdings
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Diversified Consumer Services
Diversified Consumer Services
Diversified Consumer Services
Pharmaceuticals
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Pharmaceuticals
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Acquisition
Date
11/18/2016
3/16/2007
3/31/2017
6/28/2019
6/15/2016
12/28/2012
8/18/2017
3/22/2017
11/3/2020
12/20/2018
12/23/2013
12/23/2013
12/23/2013
9/30/2016
7/25/2019
3/31/2016
5/10/2018
Shares/Units
Cost
Fair
Value
6,347 $
38,015
90
289,102
157,500
280,303
444,388
106 $
2,684
51
136
65
280,737
74
—
1,681
—
71
—
296,766
82
208,000
63
258
73,500,000
300,000
136,596
106
136,596
675
231,177
522
30,370
12,243
526,901
10,400
15,683
5,216
381
105
117
118
1,226
5,216
—
—
81
—
27,352
152
—
$ 442,390 $
442,652
$1,556,935 $ 1,531,951
Description
Cash Equivalents — 44.6%
U.S. Treasury Bill
Total Investments & Cash Equivalents —224.4%
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets — (124.4%)
Net Assets — 100.0%
Industry
Acquisition
Date
Maturity
Date
Par Amount
Government
12/31/2020
2/23/2021 $
380,000 $ 379,997 $
379,997
$1,936,932 $ 1,911,948
(1,059,925)
852,023
$
(1)
(2)
Floating rate debt investments typically bear interest at a rate determined by reference to the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), and which typically reset monthly, quarterly
or semi-annually. For each debt investment we have provided the current rate of interest, or in the case of leases the current implied yield, in effect as of December 31, 2020.
Denotes investments in which we are deemed to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940
(“1940 Act”), due to beneficially owning, either directly or through one or more controlled companies, more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of the investment.
Transactions during the year ended December 31, 2020 in these controlled investments are as follows:
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
120
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Name of Issuer
AviatorCap SII, LLC
AviatorCap SII, LLC
Crystal Financial LLC
Equipment Operating Leases, LLC
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC (debt)
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC (equity)
Loyer Capital LLC
NEF Holdings, LLC (equity)
NEF Holdings, LLC (debt)
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor,
common equity)
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor, class B)
RD Holdco Inc. (Rug Doctor,
warrants)
Rug Doctor LLC
SOAGG LLC
SOINT, LLC
Fair Value at
December 31, 2019
2,896
$
2,713
296,000
29,739
33,112
—
14,731
145,000
—
Gross
Additions
$ —
1,105
—
—
46,888
136,596
—
—
850
Gross
Reductions
2,896
$
877
—
3,401
—
—
—
—
—
Realized
Gain
(Loss)
$ —
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Change in
Unrealized
Gain
(Loss)
$ —
—
766
(798)
(71)
—
(275)
(15,898)
—
Interest/Dividend
$
/Other Income
198
260
24,000
2,290
3,481
1,925
1,488
250
28
Fair Value at
December 31, 2020
—
$
2,941
296,766
25,540
80,000
136,596
14,456
129,102
850
7,706
5,216
—
—
—
—
—
—
(6,480)
—
—
9,111
4,952
5,939
557,115
—
1,448
—
319
$187,206
—
—
1,095
380
8,649
—
—
—
—
$ —
—
(6)
(1,557)
(1,777)
$ (26,096)
$
$
$
—
—
—
1,128
111
508
35,667
$
1,226
5,216
—
10,559
2,300
4,101
709,653
(3)
Indicates assets that the Company believes may not represent “qualifying assets” under Section 55(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
(“1940 Act”), as amended. If we fail to invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could be prevented from making follow-on
investments in existing portfolio companies or could be required to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to comply with the 1940
Act. As of December 31, 2020, on a fair value basis, non-qualifying assets in the portfolio represented 25.9% of the total assets of the Company.
The Company’s investments in SOAGG, LLC and SOINT, LLC include a two and one dollar investment in common shares, respectively.
(4)
(5) Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC is held through KBH Topco LLC, a Delaware corporation.
(6) Aggregate net unrealized appreciation for U.S. federal income tax purposes is $4,446; aggregate gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation for
U.S. federal tax purposes is $52,349 and $47,903, respectively, based on a tax cost of $1,527,505. Unless otherwise noted, all of the Company’s
investments are pledged as collateral against the borrowings outstanding on the senior secured credit facility. The Company generally acquires its
investments in private transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). These
investments are generally subject to certain limitations on resale, and may be deemed to be “restricted securities” under the Securities Act. All
investments are Level 3 unless otherwise indicated.
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
121
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
(7)
Floating rate instruments accrue interest at a predetermined spread relative to an index, typically the LIBOR or PRIME rate. These instruments are
often subject to a LIBOR or PRIME rate floor.
(8) Denotes a Level 1 investment.
(9) NEF Holdings, LLC is held through NEFCORP LLC, a wholly-owned consolidated taxable subsidiary and NEFPASS LLC, a wholly-owned
consolidated subsidiary.
Indicates an investment that is wholly held by the Company through NEFPASS LLC.
Interest is paid in kind (“PIK”).
(10)
(11)
(12) Denotes a subsidiary of NEF Holdings, LLC.
(13) OmniGuide Holdings, Inc., Domain Surgical, Inc. and OmniGuide, Inc. are co-borrowers.
(14)
Indicates an investment that is held by the Company through its wholly-owned consolidated financing subsidiary NEFPASS SPV, LLC (the
“NEFPASS SPV”). Such investments are pledged as collateral under the NEFPASS SPV, LLC Revolving Credit Facility (see Note 7 to the
consolidated financial statements) and are not generally available to creditors, if any, of the Company.
(15) Spread is 6.00% Cash / 2.50% PIK.
(16) Kindred Biosciences, Inc., KindredBio Equine, Inc. and Centaur Biopharmaceutical Services, Inc. are co-borrowers.
(17) Spread is 2.50% Cash / 8.50% PIK.
*
Non-income producing security.
Industry Classification
Multi-Sector Holdings (includes Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC, NEF Holdings, LLC, Equipment
Percentage of Total
Investments (at fair value) as
of December 31, 2020
Operating Leases, LLC and Loyer Capital LLC)
Diversified Financial Services (includes Crystal Financial LLC)
Health Care Providers & Services
Pharmaceuticals
Health Care Equipment & Supplies
Commercial Services & Supplies
Specialty Retail
Wireless Telecommunication Services
Road & Rail
Communications Equipment
Software
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance
Diversified Consumer Services
Capital Markets
Airlines
Aerospace & Defense
Machinery
Energy Equipment & Services
Metals & Mining
Construction & Engineering
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
122
27.6%
19.8%
10.9%
9.4%
8.7%
4.1%
3.4%
2.4%
2.3%
2.3%
2.2%
1.3%
1.2%
1.2%
0.8%
0.6%
0.5%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except share/unit amounts)
Table of Contents
Industry Classification
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
Personal Products
Air Freight & Logistics
Research & Consulting Services
Health Care Technology
Total Investments
Percentage of Total
Investments (at fair value) as
of December 31, 2020
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.1%
0.0%
100.0%
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
123
Table of Contents
Note 1. Organization
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Solar Capital LLC, a Maryland limited liability company, was formed in February 2007 and commenced operations on March 13, 2007 with initial
capital of $1,200,000 of which 47.04% was funded by affiliated parties.
Immediately prior to our initial public offering, through a series of transactions, SLR Investment Corp. (f/k/a Solar Capital Ltd.) (the “Company”,
“we”, “us” or “our”), merged with Solar Capital LLC, leaving SLR Investment Corp. as the surviving entity (the “Merger”). SLR Investment Corp.
issued an aggregate of approximately 26.65 million shares of common stock and $125,000 in senior unsecured notes to the existing Solar Capital LLC
unit holders in connection with the Merger. SLR Investment Corp. had no assets or operations prior to completion of the Merger and as a result, the
historical books and records of Solar Capital LLC have become the books and records of the surviving entity. The number of shares used to calculate
weighted average shares for use in computations on a per share basis have been decreased retroactively by a factor of approximately 0.4022 for all
periods prior to February 9, 2010. This factor represents the effective impact of the reduction in shares resulting from the Merger.
SLR Investment Corp., a Maryland corporation formed in November 2007, is a closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified management
investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the “1940 Act”). Furthermore, as the Company is an investment company, it continues to apply the guidance in FASB Accounting Standards
Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946. In addition, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company has elected to be treated, and intends to qualify
annually, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
On February 9, 2010, the Company priced its initial public offering, selling 5.68 million shares of common stock, including the underwriters’
over-allotment, at a price of $18.50 per share. Concurrent with this offering, the Company’s senior management purchased an additional 600,000 shares
through a private placement, also at $18.50 per share.
The Company’s investment objective is to maximize both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. The
Company directly and indirectly invests primarily in leveraged middle market companies in the form of senior secured loans, financing leases and to a
lesser extent, unsecured loans and equity securities. From time to time, we may also invest in public companies that are thinly traded.
On December 1, 2021, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, or the Merger Agreement, with SLR Senior Investment Corp., a
Maryland corporation (“SUNS”), Solstice Merger Sub, Inc., a Maryland corporation and our wholly-owned subsidiary (“Merger Sub”), and, solely for
the limited purposes set forth therein, SLR Capital Partners, LLC (f/k/a Solar Capital Partners, LLC) (the “Investment Adviser”). The Merger
Agreement provides that, subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into SUNS, with SUNS
continuing as the surviving company and as SUNS’s wholly-owned subsidiary (the “Merger,”) and, immediately thereafter, SUNS will merge with and
into us, with us continuing as the surviving company (together with the Merger, the “Mergers”). See Note 15 for additional information.
Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in conformity with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and include the accounts of the
124
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Company and certain wholly-owned subsidiaries. The consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments and reclassifications which, in the
opinion of management, are necessary for the fair presentation of the results of the operations and financial condition for the periods presented. All
significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Certain prior period amounts may have been reclassified to conform to the
current period presentation.
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP and pursuant to the requirements for reporting on Form 10-K and
Regulation S-X, as appropriate, also requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities at
the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reported periods. Changes in the economic
environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining these estimates could cause actual results to differ materially.
In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which are of a normal recurring nature, considered necessary for the fair presentation of financial
statements have been included.
The significant accounting policies consistently followed by the Company are:
(a)
(b)
Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date;
Under procedures established by our board of directors (the “Board”), we value investments, including certain senior secured debt,
subordinated debt and other debt securities with maturities greater than 60 days, for which market quotations are readily available, at such
market quotations (unless they are deemed not to represent fair value). We attempt to obtain market quotations from at least two brokers or
dealers (if available, otherwise from a principal market maker or a primary market dealer or other independent pricing service). We utilize
mid-market pricing as a practical expedient for fair value unless a different point within the range is more representative. If and when
market quotations are deemed not to represent fair value, we may utilize independent third-party valuation firms to assist us in determining
the fair value of material assets. Accordingly, such investments go through our multi-step valuation process as described below. In each
such case, independent valuation firms consider observable market inputs together with significant unobservable inputs in arriving at their
valuation recommendations. Debt investments with maturities of 60 days or less shall each be valued at cost plus accreted discount, or
minus amortized premium, which is expected to approximate fair value, unless such valuation, in the judgment of the Investment Adviser,
does not represent fair value, in which case such investments shall be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the
direction of our Board. Investments that are not publicly traded or whose market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair
value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our Board. Such determination of fair values involves subjective judgments
and estimates.
With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available or when such market quotations are deemed not to
represent fair value, our Board has approved a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:
(1)
our quarterly valuation process begins with each portfolio company or investment being initially valued by the investment
professionals of the Investment Adviser responsible for the portfolio investment;
(2)
preliminary valuation conclusions are then documented and discussed with senior management of the Investment Adviser;
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
(3)
(4)
(5)
independent valuation firms engaged by our Board conduct independent appraisals and review the Investment Adviser’s
preliminary valuations and make their own independent assessment for all material assets;
the audit committee of the Board reviews the preliminary valuation of the Investment Adviser and that of the independent
valuation firm and responds to the valuation recommendation of the independent valuation firm, if any, to reflect any
comments; and
the Board discusses valuations and determines the fair value of each investment in our portfolio in good faith based on the
input of the Investment Adviser, the respective independent valuation firm, if any, and the audit committee.
Investments in all asset classes are valued utilizing a market approach, an income approach, or both approaches, as appropriate. However,
in accordance with ASC 820-10, certain investments that qualify as investment companies in accordance with ASC 946, may be valued
using net asset value as a practical expedient for fair value. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by
market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities (including a business). The income approach uses valuation
approaches to convert future amounts (for example, cash flows or earnings) to a single present amount (discounted). The measurement is
based on the value indicated by current market expectations about those future amounts. In following these approaches, the types of factors
that we may take into account in fair value pricing our investments include, as relevant: available current market data, including relevant
and applicable market trading and transaction comparables, applicable market yields and multiples, security covenants, call protection
provisions, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments, its earnings and discounted
cash flows, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparisons of financial ratios of peer companies that are public,
M&A comparables, our principal market (as the reporting entity) and enterprise values, among other factors. When available, broker
quotations and/or quotations provided by pricing services are considered as an input in the valuation process. For the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2021, there has been no change to the Company’s valuation approaches or techniques and the nature of the related inputs
considered in the valuation process.
ASC Topic 820 classifies the inputs used to measure these fair values into the following hierarchy:
Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, accessible by the Company at the measurement
date.
Level 2: Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, or quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in
markets that are not active, or other observable inputs other than quoted prices.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.
In all cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls is determined based on the
lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair
value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to each investment. The exercise of judgment is based
in part on our knowledge of the asset class and our prior experience.
(c)
(d)
Gains or losses on investments are calculated by using the specific identification method.
The Company records dividend income and interest, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount, on an accrual basis.
Loan origination fees, original issue discount, and market
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
discounts are capitalized and we amortize such amounts into income using the effective interest method. Upon the prepayment of a loan,
any unamortized loan origination fees are recorded as interest income. We record call premiums received on loans repaid as interest
income when we receive such amounts. Capital structuring fees, amendment fees, consent fees, and any other non-recurring fee income as
well as management fee and other fee income for services rendered, if any, are recorded as other income when earned.
The Company intends to comply with the applicable provisions of the Code pertaining to regulated investment companies to make
distributions of taxable income sufficient to relieve it of substantially all U.S. federal income taxes. The Company, at its discretion, may
carry forward taxable income in excess of calendar year distributions and pay a 4% excise tax on this income. The Company will accrue
excise tax on such estimated excess taxable income as appropriate.
Book and tax basis differences relating to stockholder distributions and other permanent book and tax differences are typically reclassified
among the Company’s capital accounts. In addition, the character of income and gains to be distributed is determined in accordance with
income tax regulations that may differ from GAAP; accordingly at December 31, 2021, $2,605 was reclassified on our balance sheet
between accumulated distributable net loss and paid-in capital in excess of par. Total earnings and net asset value are not affected.
Distributions to common stockholders are recorded as of the record date. The amount to be paid out as a distribution is determined by the
Board. Net realized capital gains, if any, are generally distributed or deemed distributed at least annually.
In accordance with Regulation S-X and ASC Topic 810—Consolidation, the Company consolidates its interest in controlled investment
company subsidiaries, financing subsidiaries and certain wholly-owned holding companies that serve to facilitate investment in portfolio
companies. In addition, the Company may also consolidate any controlled operating companies substantially all of whose business consists
of providing services to the Company.
The accounting records of the Company are maintained in U.S. dollars. Any assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are
translated into U.S. dollars based on the rate of exchange of such currencies against U.S. dollars on the date of valuation. The Company
will not isolate that portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from the
fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of securities held. Such fluctuations would be included with the net unrealized gain or
loss from investments. The Company’s investments in foreign securities, if any, may involve certain risks, including without limitation:
foreign exchange restrictions, expropriation, taxation or other political, social or economic risks, all of which could affect the market
and/or credit risk of the investment. In addition, changes in the relationship of foreign currencies to the U.S. dollar can significantly affect
the value of these investments in terms of U.S. dollars and therefore the earnings of the Company.
The Company has made elections to apply the fair value option of accounting to the unsecured senior notes due 2022 (the “2022
Unsecured Notes”) (see notes 6 and 7), in accordance with ASC 825-10.
In accordance with ASC 835-30, the Company reports origination and other expenses related to certain debt issuances as a direct deduction
from the carrying amount of the debt liability. Applicable expenses are deferred and amortized using either the effective interest method or
the straight-line method over the stated life. The straight-line method may be used on revolving facilities and/or when it approximates the
effective yield method.
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
127
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
(l)
(m)
(n)
(o)
The Company may enter into forward exchange contracts in order to hedge against foreign currency risk. These contracts are
marked-to-market by recognizing the difference between the contract exchange rate and the current market rate as unrealized appreciation
or depreciation. Realized gains or losses are recognized when contracts are settled.
The Company records expenses related to shelf registration statements and applicable equity offering costs as prepaid assets. These
expenses are typically charged as a reduction of capital upon the sale of shares or expensed, in accordance with ASC 946-20-25.
Investments that are expected to pay regularly scheduled interest in cash are generally placed on non-accrual status when principal or
interest cash payments are past due 30 days or more (90 days or more for equipment financing) and/or when it is no longer probable that
principal or interest cash payments will be collected. Such non-accrual investments are restored to accrual status if past due principal and
interest are paid in cash, and in management’s judgment, are likely to continue timely payment of their remaining principal and interest
obligations. Cash interest payments received on such investments may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending on
management’s judgment.
The Company defines cash equivalents as securities that are readily convertible into known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that
they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only securities with a maturity of three
months or less would qualify, with limited exceptions. The Company believes that certain U.S. Treasury bills, repurchase agreements and
other high-quality, short-term debt securities would qualify as cash equivalents.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of
Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” The guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contract
modifications, hedging relationships and other transactions, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected
to be discontinued because of the reference rate reform. ASU 2020-04 is effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. The
Company is evaluating the potential impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on the Company’s financial statements.
Note 3. Agreements
The Company has an investment advisory and management agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with the Investment Adviser, under which the
Investment Adviser will manage the day-to-day operations of, and provide investment advisory services to the Company. For providing these services,
the Investment Adviser receives a fee from the Company, consisting of two components—a base management fee and a performance-based incentive
fee. The base management fee is determined by taking the average value of the Company’s gross assets at the end of the two most recently completed
calendar quarters calculated at an annual rate of 1.75% on gross assets up to 200% of the Company’s total net assets as of the immediately preceding
quarter end and 1.00% on gross assets that exceed 200% of the Company’s total net assets as of the immediately preceding quarter end. For purposes of
computing the base management fee, gross assets exclude temporary assets acquired at the end of each fiscal quarter for purposes of preserving
investment flexibility in the next fiscal quarter. Temporary assets include, but are not limited to, U.S. treasury bills, other short-term U.S. government or
government agency securities, repurchase agreements or cash borrowings.
The performance-based incentive fee has two parts, as follows: one part is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on the Company’s
pre-incentive fee net investment income for the immediately preceding
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
calendar quarter. 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 the Company’s operating expenses for the quarter (including
the base management fee, any expenses payable under the Administration Agreement, and any interest expense and distributions paid on any issued and
outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the performance-based incentive fee). Pre-incentive fee net investment income does not include any realized
capital gains or losses, or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. Pre-incentive fee net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the
value of the Company’s net assets at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, is compared to the hurdle rate of 1.75% per quarter (7%
annualized). The Company pays the Investment Adviser a performance-based incentive fee with respect to the Company’s pre-incentive fee net
investment income in each calendar quarter as follows: (1) no performance-based incentive fee in any calendar quarter in which the Company’s
pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate; (2) 100% of the Company’s 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 2.1875% in any calendar
quarter; and (3) 20% of the amount of the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter.
These calculations are appropriately pro-rated for any period of less than three months.
The second part of the performance-based incentive fee is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon
termination of the Advisory Agreement, as of the termination date), and will equal 20% of the Company’s cumulative realized capital gains less
cumulative realized capital losses, unrealized capital depreciation (unrealized depreciation on a gross investment-by-investment basis at the end of each
calendar year) and all net capital gains upon which prior performance-based capital gains incentive fee payments were previously made to the
Investment Adviser. For financial statement purposes, the second part of the performance-based incentive fee is accrued based upon 20% of cumulative
net realized gains and net unrealized capital appreciation. No accrual was required for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 201, the Company recognized $28,277, $24,951 and $26,774, respectively, in base
management fees and $10,309, $2,272 and $18,111, respectively, in performance-based incentive fees.
The Company has also entered into an Administration Agreement with SLR Capital Management, LLC (f/k/a Solar Capital Management, LLC)
(the “Administrator”) under which the Administrator provides administrative services to the Company. For providing these services, facilities and
personnel, the Company reimburses the Administrator for the Company’s allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the
Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent. The Administrator will also provide, on the Company’s
behalf, managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which the Company is required to provide such assistance. The Company typically
reimburses the Administrator on a quarterly basis.
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, the Company recognized expenses under the Administration Agreement of $5,575,
$5,215 and $5,265, respectively. No managerial assistance fees were accrued or collected for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
129
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Note 4. Net Asset Value Per Share
At December 31, 2021, the Company’s total net assets and net asset value per share were $842,281 and $19.93, respectively. This compares to
total net assets and net asset value per share at December 31, 2020 of $852,023 and $20.16, respectively.
Note 5. Earnings Per Share
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net increase in net assets per share resulting from operations, pursuant to ASC
260-10, for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019:
Earnings per share (basic & diluted)
Numerator - net increase in net assets
resulting from operations:
Denominator - weighted average shares:
Earnings per share:
Note 6. Fair Value
Year ended
December 31, 2021
Year ended
December 31, 2020
Year ended
December 31, 2019
$
$
59,566
42,260,826
1.41
$
$
15,451
42,260,826
0.37
$
$
56,016
42,260,826
1.33
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market
participants at the measurement date. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value that includes a hierarchy used to classify the inputs used
in measuring fair value. The hierarchy prioritizes the inputs to valuations used to measure fair value into three levels. The level in the fair value
hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
The levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Level 1. Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market
that the Company has the ability to access.
Level 2. Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or model inputs that are observable
either directly or indirectly for substantially the full term of the asset or liability. Level 2 inputs include the following:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets;
Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in non-active markets;
Pricing models whose inputs are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and
Pricing models whose inputs are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data through correlation or other means for
substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
Level 3. Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and
significant to the overall fair value measurement. These inputs reflect management’s and, if applicable, an independent third-party valuation firm’s own
assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in pricing the asset or liability.
130
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
When the inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the level within which the fair value measurement is
categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. For example, a Level 3 fair value
measurement may include inputs that are observable (Levels 1 and 2) and unobservable (Level 3).
Gains and losses for assets and liabilities categorized within the Level 3 table below may include changes in fair value that are attributable to both
observable inputs (Levels 1 and 2) and unobservable inputs (Level 3).
A review of fair value hierarchy classifications is conducted on a quarterly basis. Changes in the observability of valuation inputs may result in a
reclassification for certain financial assets or liabilities. Such reclassifications involving Level 3 assets and liabilities are reported as transfers in/out of
Level 3 as of the end of the quarter in which the reclassifications occur. Within the fair value hierarchy tables below, cash and cash equivalents are
excluded but could be classified as Level 1.
The following tables present the balances of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis, as of December 31, 2021 and
December 31, 2020:
Assets:
Senior Secured Loans
Equipment Financing
Preferred Equity
Common Equity/Equity Interests/Warrants
Total Investments
Liabilities:
2022 Unsecured Notes
Assets:
Senior Secured Loans
Equipment Financing
Preferred Equity
Common Equity/Equity Interests/Warrants
Total Investments
Liabilities:
2022 Unsecured Notes
Fair Value Measurements
As of December 31, 2021
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
$ —
—
—
1,086
$1,086
$ —
—
—
—
$ —
$ 939,690
273,795
5,630
450,381
$1,669,496
$ 939,690
273,795
5,630
451,467
$1,670,582
$ —
$ —
$ 150,000
$ 150,000
Fair Value Measurements
As of December 31, 2020
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
$ —
—
—
1,681
$1,681
$ —
—
—
—
$ —
$ 798,052
284,846
6,401
440,971
$1,530,270
$ 798,052
284,846
6,401
442,652
$1,531,951
$ —
$ —
$ 150,000
$ 150,000
131
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
The following table provides a summary of the changes in fair value of Level 3 assets for the year ended December 31, 2021, as well as the
portion of gains or losses included in income attributable to unrealized gains or losses related to those assets still held at December 31, 2021:
Fair Value Measurements Using Level 3 Inputs
Senior Secured
Loans
798,052
$
Equipment
Financing
$284,846
Preferred Equity
$
6,401
Common Equity/
Equity
Interests/
Warrants
$
440,971
—
(13,567)
533,614
(378,409)
—
939,690
$
(8)
1,394
76,700
(89,137)
—
$273,795
$
—
(1,042)
271
—
—
5,630
$
345
9,857
—
(675)
(117)
450,381
Total
$1,530,270
337
(3,358)
610,585
(468,221)
(117)
$1,669,496
Fair value, December 31, 2020
Total gains or losses included in earnings:
Net realized gain (loss)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)
Purchase of investment securities
Proceeds from dispositions of investment securities
Transfers in/out of Level 3(1)
Fair value, December 31, 2021
Unrealized gains (losses) for the period relating to
those Level 3 assets that were still held by the
Company at the end of the period:
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)
$
(12,837)
$
1,394
$
(1,042)
$
9,597
$
(2,888)
(1) On February 17, 2021, the Company exercised its warrants in Senseonics Holdings, Inc., receiving shares in the common stock of Senseonics
Holdings, Inc. The common stock of Senseonics Holdings, Inc. is publicly traded, so this position is considered to be a Level 1 asset.
The following table shows a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances for fair valued liabilities measured using significant unobservable
inputs (Level 3) for the year ended December 31, 2021:
2022 Unsecured Notes
Beginning fair value
Net realized (gain) loss
Net change in unrealized (gain) loss
Borrowings
Repayments
Transfers in/out of Level 3
Ending fair value
132
For the year ended
December 31, 2021
150,000
$
—
—
—
—
—
150,000
$
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
The Company made elections to apply the fair value option of accounting to the 2022 Unsecured Notes, in accordance with ASC 825-10. On
December 31, 2021, there were borrowings of $150,000 on the 2022 Unsecured Notes.
The following table provides a summary of the changes in fair value of Level 3 assets for the year ended December 31, 2020, as well as the
portion of gains or losses included in income attributable to unrealized gains or losses related to those assets still held at December 31, 2020:
Fair value, December 31, 2019
Total gains or losses included in earnings:
Net realized loss
Net change in unrealized gain (loss)
Purchase of investment securities
Proceeds from dispositions of investment securities
Transfers in/out of Level 3
Fair value, December 31, 2020
Unrealized gains (losses) for the period relating to
those Level 3 assets that were still held by the
Company at the end of the period:
Net change in unrealized loss
Fair Value Measurements Using Level 3 Inputs
Senior Secured
Loans
852,834
$
Equipment
Financing
$ 320,630
Preferred Equity
$
10,891
Common Equity/
Equity
Interests/
Warrants
$
309,512
(24,570)
10,426
264,939
(305,577)
—
798,052
$
(123)
(20,043)
37,977
(53,595)
—
$ 284,846
$
—
(3,334)
320
(1,476)
—
6,401
$
(269)
(4,898)
136,626
—
—
440,971
Total
$1,493,867
(24,962)
(17,849)
439,862
(360,648)
—
$1,530,270
$
(5,084)
$(20,043)
$
(3,334)
$
(4,898)
$ (33,359)
The following table shows a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances for fair valued liabilities measured using significant unobservable
inputs (Level 3) for the year ended December 31, 2020:
2022 Unsecured Notes
Beginning fair value
Net realized (gain) loss
Net change in unrealized (gain) loss
Borrowings
Repayments
Transfers in/out of Level 3
Ending fair value
For the year ended
December 31, 2020
150,000
$
—
—
—
—
—
150,000
$
The Company made elections to apply the fair value option of accounting to the 2022 Unsecured Notes, in accordance with ASC 825-10. On
December 31, 2020, there were borrowings of $150,000 on the 2022 Unsecured Notes.
133
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
The Company typically determines the fair value of its performing debt investments utilizing a yield analysis. In a yield analysis, a price is
ascribed for each investment based upon an assessment of current and expected market yields for similar investments and risk profiles. Additional
consideration is given to current contractual interest rates, relative maturities and other key terms and risks associated with an investment. Among other
factors, a significant determinant of risk is the amount of leverage used by the portfolio company relative to the total enterprise value of the company,
and the rights and remedies of our investment within each portfolio company.
Significant unobservable quantitative inputs typically used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s Level 3 assets and liabilities primarily
reflect current market yields, including indices, and readily available quotes from brokers, dealers, and pricing services as indicated by comparable
assets and liabilities, as well as enterprise values, returns on equity and earnings before income taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”)
multiples of similar companies, and comparable market transactions for equity securities.
Quantitative information about the Company’s Level 3 asset and liability fair value measurements as of December 31, 2021 is summarized in the
table below:
Senior Secured Loans
Equipment Financing
Preferred Equity
Common Equity/Equity
Interests/Warrants
2022 Unsecured Notes
Asset or
Liability
Asset
Fair Value at
December 31, 2021
931,769
$
7,921
$
Principal Valuation
Technique/Methodology
Income Approach
Market Multiple(1)
Asset
$
$
$
$
$
Liability $
Asset
Asset
144,693
129,102
5,630
151,615
298,766
150,000
Income Approach
Market Approach
Income Approach
Market Multiple(2)
Market Approach
Income Approach
Unobservable Input
Market Yield
Comparable Multiple
Market Yield
Return on Equity
Market Yield
Comparable Multiple
Return on Equity
Market Yield
Range (Weighted
Average)
4.0% – 19.6% (8.7%)
2.0x-3.0x(2.5x)/
2.0x-3.0x(2.5x)
7.1% – 20.3% (9.8%)
4.6%-4.6% (4.6%)
3.5% – 8.0% (4.4%)
5.8x – 10.5x (9.5x)
6.1% – 18.5% (8.6%)
2.2% – 4.6% (4.5%)
(1)
(2)
Investments are valued using a sum-of-the parts analysis, using expected EBITDA multiples (2x-3x) for certain segments of the business and
expected revenue multiples (2x-3x) for certain segments of the business.
Includes $403 of investments valued using a Black-Scholes model and $151,212 of investments valued using an EBITDA multiple
134
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Quantitative information about the Company’s Level 3 asset and liability fair value measurements as of December 31, 2020 is summarized in the
table below:
Senior Secured Loans
Equipment Financing
Preferred Equity
Common Equity/Equity
Interests/Warrants
2022 Unsecured Notes
Asset or
Liability
Asset
Asset
$
$
$
$
$
$
Liability $
Asset
Asset
Fair Value at
December 31, 2020
798,052
155,744
129,102
6,401
144,205
296,766
150,000
Principal Valuation
Technique/Methodology
Income Approach
Income Approach
Market Approach
Income Approach
Market Multiple(1)
Market Approach
Income Approach
Unobservable Input
Market Yield
Market Yield
Return on Equity
Market Yield
Comparable Multiple
Return on Equity
Market Yield
Range (Weighted
Average)
5.8% –16.4% (8.9%)
6.6% – 20.3% (10.3%)
10.9%-10.9% (10.9%)
3.3% – 8.0% (5.0%)
5.8x – 6.3x (6.3x)
(10.3%) – 13.7% (0.5%)
1.5% – 4.6% (4.5%)
(1)
Includes $675 of investments valued using a weighted valuation approach, $492 of investments valued using a Black-Scholes model, $6,442 of
investments valued using an EBITDA multiple and $136,596 of investments which, due to the proximity of the transaction relative to the
measurement date, were valued using the cost of the investments.
Significant increases or decreases in any of the above unobservable inputs in isolation, including unobservable inputs used in deriving bid-ask
spreads, if applicable, could result in significantly lower or higher fair value measurements for such assets and liabilities. Generally, an increase in
market yields or decrease in EBITDA multiples may result in a decrease in the fair value of certain of the Company’s investments.
Note 7. Debt
Our debt obligations consisted of the following as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:
December 31, 2021
December 31, 2020
Facility
Credit Facility
NEFPASS Facility
2022 Unsecured Notes
2022 Tranche C Notes
2023 Unsecured Notes
2024 Unsecured Notes
2026 Unsecured Notes
2027 Unsecured Notes
Face Amount
$ 322,500
—
150,000
21,000
75,000
125,000
75,000
50,000
$ 818,500
Carrying Value
$
318,015(1)
—
150,000
20,964(3)
74,592(4)
124,143(5)
74,384(6)
49,940(7)
812,038
$
Face Amount
$ 201,000
30,000
150,000
21,000
75,000
125,000
75,000
—
$ 677,000
Carrying Value
$
198,766(1)
29,377(2)
150,000
20,930(3)
74,225(4)
123,877(5)
74,276(6)
—
671,451
$
(1) Carrying Value equals the Face Amount net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $4,485 and $2,234 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31,
2020, respectively.
135
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
(2) Carrying Value equals the Face Amount net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $0 and $623 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020,
respectively.
(3) Carrying Value equals the Face Amount net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $36 and $70 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020,
respectively.
(4) Carrying Value equals the Face Amount net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $408 and $775 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31,
2020, respectively.
(5) Carrying Value equals the Face Amount net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $857 and $1,123 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31,
2020, respectively.
(6) Carrying Value equals the Face Amount net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $616 and $724 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31,
2020, respectively.
(7) Carrying Value equals the Face Amount net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $60 as of December 31, 2021.
Unsecured Notes
On September 14, 2021, the Company closed a private offering of $50,000 of the 2027 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 2.95% and a
maturity date of March 14, 2027. Interest on the 2027 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on March 14 and September 14. The 2027 Unsecured
Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On December 18, 2019, the Company closed a private offering of $125,000 of the 2024 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.20% and a
maturity date of December 15, 2024. Interest on the 2024 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on June 15 and December 15. The 2024 Unsecured
Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On December 18, 2019, the Company closed a private offering of $75,000 of the 2026 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.375% and a
maturity date of December 15, 2026. Interest on the 2026 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on June 15 and December 15. The 2026 Unsecured
Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On December 28, 2017, the Company closed a private offering of $21,000 of the 2022 Tranche C Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.50% and a
maturity date of December 28, 2022. Interest on the 2022 Tranche C Notes is due semi-annually on June 28 and December 28. The 2022 Tranche C
Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On November 22, 2017, we issued $75,000 in aggregate principal amount of publicly registered 2023 Unsecured Notes for net proceeds of
$73,846. Interest on the 2023 Unsecured Notes is paid semi-annually on January 20 and July 20, at a fixed rate of 4.50% per year, commencing on
January 20, 2018. The 2023 Unsecured Notes mature on January 20, 2023.
On February 15, 2017, the Company closed a private offering of $100,000 of the 2022 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.60% and a
maturity date of May 8, 2022. Interest on the 2022 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on May 8 and November 8. The 2022 Unsecured Notes were
issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
On November 8, 2016, the Company closed a private offering of $50,000 of the 2022 Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.40% and a
maturity date of May 8, 2022. Interest on the 2022 Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on May 8 and November 8. The 2022 Unsecured Notes were
issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
Revolving and Term Loan Facilities
On December 28, 2021, the Company closed on Amendment No. 1 to its August 28, 2019 senior secured credit agreement (the “Credit Facility”).
Post amendment, the Credit Facility is composed of $600,000 of revolving credit and $100,000 of term loans. Borrowings generally bear interest at a
rate per annum equal to the base rate plus a range of 1.75%-2.00% or the alternate base rate plus 0.75%-1.00%. The Credit Facility has a 0% floor and
matures in December 2026 and includes ratable amortization in the final year. The Credit Facility may be increased up to $800,000 with additional new
lenders or an increase in commitments from current lenders. The Credit Facility contains certain customary affirmative and negative covenants and
events of default. In addition, the Credit Facility contains certain financial covenants that among other things, requires the Company to maintain a
minimum shareholder’s equity and a minimum asset coverage ratio. At December 31, 2021, outstanding USD equivalent borrowings under the Credit
Facility totaled $322,500, composed of $222,500 of revolving credit and $100,000 of term loans.
On December 28, 2021, the Company prepaid and terminated the NEFPASS SPV LLC September 26, 2018 credit facility.
Certain covenants on our issued debt may restrict our business activities, including limitations that could hinder our ability to finance additional
loans and investments or to make the distributions required to maintain our status as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.
The Company has made an election to apply the fair value option of accounting to the 2022 Unsecured Notes, in accordance with ASC 825-10.
We believe accounting for this facility at fair value better aligns the measurement methodologies of assets and liabilities, which may mitigate certain
earnings volatility. ASC 825-10 requires entities to display the fair value of the selected assets and liabilities on the face of the Consolidated Statement
of Assets and Liabilities and changes in fair value of the above facility are reported in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.
The average annualized interest cost for all borrowings for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 was 3.64%
and 4.11%, respectively. These costs are exclusive of other credit facility expenses such as unused fees, agency fees and other prepaid expenses related
to establishing and/or amending the Credit Facility, the 2022 Unsecured Notes, the 2022 Tranche C Notes, the NEFPASS Facility, the 2023 Unsecured
Notes, the 2024 Unsecured Notes, the 2026 Unsecured Notes and the 2027 Unsecured Notes (collectively the “Credit Facilities”), if any. The maximum
amounts borrowed on the Credit Facilities during the year ended December 31, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 were $902,550 and
$677,000, respectively.
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Note 8(a). Income Tax Information and Distributions to Stockholders
The tax character of distributions for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were as follows (1):
Ordinary income
Capital gains
Return of capital
Total distributions
2021
$41,221
—
28,087
$69,308
2020
59.5% $48,795
—
0.0%
20,513
40.5%
100.0% $69,308
2019
70.4% $65,715
—
0.0%
3,592
29.6%
100.0% $69,307
94.8%
0.0%
5.2%
100.0%
As of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 the total accumulated earnings (loss) on a tax basis were as follows (1):
Undistributed ordinary income
Undistributed long-term net capital gains
Total undistributed net earnings
Post-October capital losses
Capital loss carryforward
Other book/tax temporary differences
Net unrealized appreciation
Total tax accumulated loss
2021
2019
2020
$ — $ — $ —
—
—
—
(45,400)
2,004
8,172
$(47,030) $(62,770) $ (35,224)
—
—
—
(68,857)
2,332
19,495
—
—
—
(69,384)
2,168
4,446
(1)
Tax information for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 are/were estimates and are not final until the Company files its tax
returns, typically in September or October each year.
The Company recognizes in its consolidated financial statements the tax effect of a tax position when it is more likely than not, based on the
technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination. To the best of our knowledge, we did not have any uncertain tax positions that
met the recognition or measurement criteria of ASC 740-10-25 nor did we have any unrecognized tax benefits as of the periods presented herein.
Although we file federal and state tax returns, our major tax jurisdiction is federal. Our tax returns for each of our federal tax years since 2018 remain
subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and the state department of revenue. The capital loss carryforwards shown above do not expire.
Note 8(b). Other Tax Information (unaudited)
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, 0.32%, 0.10% and 0.00%, respectively, of the dividends paid during the year were
eligible for qualified dividend income treatment and the dividends received deduction for corporate stockholders. For the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, 93.05%, 92.05% and 83.81%, respectively, of each of the distributions paid during the year represent interest-
related dividends. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, none of the distributions represent short-term capital gains dividends.
138
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Note 9. Financial Highlights
The following is a schedule of financial highlights for the respective years:
Per Share Data: (a)
Net asset value, beginning of year
Net investment income
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)
Net increase in net assets resulting from
operations
Distributions to stockholders (see note
8a):
From net investment income
From return of capital
Net asset value, end of year
Per share market value, end of year
Total Return(b)
Net assets, end of year
Year ended
December 31,
2021
Year ended
December 31,
2020
Year ended
December 31,
2019
Year ended
December 31,
2018
Year ended
December 31,
2017
$
$
$
20.16
1.44
(0.03)
1.41
(0.98)
(0.66)
19.93
18.43
$
$
$
21.44
1.40
(1.04)
0.36
(1.15)
(0.49)
20.16
17.51
$
$
$
21.75
1.71
(0.38)
1.33
(1.55)
(0.09)
21.44
20.62
$
$
$
21.81
1.77
(0.19)
1.58
(1.64)
—
21.75
19.19
$
$
$
21.74
1.62
0.05
1.67
(1.60)
—
21.81
20.21
14.66%
(5.72%)
16.22%
2.77%
4.47%
$
842,281
$
852,023
$
905,880
$
919,171
$
921,605
Shares outstanding, end of year
42,260,826
42,260,826
42,260,826
42,260,826
42,260,826
Ratios to average net assets:
Net investment income
Operating expenses
Interest and other credit facility expenses
Total expenses
Average debt outstanding
Portfolio turnover ratio
7.13%
5.68%
3.50%
9.18%
6.93%
4.14%
3.18%
7.32%
7.83%
5.76%
3.13%
8.89%
8.10%
5.83%
2.67%
8.50%
7.43%
5.80%
2.35%*
8.15%
$
703,670
$
556,104
$
561,249
$
508,445
$
414,264
29.9%
26.0%
24.1%
39.3%
24.9%
(a) Calculated using the average shares outstanding method.
(b)
*
Total return is based on the change in market price per share during the year and takes into account distributions, if any, reinvested in accordance
with the dividend reinvestment plan. Total return does not include a sales load.
Ratios are shown without the non-recurring upfront costs that were expensed in the period associated with the amendment and establishment of
the Credit Facility and 2022 Unsecured Notes. Ratios excluding those non-recurring upfront costs would be 2.29% for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2017.
139
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Note 10. SLR Credit Solutions
On December 28, 2012, we acquired an equity interest in Crystal Capital Financial Holdings LLC (“Crystal Financial”) for $275,000 in cash.
Crystal Financial owned approximately 98% of the outstanding ownership interest in SLR Credit Solutions (“SLR Credit”), f/k/a Crystal Financial LLC.
The remaining financial interest was held by various employees of SLR Credit, through their investment in Crystal Management LP. SLR Credit had a
diversified portfolio of 23 loans having a total par value of approximately $400,000 at November 30, 2012 and a $275,000 committed revolving credit
facility. On July 28, 2016, the Company purchased Crystal Management LP’s approximately 2% equity interest in SLR Credit for approximately
$5,737. Upon the closing of this transaction, the Company holds 100% of the equity interest in SLR Credit. On September 30, 2016, Crystal Capital
Financial Holdings LLC was dissolved. As of December 31, 2021, total commitments to the revolving credit facility are $200,000.
As of December 31, 2021 SLR Credit had 22 funded commitments to 19 different issuers with total funded loans of approximately $287,375 on
total assets of $347,821. As of December 31, 2020, SLR Credit had 30 funded commitments to 24 different issuers with total funded loans of
approximately $404,115 on total assets of $433,914. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the largest loan outstanding totaled $35,000 and
$45,000, respectively. For the same periods, the average exposure per issuer was $15,125 and $16,838, respectively. SLR Credit’s credit facility, which
is non-recourse to the Company, had approximately $100,742 and $183,896 of borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020,
respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 SLR Credit had net income of $14,164, $23,293 and $8,021, respectively, on gross
income of $33,993, $45,315 and $61,177, respectively. Due to timing and non-cash items, there may be material differences between GAAP net income
and cash available for distributions. SLR Credit’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31,
2020 are attached as an exhibit to this annual report on Form 10-K.
Note 11. Commitments and Contingencies
The Company had unfunded debt and equity commitments to various revolving and delayed-draw term loans as well as to SLR Credit. The total
amount of these unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 is $226,733 and $126,180, respectively, comprised of the
following:
SLR Credit Solutions*
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Glooko, Inc.
BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.
CC SAG Holdings Corp. (Spectrum Automotive)
Inszone Mid, LLC
One Touch Direct, LLC
Rezolute, Inc.
Maurices, Incorporated
SLR Equipment Finance
NAC Holdings Corporation
140
$
December 31,
2021
44,263
43,470
25,091
23,049
18,827
12,465
7,226
5,675
5,649
5,000
4,765
$
December 31,
2020
44,263
—
—
—
—
—
5,042
—
—
4,150
—
Table of Contents
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Ivy Fertility Services, LLC
SOC Telemed, Inc.
RQM+ Corp
Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc.
Kid Distro Holdings, LLC
Foundation Consumer Brands, LLC
Neuronetics, Inc.
MMIT Holdings, LLC
Basic Fun, Inc.
Pinnacle Treatment Centers, Inc.
SunMed Group Holdings, LLC
Ultimate Baked Goods Midco LLC
American Teleconferencing Services, Ltd.
Smile Doctors LLC
Soleo Health Holdings, Inc.
Cardiva Medical, Inc.
Kindred Biosciences, Inc.
PQ Bypass, Inc.
Centrexion Therapeutics, Inc.
Sentry Data Systems, Inc.
Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc.
Total Commitments
December 31,
2021
$
4,532
4,448
3,818
3,746
2,650
2,269
2,230
2,009
1,935
1,414
828
801
573
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
$ 226,733
December 31,
2020
$
—
—
—
3,529
—
—
6,691
—
1,116
1,386
—
—
—
26,740
7,421
7,333
6,897
5,000
3,785
1,577
1,250
$ 126,180
* The Company controls the funding of the SLR Credit Solutions commitment and may cancel it at its discretion.
The credit agreements of the above loan commitments contain customary lending provisions and/or are subject to the portfolio company’s
achievement of certain milestones that allow relief to the Company from funding obligations for previously made commitments in instances where the
underlying company experiences materially adverse events that affect the financial condition or business outlook for the company. Since these
commitments may expire without being drawn upon, unfunded commitments do not necessarily represent future cash requirements or future earning
assets for the Company. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had sufficient cash available and/or liquid securities available
to fund its commitments and had reviewed them for any appropriate fair value adjustment.
Note 12. SLR Equipment Finance
On July 31, 2017, we acquired a 100% equity interest in NEF Holdings, LLC, which conducts its business through its wholly-owned subsidiary
Nations Equipment Finance, LLC. Effective February 25, 2021, Nations Equipment Finance, LLC and its related companies is doing business as SLR
Equipment Finance (“SLR Equipment”). SLR Equipment is an independent equipment finance company that provides senior secured loans and leases
primarily to U.S. based companies. We invested $209,866 in cash to effect the transaction, of which $145,000 was invested in the equity of SLR
Equipment through our wholly-owned consolidated taxable subsidiary NEFCORP LLC and our wholly-owned consolidated subsidiary NEFPASS LLC
and $64,866 was used to purchase certain leases and loans held by SLR Equipment through NEFPASS LLC. Concurrent with the
141
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
transaction, SLR Equipment refinanced its existing senior secured credit facility into a $150,000 non-recourse facility with an accordion feature to
expand up to $250,000. In September 2019, SLR Equipment amended the facility, increasing commitments to $213,957 with an accordion feature to
expand up to $313,957 and extended the maturity date of the facility to July 31, 2023.
As of December 31, 2021, SLR Equipment had 135 funded equipment-backed leases and loans to 61 different customers with a total net
investment in leases and loans of approximately $210,986 on total assets of $264,007. As of December 31, 2020, NEF had 138 funded equipment-
backed leases and loans to 61 different customers with a total net investment in leases and loans of approximately $188,448 on total assets of
$263,443. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the largest position outstanding totaled $19,207 and $25,103, respectively. For the same
periods, the average exposure per customer was $3,459 and $3,089, respectively. SLR Equipment’s credit facility, which is non-recourse to the
Company, had approximately $118,002 and $100,569 of borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. For the
years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, SLR Equipment had net losses of $9,729, $8,883 and $6,023, respectively on gross income of $22,931,
$24,512 and $31,928, respectively. Due to timing and non-cash items, there may be material differences between GAAP net income and cash available
for distributions. SLR Equipment’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are attached
as an exhibit to this annual report on Form 10-K.
Note 13. Capital Share Transactions
As of December 31, 2021 and December 30, 2020, 200,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value capital stock were authorized.
There were no transactions in capital stock during the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 30, 2020.
Note 14. Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC
On November 3, 2020, the Company acquired an 87.5% equity interest in Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC (“KBH”) through KBH Topco LLC
(“KBHT”), a newly formed Delaware corporation. KBH is a residual focused independent mid-ticket lessor of equipment primarily to U.S. investment
grade companies. The Company invested $216,596 to effect the transaction, of which $136,596 was invested to acquire 87.5% of KBHT’s equity and
$80,000 in KBH’s debt. The existing management team of KBH committed to continue to lead KBH after the transaction. Post the transaction, the
Company owns 87.5% of KBHT equity and the KBH management team owns the remaining 12.5% of KBHT’s equity.
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, KBHT had total assets of $738,425 and $744,684, respectively. For the same periods, debt recourse to KBHT
totaled $216,881 and $219,044, respectively, and non-recourse debt totaled $323,844 and $335,899, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2021
and the period November 3, 2020 through December 31, 2020, KBHT had net income of $12,151 and $2,170, respectively, on gross income of $245,889
and $43,618, respectively. Due to timing and non-cash items, there may be material differences between GAAP net income and cash available for
distributions. As such, and subject to fluctuations in KBHT’s funded commitments, the timing of originations, and the repayments of financings, the
Company cannot guarantee that KBHT will be able to maintain consistent dividend payments to us. KBHT’s consolidated financial statements for the
year ended December 31, 2021 and the period November 3, 2020 to December 31, 2020 are attached as an exhibit to this annual report on Form 10-K.
142
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Note 15. Pending Merger with SUNS
On December 1, 2021, we entered into the Merger Agreement, which provides that, subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement,
Merger Sub will merge with and into SUNS, with SUNS continuing as the surviving company and as our wholly-owned subsidiary and, immediately
thereafter, SUNS will merge with and into us, with us continuing as the surviving company. Both the Board and SUNS’s board of directors, including all
of the respective independent directors, in each case, on the recommendation of a special committee comprised solely of the independent directors of us
or SUNS, as applicable, have approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby.
At the effective time of the Merger (“Effective Time”), each share of our common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective
Time (other than shares owned by us or any of our controlled subsidiaries (the “Cancelled Shares”)) will be converted into the right to receive a number
of shares of SUNS’s common stock equal to the Exchange Ratio (as defined below) (cash may be paid in lieu of fractional shares).
As of a mutually agreed date no earlier than 48 hours (excluding Sundays and holidays) prior to the Effective Time (such date, the “Determination
Date”), each of us and SUNS will deliver to the other a calculation of its NAV as of such date, in each case using a pre-agreed set of assumptions,
methodologies and adjustments. We refer to such calculation with respect to us as the “Closing SLRC Net Asset Value” and with respect to SUNS as the
“Closing SUNS Net Asset Value”. Based on such calculations, the parties will calculate the “SLRC Per Share NAV”, which will be equal to (i) the
Closing SLRC Net Asset Value divided by (ii) the number of shares of our common stock issued and outstanding as of the Determination Date
(excluding any Cancelled Shares), and the “SUNS Per Share NAV”, which will be equal to (A) the Closing SUNS Net Asset Value divided by (B) the
number of shares of SUNS Common Stock issued and outstanding as of the Determination Date. The “Exchange Ratio” will be equal to the quotient
(rounded to four decimal places) of (i) the SUNS Per Share NAV divided by (ii) the SLRC Per Share NAV.
We and SUNS will update and redeliver the Closing SLRC Net Asset Value or the Closing SUNS Net Asset Value, respectively, in the event of a
material change to such calculation between the Determination Date and the closing of the Mergers and if needed to ensure that the calculation is
determined within 48 hours (excluding Sundays and holidays) prior to the Effective Time.
The Merger Agreement contains customary representations and warranties by each of us, SUNS and SLR Capital Partners. The Merger
Agreement also contains customary covenants, including, among others, covenants relating to the operation of each of our and SUNS’s businesses
during the period prior to the closing of the Mergers.
Consummation of the Mergers, which is currently anticipated to occur during the first half of calendar year 2022, is subject to certain closing
conditions, including requisite approvals of our and SUNS’s stockholders and certain other closing conditions.
The Merger Agreement also contains certain termination rights in favor of us and SUNS, including if the Mergers are not completed on or before
December 1, 2022 or if the requisite approvals of our or SUNS’s stockholders are not obtained. The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the
termination of the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances, a third party acquiring SUNS may be required to pay us a termination fee of
approximately $7,600. The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the termination of the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances, a third party
acquiring us may be required to pay to SUNS a termination fee of approximately $25,600.
143
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SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
December 31, 2021
(in thousands, except share amounts)
The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of
the Merger Agreement, which is incorporated by reference as Exhibit 2.1 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and incorporated by reference herein. The
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained in the Merger Agreement were made only for purposes of the Merger Agreement and
as of specific dates; were solely for the benefit of the parties to the Merger Agreement (except as may be expressly set forth in the Merger Agreement);
may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the parties, including being qualified by confidential disclosures made for the purposes of allocating
contractual risk between the parties to the Merger Agreement instead of establishing these matters as facts; and may be subject to standards of
materiality applicable to the contracting parties that differ from those applicable to investors. Investors and security holders should not rely on such
representations, warranties, covenants or agreements, or any descriptions thereof, as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of any of
the parties to the Merger Agreement or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements may change after the date of the Merger Agreement, which subsequent information may or may
not be fully reflected in public disclosures by the parties to the Merger Agreement.
Note 16. Subsequent Events
The Company has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date the consolidated
financial statements were issued.
On January 6, 2022, the Company closed a private offering of $135,000 of the 2027 Series F Unsecured Notes with a fixed interest rate of 3.33%
and a maturity date of January 6, 2027. Interest on the 2027 Series F Unsecured Notes is due semi-annually on January 6 and July 6. The 2027 Series F
Unsecured Notes were issued in a private placement only to qualified institutional buyers.
On March 1, 2022, the Board declared a quarterly distribution of $0.41 per share payable on April 1, 2022 to holders of record as of March 18,
2022.
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Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures
(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As of December 31, 2021 (the end of the period covered by this report), we, including our Co-Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial
Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the 1934 Act).
Based on that evaluation, our management, including the Co-Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that our disclosure
controls and procedures were effective and provided reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our periodic SEC filings is
recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated
and communicated to our management, including our Co-Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions
regarding required disclosure. However, in evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures,
no matter how well designed and operated can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management
necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of such possible controls and procedures.
(b) Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, which appears in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, is incorporated by reference
herein.
(c) Attestation Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Our independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP, has issued an attestation report on the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting, which is set forth above under the heading “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in Item 8.
(d) Changes in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
Management has not identified any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fourth fiscal quarter
of 2021 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B.
Other Information
None.
Item 9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not Applicable.
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Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Information about Directors
PART III
Certain information with respect to each of the current directors is set forth below, including their names, ages, a brief description of their recent
business experience, including present occupations and employment, certain directorships that each person holds, the year in which each person became
a director of the Company, and a discussion of their particular experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that lead us to conclude that such individual
should serve as a director of the Company, in light of the Company’s business and structure. There were no legal proceedings of the type described in
Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K in the past 10 years against any of the directors or officers of the Company and none are currently pending. There is no
arrangement or understanding between any of the Company’s directors or officers pursuant to which they were selected as directors or officers and the
Company or any other person or entity.
Mr. Gross is an “interested person” of SLR Capital as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) due to his position as
Co-Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company and a managing member of SLR Capital Partners, LLC (“SLR Capital Partners”), the
Company’s investment adviser. Mr. Spohler is an “interested person” of the Company as defined in the 1940 Act due to his position as Co-Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the Company and a managing member of SLR Capital Partners, the Company’s investment adviser.
Each of Mr. Wachter, Mr. Hochberg and Mr. Potter is not an “interested person” of the Company as defined in the 1940 Act.
Name, Address and Age(1)
Interested Director
Michael S. Gross, 60
Position(s) Held
with Company
Terms of Office and
Length of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years
Other Directorships
Held by Director or
Nominee for Director
During Past 5
Years(2)
Chairman of the Board of
Directors, Co-Chief
Executive Officer and
President.
Class III Director since
2007; Term expires 2024.
Co-Chief Executive Officer
of SLR Investment Corp.,
SLR Senior Investment
Corp. and SCP Private
Credit Income BDC LLC
since June 2019 and SLR
HC BDC LLC since
September 2020, President
of SLR Investment Corp.
since 2007, SLR Senior
Investment Corp. since
2010, SCP Private Credit
Income BDC LLC since
2018 and SLR HC BDC
LLC since 2020; Sole Chief
Executive
Chairman of the Board of
Directors of SLR Senior
Investment Corp. since
2010, of SCP Private
Credit Income BDC LLC
since 2018 and of SLR HC
BDC LLC since 2020;
Chairman of the Board of
Directors of Global Ship
Lease Inc.; Director of
Jarden Corporation (2007-
2016); Chairman of the
Board of Mt. Sinai
Children’s Center
Foundation; Director of
New York Road
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Table of Contents
Name, Address and Age(1)
Position(s) Held
with Company
Terms of Office and
Length of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years
Officer of SLR Investment
Corp. (February 2007-June
2019), of SLR Senior
Investment Corp.
(December 2010-June 2019)
and of SCP Private Credit
Income BDC LLC (June
2018-June 2019).
Other Directorships
Held by Director or
Nominee for Director
During Past 5
Years(2)
Runners; Member of the
Kellogg Global Advisory
Board; and Member of the
Ross School Advisory
Board at the University of
Michigan.
Mr. Gross’ intimate knowledge of the business and operations of SLR Capital Partners, extensive familiarity with the financial industry and the
investment management process in particular, and experience as a director of other public and private companies not only gives the board of directors
valuable insight but also positions him well to continue to serve as the Chairman of our board of directors.
Name, Address and Age(1)
Interested Director
Bruce Spohler, 61
Other Directorships
Held by Director or
Nominee for Director
During Past 5
Years (2)
Director of SLR Senior
Investment Corp. since
2010, of SCP Private
Credit Income BDC
LLC since 2018 and of
SLR HC BDC LLC
since 2020.
Position(s) Held
with Company
Terms of Office and
Length of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years
Co-Chief Executive
Officer, Chief Operating
Officer and Director
Class II Director
since 2009;
Term expires
2023.
147
Co-Chief Executive
Officer of SLR
Investment Corp., SLR
Senior Investment Corp.
and SCP Private Credit
Income BDC LLC since
June 2019 and of SLR
HC BDC LLC since
September 2020; Chief
Operating Officer of SLR
Investment Corp. since
February 2007, of SLR
Senior Investment Corp.
since December 2010, of
SCP Private Credit
Income BDC LLC since
June 2018 and of SLR
Table of Contents
Name, Address and Age(1)
Position(s) Held
with Company
Terms of Office and
Length of Time
Served
Other Directorships
Held by Director or
Nominee for Director
During Past 5
Years (2)
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years
HC BDC LLC since
September 2020;
previously, Managing
Director and a former
Co-Head of U.S.
Leveraged Finance for
CIBC World Markets.
Mr. Spohler’s depth of experience in managerial positions in investment management, leveraged finance and financial services, as well as his intimate
knowledge of The Company’s business and operations, gives the board of directors valuable industry-specific knowledge and expertise on these and
other matters.
Name, Address and Age(1)
Independent Director
Steven Hochberg, 60
Position(s) Held
with Company
Terms of Office and
Length of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years
Director
Class II Director since
2007; Term expires 2023.
Partner at Deerfield
Management, a
healthcare investment
firm, since 2013.
Co-founder and manager
of Ascent Biomedical
Ventures, a venture
capital firm focused on
early stage investment
and development of
biomedical companies,
since 2004.
148
Other Directorships
Held by Director or
Nominee for Director
During Past 5
Years(2)
Director of SLR Senior
Investment Corp. since
2011, of SCP Private
Credit Income BDC
LLC since 2018, of
SLR HC BDC LLC
since 2020 and several
private companies.
Since 2011,
Mr. Hochberg had been
the Chairman of the
Board of Continuum
Health Partners until its
merger with Mount
Sinai in 2013, where he
is the Senior Vice
Chairman of the Mount
Sinai Health System, a
non-profit healthcare
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Name, Address and Age(1)
Position(s) Held
with Company
Terms of Office and
Length of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years
Other Directorships
Held by Director or
Nominee for Director
During Past 5
Years(2)
integrated delivery
system in New York
City. Director of a
number of private
healthcare companies,
and the Cardiovascular
Research Foundation,
an organization focused
on advancing new
technologies and
education in the field of
cardiovascular
medicine.
Mr. Hochberg’s varied experience in investing in medical technology companies provides the board of directors with particular knowledge of this field,
and his role as chairman of other companies’ board of directors brings the perspective of a knowledgeable corporate leader.
Name, Address and Age(1)
Independent Director
Leonard A. Potter, 60
Position(s) Held
with Company
Terms of Office and
Length of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years
Other Directorships
Held by Director or
Nominee for Director
During Past 5
Years(2)
Director
Class III Director since
2009; Term expires 2024.
149
President and Chief
Investment Officer of
Wildcat Capital
Management, LLC since
2011; Co-founder and
Senior Managing
Director at Vida Ventures
I and II, each a biotech
venture fund, since 2017;
Managing Director of
Soros Private Equity at
Soros Fund Management
LLC from 2002 to 2009.
Director of SLR Senior
Investment Corp. since
2011, of SCP Private
Credit Income BDC
LLC since 2018, of
SLR HC BDC LLC
since 2020, Hilton
Grand Vacations Inc.
since 2017, of SuRo
Capital Corp. since
2011, and several
private companies.
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Mr. Potter’s experience practicing as a corporate lawyer provides valuable insight to the board of directors on regulatory and risk management issues. In
addition, his tenure in private equity and other investments and service as a director of both public and private companies provide industry-specific
knowledge and expertise to the board of directors.
Name, Address and Age(1)
Independent Director
David S. Wachter, 58
Position(s) Held
with Company
Terms of Office and
Length of Time
Served
Principal
Occupation(s) During
Past 5 Years
Director
Class I Director since
2007; Term expires 2022.
Founding Partner and
Managing Partner of W
Capital Partners, a
private equity fund
manager, since 2001.
Other Directorships
Held by Director or
Nominee for Director
During Past 5
Years(2)
Director of SLR Senior
Investment Corp. since
2011, of SCP Private
Credit Income BDC
LLC since 2018, of
SLR HC BDC LLC
since 2020 and of
several private
companies.
Mr. Wachter’s extensive knowledge of private equity and investment banking provides the board of directors with the valuable insight of an experienced
financial manager.
The business address of the director nominees and other directors is c/o SLR Investment Corp., 500 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022.
(1)
(2) All of the Company’s directors also serve as directors of SLR Senior Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC and SLR HC BDC
LLC, which are investment companies that have each elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) and for which SLR
Capital Partners serves as investment adviser. Mr. Potter also serves as a director of SuRo Capital Corp., which is a closed-end management
investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC.
Information about Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors
The following information, as of December 31, 2021, pertains to our executive officers who are not directors of the Company.
Name, Address, and Age(1)
Richard L. Peteka, 60
Position(s) Held with
Company
Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer
and Secretary
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary of the Company and
of SLR Senior Investment Corp. since May 2012, of SCP Private
Credit Income BDC LLC since June 2018 and of SLR HC BDC LLC
since September 2020. Mr. Peteka joined the Company from Apollo
Investment Corporation, a publicly-traded business development
company, where he served from 2004 to 2012 as the Chief Financial
Officer and Treasurer.
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Table of Contents
Name, Address, and Age(1)
Guy Talarico, 66
Position(s) Held with
Company
Chief Compliance Officer
Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
Chief Compliance Officer of SLR Investment Corp. since 2008, of
SLR Senior Investment Corp. since 2010, of SCP Private Credit
Income BDC LLC since 2018, of SLR HC BDC LLC since 2020 and
of SLR Capital Partners, LLC since February 2016—all affiliated
entities; and Chief Executive Officer of Alaric Compliance Services,
LLC (successor to EOS Compliance Services LLC) from December
2005 to December 2021. In December 2021, Alaric was acquired by
Foreside Consulting Services, LLC. Mr. Talarico serves as Senior
Managing Director of Foreside Consulting Services, LLC. In
conjunction with this primary occupation, Mr. Talarico has served and
continues to serve as Chief Compliance Officer for other business
development companies, funds, and/or investment advisers who are
not affiliated with the SLR Capital Partners entities.
(1)
The business address of the executive officers is c/o SLR Investment Corp., 500 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022.
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SLRC.”
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our board of directors, a copy of which is available on our website at
http://www.SLRinvestmentcorp.com. The charter sets forth the responsibilities of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include
selecting the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company, reviewing with such independent registered public accounting firm the
planning, scope and results of their audit of the Company’s financial statements, pre-approving the fees for services performed, reviewing with the
independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy of internal control systems, reviewing the Company’s annual financial statements and
periodic filings and receiving the Company’s audit reports and financial statements. The Audit Committee also establishes guidelines and makes
recommendations to our board of directors regarding the valuation of our investments. The Audit Committee is responsible for aiding our board of
directors in determining the fair value of debt and equity securities that are not publicly traded or for which current market values are not readily
available. The board of directors and Audit Committee utilize the services of nationally recognized third-party valuation firms to help determine the fair
value of these securities. The Audit Committee is currently composed of Messrs. Hochberg, Wachter and Potter, all of whom are considered independent
under the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market and are not “interested persons” of the Company as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940
Act. Mr. Hochberg serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Hochberg is an “audit committee
financial expert” as that term is defined under Item 407 of Regulation S-K, as promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“Exchange Act”). Mr. Hochberg meets the current independence and experience requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act.
Communication with the Board of Directors
Stockholders with questions about the Company are encouraged to contact the Company’s investor relations department. However, if stockholders
believe that their questions have not been addressed, they may communicate with the Company’s board of directors by sending their communications to
SLR Investment Corp.,
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Table of Contents
c/o Richard L. Peteka, Secretary, 500 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022. All stockholder communications received in this manner will be
delivered to one or more members of the board of directors.
Code of Ethics
The Company has adopted a code of ethics that applies to, among others, its senior officers, including its Co-Chief Executive Officers and its
Chief Financial Officer, as well as every officer, director and employee of the Company. The Company’s code of ethics can be accessed via its website
at http://www.SLRinvestmentcorp.com. The Company intends to disclose amendments to or waivers from a required provision of the code of ethics on
Form 8-K.
Nomination of Directors
There have been no material changes to the procedures by which stockholders may recommend nominees to our Board of Directors implemented
since the filing of our Proxy Statement for our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Item 11.
Executive Compensation
Compensation of Executive Officers
None of our officers receives direct compensation from the Company. As a result, we do not engage any compensation consultants. Mr. Gross, our
Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, and Mr. Spohler, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, through their ownership
interest in SLR Capital Partners, our investment adviser, are entitled to a portion of any profits earned by SLR Capital Partners, which includes any fees
payable by us to SLR Capital Partners under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, less expenses incurred by SLR Capital Partners in performing its
services under the Advisory Agreement. Messrs. Gross and Spohler do not receive any additional compensation from SLR Capital Partners in
connection with the management of our portfolio.
Mr. Peteka, our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary and, through Foreside Consulting Services, LLC, Guy Talarico, our Chief
Compliance Officer, are paid by SLR Capital Management, our administrator, subject to reimbursement by us of an allocable portion of such
compensation for services rendered by such persons to the Company. To the extent that SLR Capital Management outsources any of its functions, we
will pay the fees associated with such functions on a direct basis without profit to SLR Capital Management.
Compensation of Directors
The following table sets forth compensation of the Company’s directors, for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Name
Interested Directors
Michael S. Gross
Bruce Spohler
Independent Directors
Steven Hochberg
David S. Wachter
Leonard A. Potter
Fees Earned or Paid
in Cash (1)
Stock
Awards (2)
All Other
Compensation
—
—
127,000
122,000
122,000
—
—
—
—
—
$
$
$
—
—
—
—
—
Total
—
—
$127,000
$122,000
$122,000
(1)
For a discussion of the independent directors’ compensation, see below.
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(2) We do not maintain a stock or option plan, non-equity incentive plan or pension plan for our directors. However, our independent directors have
the option to receive all or a portion of the directors’ fees to which they would otherwise be entitled in the form of shares of our common stock
issued at a price per share equal to the greater of our then current net asset value per share or the market price at the time of payment. No shares
were issued to any of our independent directors in lieu of cash during 2021.
Our independent directors’ annual fee is $100,000. The independent directors also receive $2,500 ($1,500 if participating telephonically) plus
reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending each board meeting and $1,000 plus reimbursement of
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with each committee meeting attended. In addition, the Chairman of the Audit Committee
receives an annual fee of $7,500, the Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee receives an annual fee of $2,500 and the
Chairman of the Compensation Committee receives an annual fee of $2,500. Further, we purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance on behalf of
our directors and officers. In addition, no compensation was paid to directors who are interested persons of the Company as defined in the 1940 Act.
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our board of directors, a copy of which is available on our website at
http://www.SLRinvestmentcorp.com. The charter sets forth the responsibilities of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee is
responsible for reviewing and recommending for approval to our board of directors the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement. In
addition, although we do not directly compensate our executive officers currently, to the extent that we do so in the future, the Compensation Committee
would also be responsible for reviewing and evaluating their compensation and making recommendations to the board of directors regarding their
compensation. Lastly, the Compensation Committee would produce a report on our executive compensation practices and policies for inclusion in our
proxy statement if required by applicable proxy rules and regulations and, if applicable, make recommendations to the board of directors with matters
related to compensation generally. The Compensation Committee has the authority to engage compensation consultants and to delegate their duties and
responsibilities to a member or to a subcommittee of the Compensation Committee. The members of the Compensation Committee are Messrs.
Hochberg, Wachter and Potter, all of whom are considered independent under the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market and are not “interested persons”
of the Company as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Mr. Potter serves as Chairman of the Compensation Committee.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
During fiscal year 2021 none of the Company’s executive officers served on the board of directors (or a compensation committee thereof or other
board committee performing equivalent functions) of any entities that had one or more executive officers serve on the Compensation Committee of the
Company or on the Board of Directors of the Company. No member of the Compensation Committee had any relationship requiring disclosure under
any paragraph of Item 404 of Regulation S-K.
Compensation Committee Report
Currently, none of our executive officers are compensated by the Company, and as such the Company is not required to produce a report on
executive officer compensation for inclusion in our annual report on Form 10-K.
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The following table sets forth, as of February 25, 2022, the beneficial ownership of each current director, the nominees for directors, the
Company’s executive officers, each person known to us to beneficially own 5% or more of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and the
executive officers and directors as a group.
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Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and includes voting or
investment power with respect to the securities. Ownership information for those persons who beneficially own 5% or more of our shares of common
stock is based upon reports filed by such persons with the SEC and other information obtained from such persons, if available.
Unless otherwise indicated, the Company believes that each beneficial owner set forth in the table has voting and investment power and has the
same address as the Company. Our address is 500 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022.
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
Interested Directors
Michael S. Gross(3)(4)
Bruce Spohler(3)
Independent Directors
Steven Hochberg
Leonard A. Potter
David S. Wachter
Executive Officers
Richard L. Peteka
Guy Talarico
All executive officers and directors as a group (7
persons)
Thornburg Investment Management Inc.(5)
Number of Shares
Owned Beneficially(1)
Percentage
of Class(2)
2,705,638
2,582,680
10,000
10,000
46,392
24,000
10,350
3,139,042
4,453,425
6.4%
6.1%
*
*
*
0.1%
*
7.4%
10.5%
*
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Represents less than one percent.
Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange
Act”). Assumes no other purchases or sales of our common stock since the most recently available SEC filings. This assumption has been made
under the rules and regulations of the SEC and does not reflect any knowledge that we have with respect to the present intent of the beneficial
owners of our common stock listed in this table.
Based on a total of 42,260,826 shares of the Company’s common stock issued and outstanding as of February 25, 2022.
Includes 1,285,013 shares held by SLR Capital Investors, LLC and 715,000 shares held by SLR Capital Investors II, LLC, a portion of both of
which may be deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by Michael S. Gross, by Bruce Spohler and a grantor retained annuity trust (“GRAT”)
setup by and for Mr. Gross by virtue of their collective ownership interest therein. Also includes 208,248 shares held by SLR Capital Partners
Employee Stock Plan LLC, which is controlled by SLR Capital Partners, LLC. Mr. Gross and Mr. Spohler may be deemed to beneficially own a
portion of the shares held by SLR Capital Partners Employee Stock Plan LLC by virtue of their collective ownership interest in SLR Capital
Partners, LLC. Each of Mr. Gross and Mr. Spohler disclaim beneficial ownership of any shares of our common stock directly held by SLR Capital
Partners Employee Stock Plan LLC, SLR Capital Investors, LLC or SLR Capital Investors II, LLC, except to the extent of their respective
pecuniary interest therein. Also includes 121,506 shares held in a trust of which Bruce Spohler became co-trustee in which he and certain
members of his immediate family are beneficiaries (the “Spohler Trust”) and 141,130 shares held by a limited liability company in which he holds
a pro rata interest (the “Spohler LLC”). Mr. Spohler disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares in the Spohler Trust and the Spohler LLC.
Includes 97,250 shares directly held by Michael S. Gross’ profit sharing plan (the “Profit Sharing Plan”). Mr. Gross may be deemed to directly
beneficially own these shares as the sole participant in the Profit Sharing Plan. Also includes 20,000 shares directly held by the GRAT setup by
and for Michael S. Gross, which Mr. Gross may be deemed to directly beneficially own as the sole trustee of the GRAT. Also includes
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88,775 shares held by certain trusts for the benefit of family members for which Mr. Gross serves as trustee (the “Family Trusts”). Mr. Gross may
be deemed to directly beneficially own these shares by virtue of his control with respect to the Family Trusts, and disclaims beneficial ownership
of the securities held by the Family Trusts except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.
Based upon information contained in the Schedule 13G filed February 7, 2022 by Thornburg Investment Management Inc. Such securities are
held by certain investment vehicles controlled and/or managed by Thornburg Investment Management Inc. or its affiliates. The address for
Thornburg Investment Management Inc. is 2300 North Ridgetop Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87506.
(5)
Set forth below is the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each of our directors as of February 25, 2022. We are not part of a
“family of investment companies,” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.
Name of Director
Interested Directors
Michael S. Gross
Bruce Spohler
Independent Directors
Steven Hochberg
Leonard A. Potter
David S. Wachter
Dollar Range
of Equity
Securities
Beneficially
Owned(1)(2)
Over $ 100,000
Over $ 100,000
Over $ 100,000
Over $ 100,000
Over $ 100,000
(1)
(2)
The dollar ranges are: None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, or Over $100,000.
The dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in us is based on the closing price for our common stock of $18.04 on February 25, 2022
on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Exchange Act.
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
We have entered into the Advisory Agreement with SLR Capital Partners. Mr. Gross, our Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President,
and Mr. Spohler, our Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and board member, are managing members and senior investment
professionals of, and have financial and controlling interests in, SLR Capital Partners. In addition, Mr. Peteka, our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and
Secretary, serves as the Chief Financial Officer for SLR Capital Partners.
SLR Capital Partners and its affiliates may also manage other funds in the future that may have investment mandates that are similar, in whole and
in part, with ours. For example, SLR Capital Partners presently serves as investment adviser to private funds and managed accounts as well as to SLR
Senior Investment Corp., a publicly-traded BDC, which focuses on investing primarily in senior secured loans, including first lien and second lien debt
instruments, SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC, an unlisted BDC, which focuses on investing primarily in senior secured loans, including
non-traditional asset-based loans and first lien loans and SLR HC BDC LLC, an unlisted BDC whose principal focus is to invest directly and indirectly
in senior secured loans and other debt instruments typically to middle market companies within the healthcare industry. In addition, Michael S. Gross,
our Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Spohler, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and Richard L. Peteka, our
Chief Financial Officer, serve in similar capacities for SLR Senior Investment Corp., SCP Private Credit Income BDC LLC and SLR HC BDC LLC.
SLR Capital Partners and certain investment advisory affiliates may determine that an investment is appropriate for us and for one or more of
those other funds. In such event, depending on the availability of such investment and other appropriate factors, SLR Capital Partners or its affiliates
may determine that we should
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invest side-by-side with one or more other funds. Any such investments will be made only to the extent permitted by applicable law and interpretive
positions of the SEC and its staff, and consistent with SLR Capital Partners’ allocation procedures.
Related party transactions may occur among SLR Investment Corp., SLR Credit Solutions, Equipment Operating Leases LLC, Kingsbridge
Holdings, LLC, Loyer Capital LLC, SLR Business Credit, SLR Healthcare ABL and SLR Equipment Finance. These transactions may occur in the
normal course of business. No administrative or other fees are paid to SLR Capital Partners by SLR Credit Solutions, Equipment Operating Leases LLC,
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC, Loyer Capital LLC, SLR Business Credit, SLR Healthcare ABL or SLR Equipment Finance.
In addition, we have adopted a formal code of ethics that governs the conduct of our officers and directors. Our officers and directors also remain
subject to the duties imposed by both the 1940 Act and the Maryland General Corporation Law.
Regulatory restrictions limit our ability to invest in any portfolio company in which any affiliate currently has an investment. The Company
obtained its most recent exemptive order from the SEC on June 13, 2017 (the “Exemptive Order”). The Exemptive Order permits us to participate in
negotiated co-investment transactions with certain affiliates, each of whose investment adviser is an investment adviser that controls, is controlled by or
is under common control with SLR Capital Partners and is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, in a manner consistent with our
investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, and pursuant to the
conditions to the Exemptive Order. We believe that it will be advantageous for us to co-invest with funds managed by SLR Capital Partners where such
investment is consistent with the investment objectives, investment positions, investment policies, investment strategy, investment restrictions,
regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors applicable to us.
We have entered into a license agreement with SLR Capital Partners, pursuant to which SLR Capital Partners has agreed to grant us a
non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the names “SLR” and “SOLAR”. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement, SLR
Capital Management provides us with the office facilities and administrative services necessary to conduct our day-to-day operations.
Board Consideration of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement
Our board of directors, determined at a virtual meeting held on November 3, 2021, to approve the Advisory Agreement between the Company and
SLR Capital Partners. In reliance on certain exemptive relief provided by the SEC in connection with the global COVID-19 pandemic, our board
undertook to ratify the Advisory Agreement at its next in-person meeting. In its consideration of the approval of the Advisory Agreement, the board of
directors focused on information it had received relating to, among other things:
•
•
•
the nature, extent and quality of advisory and other services provided by SLR Capital Partners, including information about the investment
performance of the Company relative to its stated objectives and in comparison to the performance of the Company’s peer group and
relevant market indices, and concluded that such advisory and other services are satisfactory and the Company’s investment performance is
reasonable;
the experience and qualifications of the personnel providing such advisory and other services, including information about the backgrounds
of the investment personnel, the allocation of responsibilities among such personnel and the process by which investment decisions are
made, and concluded that the investment personnel of SLR Capital Partners have extensive experience and are well qualified to provide
advisory and other services to the Company;
the current fee structure, the existence of any fee waivers, and the Company’s anticipated expense ratios in relation to those of other
investment companies having comparable investment policies and limitations, and concluded that the current fee structure is reasonable;
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•
•
•
•
•
the advisory fees charged by SLR Capital Partners to the Company, to SLR Senior Investment Corp. and to SCP Private Credit Income
BDC LLC, the advisory fees that will be charged by SLR Capital Partners to SLR HC BDC LLC, and comparative data regarding the
advisory fees charged by other investment advisers to business development companies with similar investment objectives, and concluded
that the advisory fees charged by SLR Capital Partners to the Company are reasonable;
the direct and indirect costs, including for personnel and office facilities, that are incurred by SLR Capital Partners and its affiliates in
performing services for the Company and the basis of determining and allocating these costs, and concluded that the direct and indirect
costs, including the allocation of such costs, are reasonable;
possible economies of scale arising from the Company’s size and/or anticipated growth, and the extent to which such economies of scale
are reflected in the advisory fees charged by SLR Capital Partners to the Company, and concluded that some economies of scale may be
possible in the future;
other possible benefits to SLR Capital Partners and its affiliates arising from their relationships with the Company, and concluded that all
such other benefits were not material to SLR Capital Partners and its affiliates; and
possible alternative fee structures or bases for determining fees, and concluded that the Company’s current fee structure and bases for
determining fees are satisfactory.
Based on the information reviewed and the discussions detailed above, the board of directors, including a majority of the directors who are not
“interested persons” as defined in the 1940 Act, concluded that the fees payable to SLR Capital Partners pursuant to the Advisory Agreement were
reasonable, and comparable to the fees paid by other management investment companies with similar investment objectives, in relation to the services to
be provided. The board of directors did not assign relative weights to the above factors or the other factors considered by it. Individual members of the
board of directors may have given different weights to different factors.
Director Independence
In accordance with rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market, our board of directors annually determines each director’s independence. We do not
consider a director independent unless the board of directors has determined that he has no material relationship with us. We monitor the relationships of
our directors and officers through a questionnaire each director completes no less frequently than annually and updates periodically as information
provided in the most recent questionnaire changes.
Our governance guidelines require any director who has previously been determined to be independent to inform the Chairman of the board of
directors, the Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Secretary of any change in circumstance that may cause his
status as an independent director to change. The board of directors limits membership on the Audit Committee, the Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee to independent directors.
In order to evaluate the materiality of any such relationship, the board of directors uses the definition of director independence set forth in the
rules promulgated by the NASDAQ Stock Market. Rule 5605(a)(2) provides that a director of a BDC, shall be considered to be independent if he or she
is not an “interested person” of such BDC, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
The board of directors has determined that each of the directors is independent and has no relationship with us, except as a director and
stockholder, with the exception of Michael S. Gross, as a result of his positions as the Co-Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company and a
Managing Member of SLR Capital Partners, and Bruce Spohler, as a result of his positions as the Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating
Officer of the Company and a Managing Member of SLR Capital Partners.
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Indemnification Agreements
We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors. The indemnification agreements are intended to provide our directors the
maximum indemnification permitted under Maryland law and the 1940 Act. Each indemnification agreement provides that SLR Capital shall indemnify
the director who is a party to the agreement (an “Indemnitee”), including the advancement of legal expenses, if, by reason of his or her corporate status,
the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be, made a party to or a witness in any threatened, pending, or completed proceeding, to the maximum extent
permitted by Maryland law and the 1940 Act.
Item 14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
KPMG LLP has advised us that neither the firm nor any present member or associate of it has any material financial interest, direct or indirect, in
the Company or its affiliates.
Table below in thousands
Audit Fees
Audit-Related Fees
Tax Fees
All Other Fees
Total Fees:
Fiscal Year
Ended
December 31,
2021
$
689.6
170.8
55.0
Fiscal Year
Ended
December 31,
2020
$
655.3
—
165.8
—
$
915.4
$
821.1
Audit Fees: Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and quarterly
reviews and services that are normally provided by KPMG LLP in connection with statutory and regulatory filings.
Audit-Related Fees: Audit-related services consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance
of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by
statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards.
Tax Services Fees: Tax services fees consist of fees billed for professional tax services. These services also include assistance regarding federal,
state, and local tax compliance.
All Other Fees: Other fees would include fees for products and services other than the services reported above.
Pre-Approval Policy
The Audit Committee has established a pre-approval policy that describes the permitted audit, audit-related, tax and other services to be provided
by KPMG LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm (“KPMG”). The policy requires that the Audit Committee pre-approve
the audit and non-audit services performed by the independent auditor in order to assure that the provision of such service does not impair the auditor’s
independence.
Any requests for audit, audit-related, tax and other services that have not received general pre-approval must be submitted to the Audit Committee
for specific pre-approval, irrespective of the amount, and cannot commence until such approval has been granted. Normally, pre-approval is provided at
regularly scheduled meetings of the Audit Committee. However, the Audit Committee may delegate pre-approval authority to one or more of its
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members. The member or members to whom such authority is delegated shall report any pre-approval decisions to the Audit Committee at its next
scheduled meeting. The Audit Committee does not delegate its responsibilities to pre-approve services performed by the independent registered public
accounting firm to management. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, the Audit Committee pre-approved 100% of services described in this
policy.
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Item 15.
Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules
a. Documents Filed as Part of this Report
The following reports and consolidated financial statements are set forth in Item 8:
PART IV
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2021 and 2020
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Consolidated Schedules of Investments as of December 31, 2021 and 2020
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
160
Page
100
101
104
105
106
107
108
124
Table of Contents
b. Exhibits
The following exhibits are filed as part of this report or hereby incorporated by reference to exhibits previously filed with the SEC:
Exhibit
Number
Description
2.1
3.1
3.2
3.3
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
10.9
Agreement and Plan of Merger among SLR Investment Corp., SLR Senior Investment Corp., Solstice Merger Sub, Inc. and SLR Capital
Partners, LLC (for the limited purposes set forth therein), dated as of December 1, 2021(12)
Articles of Amendment and Restatement(1)
Articles of Amendment (11)
Second Amended and Restated Bylaws(12)
Form of Common Stock Certificate(2)
Indenture, dated as of November 16, 2012, between the Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association as trustee(3)
Second Supplemental Indenture, dated November 22, 2017, relating to the 4.50% Notes due 2023, between the Registrant and U.S. Bank
National Association as trustee, including the Form of 4.50% Notes due 2023(8)
Description of Securities*
Dividend Reinvestment Plan(1)
Form of Senior Secured Credit Agreement dated as of August 28, 2019 (as amended December 28, 2021) among SLR Investment Corp.,
Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, the lenders party thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as syndication agent, and Citibank,
N.A., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation as Joint Lead Bookrunners and Joint Lead Arrangers(13)
Third Amended and Restated Investment Advisory and Management Agreement by and between the Registrant and SLR Capital
Partners, LLC(7)
Form of Custodian Agreement(6)
Amended and Restated Administration Agreement by and between Registrant and SLR Capital Management, LLC(5)
Form of Indemnification Agreement by and between Registrant and each of its directors(1)
First Amended and Restated Trademark License Agreement by and between Registrant and SLR Capital Partners, LLC(11)
Form of Share Purchase Agreement by and between Registrant and SLR Capital Investors II, LLC(2)
Form of Registration Rights Agreement(4)
10.10
Form of Subscription Agreement(4)
10.11
Form of Note Purchase Agreement by and between the Registrant and the lenders party thereto(9)
10.12
Form of First Supplement to Note Purchase Agreement by and between the Registrant and the lenders party thereto(9)
10.13
Form of Second Supplement to Note Purchase Agreement by and between the Registrant and the lenders party thereto(9)
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Exhibit
Number
Description
10.14
Form of Third Supplement to Note Purchase Agreement by and between the Registrant and the lenders party thereto(9)
10.15
Form of Fifth Supplement to Note Purchase Agreement(14)
14.1
14.2
21.1
23.1
23.2
23.3
23.4
31.1
31.2
31.3
32.1
32.2
32.3
99.1
99.2
99.3
99.4
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Code of Ethics(10)
Code of Business Conduct(5)
Subsidiaries of SLR Investment Corp.*
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm*
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm*
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm*
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm*
Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.*
Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.*
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.*
Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.*
Crystal Financial LLC (A Delaware Limited Liability Company) Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31,
2021 and December 31, 2020*
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries (A Limited Liability Company) Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended
December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020*
KBH Topco, LLC (A Delaware Limited Liability Company) Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2021
and the period November 3, 2020 to December 31, 2020*
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Supplemental Information*
Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s registration statement on Form N-2 Pre-Effective Amendment No. 7 (File
No. 333-148734) filed on January 7, 2010.
Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s registration statement on Form N-2 (File No 333-148734) filed on February 9, 2010.
Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s registration statement on Form N-2 Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 (File
No. 333-172968) filed on November 16, 2012.
Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s report on Form 8-K filed on November 29, 2010.
Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s registration statement on Form N-2 Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 (File
No. 333-172968) filed on November 12, 2013.
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(6)
(7)
(8)
Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s report on Form 10-K filed on February 25, 2014.
Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s report on Form 10-Q filed on August 6, 2018.
Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s registration statement on Form N-2 Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 (File
No. 333-194870) filed on November 22, 2017.
(9)
Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s report on Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020.
(10) Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s report on Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2021.
(11) Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s report on Form 8-K filed on February 25, 2021.
(12) Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s report on Form 8-K filed on December 1, 2021.
(13) Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s report on Form 8-K filed on January 3, 2022.
(14) Previously filed in connection with SLR Investment Corp.’s report on Form 8-K filed on January 12, 2022.
*
Filed herewith.
c. Consolidated Financial Statement Schedules
Separate Financial Statements of Subsidiaries Not Consolidated:
Consolidated Financial Statements for Crystal Financial LLC’s (A Delaware Limited Liability Company) years ended December 31, 2021 and
December 31, 2020 are attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.
Consolidated Financial Statements for NEF Holdings, LLC’s (A Delaware Limited Liability Company) years ended December 31, 2021 and
December 31, 2020 are attached as Exhibit 99.2 hereto.
Consolidated Financial Statements for KBH Topco LLC’s (A Delaware Limited Liability Company) year ended December 31, 2021 and period
November 3, 2020 to December 31, 2020 are attached as Exhibit 99.3 hereto.
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
None.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
SLR INVESTMENT CORP.
By:
/s/ MICHAEL S. GROSS
Michael S. Gross
Co-Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Board and Director
Date: March 1, 2022
/s/ BRUCE J. SPOHLER
Bruce J. Spohler
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and
Director
Date: March 1, 2022
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacity and on the dates indicated.
Date
Signature
Title
March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
March 1, 2022
/s/ MICHAEL S. GROSS
Michael S. Gross
Co-Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Board and
Director (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ BRUCE J. SPOHLER
Bruce J. Spohler
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ STEVEN HOCHBERG
Steven Hochberg
/s/ DAVID S. WACHTER
David S. Wachter
/s/ LEONARD A. POTTER
Leonard A. Potter
/s/ RICHARD L. PETEKA
Richard L. Peteka
164
Director
Director
Director
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) and Secretary
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
Exhibit 4.4
The following is a brief description of the securities of SLR Investment Corp. (the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us”), registered pursuant to Section 12
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). This description of the terms of our stock does not purport to be complete
and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable provisions of Maryland General Corporation Law, and the full text of our
charter and bylaws. As of December 31, 2021 and the date hereof, our common stock is the only class of our securities registered under Section 12 of
the Exchange Act.
Common Stock
As of December 31, 2021, our authorized stock consisted of 200,000,000 shares of stock, par value $0.01 per share, all of which are initially designated
as common stock. Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “SLRC”. There are no outstanding
options or warrants to purchase our stock. No stock has been authorized for issuance under any equity compensation plans. Under the Maryland General
Corporation Law, our stockholders generally are not personally liable for our debts or obligations.
Under our charter, our board of directors is authorized to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of stock into other classes or series of stock without
obtaining stockholder approval. As permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, our charter provides that the board of directors, without any
action by our stockholders, may amend the charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of
shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue.
All shares of our common stock have equal rights as to earnings, assets, voting, and distributions and, when they are issued, will be duly authorized,
validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Distributions may be paid to the holders of our common stock if, as and when authorized by our board of
directors and declared by us out of assets legally available therefor. Shares of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion or redemption rights
and are freely transferable, except where their transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws or by contract. In the event of our liquidation,
dissolution or winding up, each share of our common stock would be entitled to share ratably in all of our assets that are legally available for distribution
after we pay all debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights of holders of our preferred stock, if any preferred stock is outstanding at
such time. Each share of our common stock is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors.
Except as provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the holders of our common stock will possess exclusive voting power. There is no
cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock can elect all of our
directors, and holders of less than a majority of such shares will be unable to elect any director.
Certain Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and Our Charter and Bylaws
The Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter and bylaws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquiror to
acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. These provisions are expected to discourage certain coercive takeover practices and
inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. We believe that the
benefits of these provisions outweigh the potential disadvantages of discouraging any such acquisition proposals because, among other things, the
negotiation of such proposals may improve their terms.
Classified Board of Directors
Our board of directors is divided into three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms. The current terms of the first, second and third classes
expire at the annual meeting of stockholders in 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively, and in each case, those directors will serve until their successors are
elected and qualify. Upon expiration of their current terms, directors of each class will be elected to serve for three-year terms and until their successors
are duly elected and qualify and each year one class of directors will be elected by the stockholders. A classified board may render a change in control of
us or removal of our incumbent management more difficult. We believe, however, that the longer time required to elect a majority of a classified board
of directors will help to ensure the continuity and stability of our management and policies.
Election of Directors
Under our charter and bylaws, the affirmative vote of the holders of a plurality of all the votes cast in the election of directors at a meeting of
stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present will be required to elect a director. Pursuant to our charter our board of directors may amend
the bylaws to alter the vote required to elect directors.
Number of Directors; Vacancies; Removal
Our charter provides that the number of directors will be set only by the board of directors in accordance with our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a
majority of our entire board of directors may at any time increase or decrease the number of directors. However, unless our bylaws are amended, the
number of directors may never be less than one nor more than twelve. Our charter provides that, at such time as we have at least three independent
directors and our common stock is registered under the Exchange Act, we elect to be subject to the provision of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the Maryland
General Corporation Law regarding the filling of vacancies on the board of directors. Accordingly, except as may be provided by the board of directors
in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, any and all vacancies on the board of directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of
a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy will
serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies, subject to any
applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
Our charter provides that, subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes or series of preferred stock to elect or remove one or more directors, a
director may be removed only for cause, as defined in our charter, and then only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be
cast in the election of directors.
Action by Stockholders
Under the Maryland General Corporation Law, stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders or (with respect to
the holders of common stock, unless the charter provides for stockholder action by less than unanimous written consent, which our charter does not) by
unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting. These provisions, combined with the requirements of our bylaws regarding the calling of a stockholder-
requested special meeting of stockholders discussed below, may have the effect of delaying consideration of a stockholder proposal until the next annual
meeting.
Advance Notice Provisions for Stockholder Nominations and Stockholder Proposals
Our bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of persons for election to the board of directors and the proposal
of business to be considered by stockholders may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by the board of directors or (3) by a
stockholder who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving notice and at the time of the meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting and
who has complied with the advance notice procedures of our bylaws. With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our
notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the board of directors at a special meeting may be
made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by the board of directors or (3) provided that the board of directors has determined that directors
will be elected at the meeting, by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving notice and at the time of the meeting who is
entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of the bylaws.
The purpose of requiring stockholders to give us advance notice of nominations and other business is to afford our board of directors a meaningful
opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed business and, to the extent deemed
necessary or desirable by our board of directors, to inform stockholders and make recommendations about such qualifications or business, as well as to
provide a more orderly procedure for conducting meetings of stockholders. Although our bylaws do not give our board of directors any power to
disapprove stockholder nominations for the election of directors or proposals recommending certain action, they may have the effect of precluding a
contest for the election of directors or the consideration of stockholder proposals if proper procedures are not followed and of discouraging or deterring
a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether
consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our stockholders.
Exclusive Forum
Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of a different forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that
court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, will be the sole and exclusive forum
for (a) any Internal Corporate Claim, as such term is defined in the MGCL, (b) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us, (c) any
action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of our directors or officers or other agents to us or to our stockholders, (d) any action
asserting a claim against us or any of our directors or officers or other agents arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL or our charter or our
bylaws, or (e) any other action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors or officers or other agents that is governed by the internal affairs
doctrine. With respect to any proceeding described in the foregoing sentence that is in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, we and our
stockholders consent to the assignment of the proceeding to the Business and Technology Case Management Program pursuant to Maryland
Rule 16-308 or any successor thereof. None of the foregoing actions, claims or proceedings may be brought in any court sitting outside the State of
Maryland unless we consent in writing to such court. Our bylaws does not apply to lawsuits asserting claims brought to enforce a duty or liability arising
exclusively under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Exchange Act, or the 1940 Act, or any other claim for which the
federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
Unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. This
paragraph does not apply to claims arising exclusively under the Exchange Act or the 1940 Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have
exclusive jurisdiction.
Calling of Special Meetings of Stockholders
Our bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called by our board of directors and certain of our officers. Additionally, our bylaws
provide that, subject to the satisfaction of certain procedural and informational requirements by the stockholders requesting the meeting, a special
meeting of stockholders will be called by the secretary of the corporation upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a
majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
Approval of Extraordinary Corporate Action; Amendment of Charter and Bylaws
Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot dissolve, amend its charter, merge, convert, sell all or substantially all of its assets,
engage in a share exchange or engage in similar transactions outside the ordinary course of business, unless approved by the affirmative vote of
stockholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, a Maryland corporation may provide in its charter
for approval of these matters by a lesser percentage, but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter generally
provides for approval of charter amendments and extraordinary transactions by the stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to
be cast on the matter. Our charter also provides that certain charter amendments, any proposal for our conversion, whether by charter amendment,
merger or otherwise, from a closed-end company to an open-end company and any proposal for our liquidation or dissolution requires the approval of
the stockholders entitled to cast at least 80% of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter. However, if such amendment or proposal is approved by a
majority of our continuing directors (in addition to approval by our board of directors), such amendment or proposal may be approved by a majority of
the votes entitled to be cast on such a matter. The “continuing directors” are defined in our charter as (1) our current directors, (2) those directors whose
nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of our current directors then on
the board of directors or (3) any successor directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill
vacancies is approved by a majority of continuing directors or the successor continuing directors then in office. In any event, in accordance with the
requirements of the 1940 Act, any amendment or proposal that would have the effect of changing the nature of our business so as to cause us to cease to
be, or to withdraw our election as, a business development company would be required to be approved by a majority of our outstanding voting
securities, as defined under the 1940 Act.
Our charter and bylaws provide that the board of directors will have the exclusive power to make, alter, amend or repeal any provision of our bylaws.
No Appraisal Rights
Except with respect to appraisal rights arising in connection with the Control Share Act (defined and discussed below), as permitted by the Maryland
General Corporation Law, our charter provides that stockholders will not be entitled to exercise appraisal rights unless a majority of the board of
directors shall determine such rights apply.
Control Share Acquisitions
The Maryland General Corporation Law provides that a holder of control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition has no
voting rights with respect to those shares except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter (the “Control
Share Act”). Shares owned by the acquiror, by officers or by directors who are employees of the corporation are excluded from shares entitled to vote on
the matter. Control shares are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquiror or in respect of which the
acquiror is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquiror to exercise
voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:
•
•
•
one-tenth or more but less than one-third;
one-third or more but less than a majority; or
a majority or more of all voting power.
The requisite stockholder approval must be obtained each time an acquiror crosses one of the thresholds of voting power set forth above. Control shares
do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A control share
acquisition means the acquisition of issued and outstanding control shares, subject to certain exceptions.
A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel the board of directors of the corporation to call a special meeting of
stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. The right to compel the calling of a special meeting is
subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made, the
corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders meeting.
If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then
the corporation may redeem for fair value any or all of the control shares, except those for which voting rights have previously been approved. The right
of the corporation to redeem control shares is subject to certain conditions and limitations, including, as provided in our bylaws compliance with the
1940 Act. Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of the last control share
acquisition by the acquiror or of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not approved. If voting rights
for control shares are approved at a stockholders meeting and the acquiror becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other
stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than the highest
price per share paid by the acquiror in the control share acquisition.
The Control Share Act does not apply (a) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction
or (b) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Control
Share Act any and all acquisitions by any person of our shares of stock. There can be no assurance that such provision will not be amended or eliminated
at any time in the future. However, we will amend our bylaws to be subject to the Control Share Act only if the board of directors determines that it
would be in our best interests, including in light of the fiduciary obligations of the board of directors, applicable federal and state laws, and the particular
facts and circumstances surrounding the decision of the board of directors.
Business Combinations
Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder
are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder (the “Business
Combination Act”). These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset
transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. An interested stockholder is defined as:
•
•
any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock; or
an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial
owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock of the corporation.
A person is not an interested stockholder under this statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the stockholder
otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. However, in approving a transaction, the board of directors may provide that its approval is
subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board.
After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between the Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder generally must be
recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
•
•
80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and
two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares held by the interested stockholder
with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested
stockholder.
These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined under Maryland
law, for their shares in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares.
The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by the board of directors before the time
that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Our board of directors has adopted a
resolution that any business combination between us and any other person is exempted from the provisions of the Business Combination Act, provided
that the business combination is first approved by the board of directors, including a majority of the directors who are not interested persons as defined
in the 1940 Act. This resolution may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any time; however, our board of directors will adopt resolutions so as to
make us subject to the provisions of the Business Combination Act only if the board of directors determines that it would be in our best interests and if
the Securities and Exchange Commission staff does not object to our determination that our being subject to the Business Combination Act does not
conflict with the 1940 Act. If this resolution is repealed, or the board of directors does not otherwise approve a business combination, the statute may
discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.
Conflict with 1940 Act
Our bylaws provide that, if and to the extent that any provision of the Maryland General Corporation Law, including the Control Share Act (if we amend
our bylaws to be subject to such Act) and the Business Combination Act, or any provision of our charter or bylaws conflicts with any provision of the
1940 Act, the applicable provision of the 1940 Act will control.
Subsidiaries of SLR Investment Corp.
Exhibit 21.1
The following list sets forth our consolidated subsidiaries, the state or country under whose laws the subsidiaries are organized, and the percentage
of voting securities or membership interests owned by us in each such subsidiary:
NEFCORP LLC (Delaware) – 100%
NEFPASS LLC (Delaware) – 100%
Solstice Merger Sub, Inc. (Maryland) – 100%
The subsidiaries listed above are consolidated for financial reporting purposes. We may also be deemed to control certain portfolio companies.
Consent of Independent Auditor
Exhibit 23.1
SLR Investment Corp.
New York, New York
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (No. 333-255662) on Form N-2 of SLR Investment Corp. of our report dated
February 21, 2022, relating to the consolidated financial statements of KBH Topco, LLC, appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K of SLR
Investment Corp. dated March 1, 2022.
/s/ FGMK, LLC
Bannockburn, Illinois
March 1, 2022
Consent of Independent Auditor
Exhibit 23.2
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference of our report dated February 18, 2022 on the consolidated financial statements of Crystal Financial
LLC; which report appears in the annual report on Form 10-K of SLR Investment Corp. dated March 1, 2022, in the Registration Statement on Form
N-2 (No. 333-255662) of SLR Investment Corp.
/s/ Baker Tilly US, LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 1, 2022
Consent of Independent Auditor
Exhibit 23.3
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference of our report dated February 18, 2022 on the consolidated financial statements of NEF Holdings,
LLC and Subsidiaries, which report appears in the annual report on Form 10-K of SLR Investment Corp. dated March 1, 2022, in the Registration
Statement on Form N-2 (No. 333-255662) of SLR Investment Corp.
/s/ Baker Tilly US, LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 1, 2022
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statement on Form N-2 of SLR Investment Corp. of our report dated March 1, 2022,
with respect to the consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in the annual report
on Form 10-K of SLR Investment Corp. for the year ended December 31, 2021, and to the use of our report dated March 1, 2022 on the senior securities
table included herein as an exhibit to the Form 10-K. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Controls and Procedures” in the
Form 10-K.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Exhibit 23.4
New York, New York
March 1, 2022
Exhibit 31.1
Certification Pursuant to Section 302
Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer
I, Michael S. Gross, Co-Chief Executive Officer of SLR Investment Corp., certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of SLR Investment Corp.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f))
for the registrant and have:
(a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others
within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, 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;
(c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most
recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal
control over financial reporting.
Dated this 1st day of March 2022.
By:
/s/ MICHAEL S. GROSS
Michael S. Gross
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Exhibit 31.2
Certification Pursuant to Section 302
Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer
I, Bruce J. Spohler, Co-Chief Executive Officer of SLR Investment Corp., certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of SLR Investment Corp.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f))
for the registrant and have:
(a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others
within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, 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;
(c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most
recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal
control over financial reporting.
Dated this 1st day of March 2022.
By:
/s/ BRUCE J. SPOHLER
Bruce J. Spohler
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Exhibit 31.3
Certification Pursuant to Section 302
Certification of Chief Financial Officer
I, Richard L. Peteka, Chief Financial Officer of SLR Investment Corp., certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of SLR Investment Corp.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f))
for the registrant and have:
(a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others
within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, 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;
(c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most
recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal
control over financial reporting.
Dated this 1st day of March 2022.
By:
/s/ RICHARD L. PETEKA
Richard L. Peteka
Chief Financial Officer
Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer
Pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. 1350)
Exhibit 32.1
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Report”) of SLR Investment Corp. (the
“Registrant”), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Michael S. Gross, the Co-Chief Executive Officer of the
Registrant, hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, that:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the
Registrant.
Name:
Date:
/s/ MICHAEL S. GROSS
Michael S. Gross
March 1, 2022
Certification of Co-Chief Executive Officer
Pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. 1350)
Exhibit 32.2
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Report”) of SLR Investment Corp. (the
“Registrant”), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Bruce J. Spohler, the Co-Chief Executive Officer of the
Registrant, hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, that:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the
Registrant.
Name:
Date:
/s/ BRUCE J. SPOHLER
Bruce J. Spohler
March 1, 2022
Certification of Chief Financial Officer
Pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. 1350)
Exhibit 32.3
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Report”) of SLR Investment Corp. (the
“Registrant”), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Richard L. Peteka, the Chief Financial Officer of the
Registrant, hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, that:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the
Registrant.
Name:
Date:
/s/ RICHARD L. PETEKA
Richard L. Peteka
March 1, 2022
Crystal Financial LLC
dba SLR Credit Solutions
(A Delaware Limited Liability Company)
Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Exhibit 99.1
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Index
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Independent Auditor’s Report
Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Member’s Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Page(s)
1-2
3
4
5
6
7–19
Independent Auditors’ Report
To the Board of Directors and Member of
Crystal Financial LLC
Opinion
We have audited the consolidated financial statements of Crystal Financial LLC (the Company), which comprise the consolidated balance sheets as of
December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in member’s capital and cash flows for the years then
ended, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements.
In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of
December 31, 2021 and 2020 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP).
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAS). Our responsibilities under
those standards are further described in the Auditors’ Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements section of our report. We
are required to be independent of the Company and to meet our other ethical responsibilities, in accordance with the relevant ethical requirements
relating to our audits. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Responsibilities of Management for the Consolidated Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and for the
design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of consolidated financial statements that are
free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management is required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the
aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial
statements are available to be issued.
Auditors’ Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement,
whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditors’ report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not
absolute assurance and therefore is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with GAAS will always detect a material misstatement when it
exists. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion,
forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations or the override of internal control. Misstatements are considered material if there is a substantial
likelihood that, individually or in the aggregate, they would influence the judgment made by a reasonable user based on the consolidated financial
statements.
1
In performing an audit in accordance with GAAS, we:
•
•
•
•
•
Exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit.
Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, and design
and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks. Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the
amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements.
Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the
circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control. Accordingly, no
such opinion is expressed.
Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management,
as well as evaluate the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
Conclude whether, in our judgment, there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the
Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time.
We are required to communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit,
significant audit findings, and certain internal control-related matters that we identified during the audit.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 18, 2022
2
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, 2021 and 2020
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Loan interest and fees receivable
Loans
Less: Unearned fee income
Allowance for loan losses
Total loans, net
Property and equipment, net
Tradename
Goodwill
Investment in Crystal Financial SBIC LP
Other assets
Total assets
Liabilities:
Revolving credit facility, net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $1,490,563 and $1,285,135, respectively
Accrued expenses
Distributions payable
Other liabilities
Collateral held for borrower obligations
Total liabilities
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 8)
Member’s equity:
Class A units
Accumulated deficit
Total member’s equity
Total liabilities and member’s equity
2021
2020
$ 40,450,947 $
14,452,587
3,132,347
2,294,927
8,317,262
3,967,985
287,375,244 404,114,807
(6,425,492)
(8,271,246)
274,092,100 389,418,069
(5,451,202)
(7,831,942)
25,596
14,908
3,700,000
—
5,156,542
5,156,542
8,341,297 17,858,287
3,175,752
2,180,185
$347,820,913 $433,914,420
$ 99,251,811 $182,610,465
6,247,199
5,657,835
6,000,000
5,500,000
1,148,450
1,297,639
13,867,551
7,326,699
125,574,836 203,332,813
279,191,400 279,191,400
(56,945,323) (48,609,793)
222,246,077 230,581,607
$347,820,913 $433,914,420
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
3
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Net interest income:
Interest income
Interest expense
Net interest income
Provision for loan losses
Net interest income after provision for loan losses
Operating expenses:
Compensation and benefits
Depreciation and amortization
General and administrative expenses
Total operating expenses
Other income (loss):
Interest in (losses) of equity method investee
Realized (loss) on investment in equity securities
Net change in unrealized loss on investment in equity securities
Total other (loss) income, net
Realized (loss) gain from foreign currency transactions, net
Unrealized gain (loss) from foreign currency translations, net
Net income
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
4
2021
2020
$35,423,572 $46,774,302
6,848,728 9,935,885
28,574,844 36,838,417
(372,149)
29,035,927 37,210,566
(461,083)
8,220,438 10,088,309
3,720,210
27,186
1,468,948 2,323,931
13,409,596 12,439,426
(1,430,559)
—
—
(789,088)
(178,935)
(491,404)
(1,430,559) (1,459,427)
32,660
(51,251)
$14,164,470 $23,293,122
(352,340)
321,038
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Member’s Equity
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Balance, December 31, 2019
Distributions
Net income
Balance, December 31, 2020
Distributions
Net income
Balance, December 31, 2021
Class A Units
$279,191,400
—
—
279,191,400
—
—
$279,191,400
Accumulated Deficit
$
(47,902,915)
(24,000,000)
23,293,122
(48,609,793)
(22,500,000)
14,164,470
(56,945,323)
$
Total Member’s Equity
231,288,485
$
(24,000,000)
23,293,122
230,581,607
(22,500,000)
14,164,470
222,246,077
$
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
5
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Provision for loan losses
Accretion of original issue discount
Depreciation
Amortization of debt issuance costs
Amortization of intangible asset - tradename
Paid-in-kind interest and fee income
Interest in losses of equity method investee
Unrealized (gain) loss on foreign currency transactions
Realized (gain) on foreign currency transactions
Write down of amounts classified as other assets
Realized loss on sale of equity securities
Unrealized loss on investment in equity securities
Net change in loan interest and fees receivable
Net change in other assets
Net change in unearned fees
Net change in accrued expenses
Net change in other liabilities
Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment
Investment in term loans
Repayment of term loans
Proceeds from sale of equity securities
Lending on revolving lines of credit, net
Distributions received from Crystal Financial SBIC LP
Net change in collateral held for borrower obligations
Net cash provided by investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net repayments on revolving credit facility
Distributions to members
Payment of debt issuance costs
Payment of capital lease obligations
Net cash used in financing activities
Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of year
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of year
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest
2021
2020
$ 14,164,470 $ 23,293,122
(461,083)
(553,567)
20,210
878,889
3,700,000
(185,729)
1,430,559
(322,588)
(200,267)
527,365
—
—
977,606
523,202
(1,114,915)
(589,364)
172,297
18,967,085
(372,149)
(954,546)
27,186
742,739
—
(142,233)
789,088
46,658
(175,975)
—
178,935
491,404
415,237
1,492,012
(1,268,905)
2,912,485
(787,004)
26,688,054
(9,522)
(127,381,580)
225,910,237
—
19,159,864
8,086,431
6,540,852
132,306,282
(3,865)
(121,310,931)
208,725,616
798,530
(3,954,720)
1,900,900
7,315,252
93,470,782
(82,893,390)
(23,000,000)
(1,084,317)
(4,315)
(106,982,022)
44,291,345
10,612,189
(92,258,169)
(25,500,000)
(54,154)
(4,194)
(117,816,517)
2,342,319
8,269,870
$ 54,903,534 $ 10,612,189
$
6,136,922 $
9,740,389
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
6
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
1.
Organization
Crystal Financial LLC (“Crystal Financial” or the “Company”), along with its wholly owned subsidiary, Crystal Financial SPV LLC (“Crystal
Financial SPV”), is a commercial finance company based in Boston, Massachusetts, that primarily originates, underwrites, and manages secured
debt to middle market companies within various industries. The Company was formed in the state of Delaware on March 18, 2010. During 2021,
the Company executed a dba filing to do business using the name SLR Credit Solutions.
At December 31, 2021 and 2020, SLR Investment Corp. (“SLR”) owns 100% of the outstanding ownership units of the Company.
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global emergency in the wake of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) outbreak
and in March of 2020 declared the outbreak a global pandemic. The outbreak of COVID-19 and its related negative public health developments
have adversely affected workforces, customers, suppliers, economies and financial markets around the world. The Company’s ability to execute its
business initiatives and strategies, will continue to depend on future developments in the U.S. and globally, which are uncertain and cannot be
predicted, including the duration and further spread of the disease, as well as the severity of the economic downturn or any delay or weakness in
the economic recovery. This impact will in part be dependent on the U.S. government and other actions taken to lessen the health and economic
repercussions, such as additional fiscal stimulus, and the effectiveness of past and any future fiscal, monetary and other governmental actions.
While the Company considers these disruptions to be temporary, if they continue, this may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s
results of future operations.
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies adopted by the Company:
Basis of Accounting
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Crystal Financial and its wholly owned subsidiary Crystal Financial SPV. All inter-
company investments, accounts and transactions have been eliminated in these consolidated financial statements.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial
statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates most susceptible to change include the
allowance for loan losses, the valuation of the Company’s investment in equity securities, and the valuation of intangible assets as determined
during impairment testing. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Reclassification
Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.
7
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies…continued
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash…continued
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash
includes all deposits held at banks. Deposits in excess of amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) are exposed to
loss in the event of nonperformance by the institution. The Company has had cash deposits in excess of the FDIC insurance coverage and has not
experienced any losses on such accounts.
Restricted cash consists of interest and fees collected on those loans held within Crystal Financial SPV that serve as collateral against the
Company’s outstanding line of credit. Upon receipt, these funds are restricted from the Company’s access until the fifteenth of the following
month. Also included in restricted cash may be funds that serve as collateral against loans outstanding to certain borrowers as well as funds that
serve as collateral to outstanding letters of credit.
In accordance with Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), the Company presents the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents,
and amounts generally described as restricted cash in the consolidated statements of cash flows. Accordingly, amounts generally described as
restricted cash will be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown
on the consolidated statements of cash flows.
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheet that sum
to the total of the same such amounts shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows.
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown in the consolidated
statements of cash flows
December 31,
2021
2020
$40,450,947 $ 2,294,927
8,317,262
14,452,587
$54,903,534 $10,612,189
Loans
The Company typically classifies all loans as held to maturity. Loans funded by the Company are recorded at the amount of unpaid principal, net
of unearned fees, discounts and the allowance for loan losses in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis in accordance with the terms of the respective loan. Generally, interest is not accrued on loans
with interest or principal payments 90 days or greater past due or on other loans when management believes collection is doubtful. Loans
considered impaired, as defined below, are non-accruing. When a loan is placed on nonaccrual status, all interest previously accrued, but not
collected, is reversed against current interest income and all future proceeds received will generally be applied against principal or interest, in the
judgment of management. Interest on loans classified as nonaccrual is accounted for on the cash basis or cost-recovery method, until qualifying
for return to accrual status. Loans are generally returned to accrual status when all of the principal and interest amounts contractually due are
brought current and future payments are reasonably assured. There were two loans on nonaccrual status at December 31, 2021 and three loans on
nonaccrual status at December 31, 2020. The loans on nonaccrual status at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are the same loans
classified as Criticized, as defined by the Company’s Loan Loss Policy, in the Allowance for Loan Losses footnote (see Note 3).
8
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies…continued
Allowance for Loan Losses
The allowance for loan losses is maintained at the amount estimated to be sufficient to absorb probable losses, net of recoveries, inherent in the
loan portfolio at year end. Internal credit ratings assigned to the loans are periodically evaluated and adjusted to reflect the current credit risk of
the loan. In accordance with applicable guidance, for loans not deemed to be impaired, management assigns a general loan allowance based on the
borrower’s overall risk rating. All loans in the Company’s portfolio are individually evaluated when determining the overall risk rating. The risk
ratings are derived upon consideration of a number of factors related to both the borrower and the borrower’s facility, with those factors related to
the borrower’s facility being the key determinant of the overall risk rating. Risk factors of the borrower that are considered include asset and
earnings quality, historical and projected financial performance, borrowing liquidity and/or access to capital. Risk factors of the facility that are
considered include collateral coverage and the facility’s position within the overall capital structure. Upon consideration of each of the
aforementioned factors, among others, the Company assigns each loan a borrower risk rating and a facility risk rating, which are then collectively
used in developing the overall risk rating. The overall risk rating corresponds with an applicable reserve percentage which is applied to the face
value of the loan in order to determine the Company’s allowance for loan losses. In establishing the applicable reserve percentages, the Company
considers various factors including historical industry loss experience, the credit profile of the Company’s borrowers, as well as economic trends
and conditions.
Specific allowances for loan losses are generally applied to impaired loans and are typically measured based on a comparison of the recorded
carrying value of the loan to the present value of the loan’s expected cash flow using the loan’s effective interest rate, the loan’s estimated market
price, or the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral, if the loan is collateral-dependent. Loans are charged off against the allowance at the
earlier of either the substantial completion of the liquidation of assets securing the loan, or when senior management deems the loan to be
permanently impaired.
A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all
amounts due in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan agreement. All loans are individually evaluated for impairment according to the
Company’s normal loan review process, including overall credit evaluation, nonaccrual status and payment experience. Loans identified as
impaired are further evaluated to determine the estimated extent of impairment.
Intangible Assets
The Company assesses its indefinite-lived intangible asset- tradename, for impairment by comparing the carrying value of the asset to its fair
value. The Company assesses goodwill for impairment by comparing the carrying value of the Company to its fair value on an annual basis,
typically at the end of the third quarter.
The fair value of the tradename was estimated using the relief from royalty method, which is an income approach based on the present value of
royalties the Company would theoretically have had to pay to license the tradename from a third party. During 2021, as part of the rebranding
strategy to change its name via the dba filing of SLR Credit Solutions, the Company evaluated the tradename’s indefinite-lived position and
elected to change the indefinite-lived intangible asset to a finite-lived intangible asset for the period ending December 31, 2021. Accordingly, the
carrying value previously ascribed to the tradename was fully amortized as of December 31, 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2020, there
was no impairment to the tradename.
9
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies…continued
Intangible Asset…continued
Goodwill recognized in business combinations is assigned to the reporting units that are expected to benefit from the combination as of the
acquisition date. Goodwill is not amortized; rather goodwill is tested annually for impairment or more frequently upon the occurrence of certain
events or substantive changes in circumstances. The Company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine if an impairment is
more likely than not to have occurred. If the conclusion is supported that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less
than its carrying amount, then the Company would not need to perform a quantitative impairment test. If the conclusion cannot be supported, or if
the Company does not elect to do the qualitative assessment, then the Company will perform a quantitative assessment. If a quantitative goodwill
impairment assessment is performed, the Company utilizes a combination of market and income valuation approaches. If the fair value of a
reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded to the extent that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its
carrying value. No impairment of goodwill resulted from the annual impairment testing in 2021 or 2020.
Debt Issuance Costs
Debt issuance costs represent fees and other direct incremental costs incurred in connection with the Company’s borrowings against its revolving
credit facility (see Note 5). These amounts are amortized using the straight-line method into earnings as interest expense ratably over the
contractual term of the facility. Net unamortized debt issuance costs totaled $1,490,563 and $1,285,135 at December 31, 2021 and 2020 and are
recorded as a direct deduction in the carrying amount of the revolving credit facility on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Fee Income Recognition
Certain loans in the Company’s portfolio have been issued at a discount. Others have been issued with equity securities, such as warrants, which
require the Company to allocate a portion of the cost of the loan to the initial value of the warrants, as discussed further in the Investment in
Equity Securities section of this footnote. This allocation of value to the warrants creates a discount on the loan. Both the discounts on issuance
and the discounts created as a result of allocating value to the Company’s warrants are accreted into income and added to the value of the
respective loan over its contractual life using the effective interest method. Income related to the accretion of these discounts totaled $553,567 and
$954,546 during the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.
Nonrefundable loan fees and costs associated with the origination or purchase of loans are deferred and included in loans, net, in the consolidated
balance sheets. These commitment fees, as well as certain other fees charged to borrowers, such as amendment and prepayment fees, are recorded
in interest income, after receipt, over the remaining life of the loan using a method which approximates the interest method. Unused line fees are
recorded in interest income when received. Unamortized fees totaling $5,451,202 and $6,425,492 are recorded as a component of unearned fee
income on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment includes furniture and fixtures, computer equipment and software, which are carried at cost. Such items are depreciated or
amortized on a straight-line basis over the following useful lives:
Furniture and fixtures
Computer equipment
Computer software
Leasehold improvements
5-7 years
3-5 years
3 years
shorter of remaining lease term or the asset’s estimated useful life
10
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies…continued
Investment in Equity Securities
At times, the Company may receive equity securities such as warrants in conjunction with a loan funding. Upon the receipt of such securities, the
Company allocates a value to the securities equal to their fair value on the date of issuance, which creates an original issue discount on the
corresponding loan. This discount is accreted into interest income over the life of the loan using the effective interest method. The Company did
not receive any warrants during the years ended December 31, 2021 or December 31, 2020 and held no equity securities at December 31, 2021 or
December 31, 2020.
The Company accounts for equity securities in accordance with the guidance set forth in Financial Instruments (Topic 825). There were no equity
securities outstanding during 2021. In accordance with the guidance, net unrealized losses totaling $491,404 were recorded on the Company’s
securities and recorded as a net change in unrealized loss on investment in equity securities in the accompanying consolidated statements of
operations during the year ended December 31, 2020. During 2020, the Company received cash proceeds on the sale of equity securities totaling
$798,530 and recorded a realized loss on the sale of these securities totaling $178,935.
Foreign Currency
The functional currency of the Company is the US Dollar. At December 31, 2021, the Company has one loan denominated in a foreign currency in
its portfolio. At December 31, 2020, the Company had three loans denominated in foreign currencies in its portfolio. The Company also has the
ability to borrow foreign currency denominated funds under its revolving line of credit (see Note 5). Gains and losses arising from exchange rate
fluctuations on transactions denominated in currencies other than the US Dollar are included in earnings as incurred. The Company recorded
unrealized gains on foreign currency translations totaling $321,038 and realized losses totaling $352,340 during the year ended December 31,
2021 and unrealized losses on foreign currency translations totaling $51,251 and realized gains totaling $32,660 during the year ended
December 31, 2020.
Distributions
Distributions to members are recorded as of the date of declaration and are approved by the Company’s Board of Managers. Distributions totaling
$5,500,000 and $6,000,000 had been declared by the Company at December 31, 2021 and 2020 respectively, but were not paid until the following
year.
Income Taxes
The Company is a single member LLC treated as a disregarded entity for tax purposes. The sole member of Crystal Financial is individually liable
for the taxes, if any.
The Company applies the provisions set forth in Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (Topic 740-10). Topic 740-10 provides a
comprehensive model for the recognition, measurement and disclosure of uncertain income tax positions. The Company recognizes the tax effect
of certain tax positions when it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, based solely on the technical
merits of the tax position. As of December 31, 2021, the Company does not have any uncertain tax positions that meet the recognition or
measurement criteria of Topic 740-10.
As a disregarded entity, the Company has no obligation to file a U.S. federal return for tax periods beginning after July 28, 2016, the date the
Company became a disregarded entity for tax purposes. The Company does however continue to file certain state tax returns. As of December 31,
2021, the Company is subject to examination by various state tax authorities for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017.
11
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies…continued
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (ASU
2016-02). ASU 2016-02 amends existing guidance related to the accounting for leases. The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual
approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed
purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on the effective interest method or on a
straight line basis over the term of the lease, respectively. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases
with a term greater than twelve months, regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of twelve months or less will be accounted for in a
manner similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. In 2020, the FASB voted to defer the effective date of the guidance set forth in
ASU 2016-02. Accordingly, ASU 2016-02 will be effective for the Company for its fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2021. The Company
is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments- Credit Losses (Topic 326) (ASU 2016-13). ASU
2016-13 sets forth a current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model which requires the Company to measure all expected credit losses for financial
instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable supportable forecasts. This replaces the
existing incurred loss model and is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost and applies to
some off-balance sheet credit exposures. ASU 2016-13 will be effective for the Company for its fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2022.
The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of
Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting (ASU 2020-04). The guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to
contract modifications, hedging relationships and other transactions, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or another reference
rate expected to be discontinued because of the reference rate reform. ASU 2020-04 is effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through
December 31, 2022. The Company is evaluating the potential impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on the Company’s financial
statements.
3.
Allowance for Loan Losses
At December 31, 2021, two loans with aggregate principal balances outstanding of $4,812,188, were deemed to be impaired. An allowance
totaling $2,979,084 has been applied against these loans at December 31, 2021. Although not being accrued for at December 31, 2021, interest on
both the impaired loans is paid-in-kind and therefore there are no interest payments outstanding at December 31, 2021. There are also no principal
payments outstanding at December 31, 2021.
There were three loans with aggregate principal balances outstanding of $4,887,188 deemed to be impaired at December 31, 2020. An allowance
totaling $1,068,900 was applied against these loans at December 31, 2020. Although not being accrued for at December 31, 2020, interest on each
of the impaired loans is paid-in-kind and therefore there were no interest payments outstanding at December 31, 2020. There were also no
principal payments outstanding at December 31, 2020.
12
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
3.
Allowance for Loan Losses…continued
The Company’s average recorded investment in the impaired loans totaled $4,812,188 and $4,887,188 during the years ended December 31, 2021
and 2020, respectively.
Depending on the assigned internal risk rating, loans are classified as either Pass or Criticized. Generally, once a loan is classified as Criticized, a
specific reserve analysis is required. Two loans, totaling $4,812,188 at December 31, 2021, are classified as Criticized. Three loans, totaling
$4,887,188 at December 31, 2020, were classified as Criticized.
The Company also maintains an allowance on unfunded revolver and delayed draw term loan commitments. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, an
allowance of $478,618 and $500,397, respectively, was recorded relating to these commitments. This amount is recorded as a component of other
liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets with changes recorded in the provision for loan losses on the Company’s consolidated
statements of operations. The methodology for determining the allowance for unfunded revolver and delayed draw term loan commitments is
consistent with the methodology used for determining the allowance for loan losses, with the exception that only the portion of the outstanding
commitment expected to be drawn is applied against the unfunded commitments.
The summary of changes in the allowance for loan losses relating to funded commitments for the years ended December 31, 2021 and
December 31, 2020 is as follows:
Balance, beginning of period
Provision (credit) for loan losses-gen
Provision for loan losses-specific
Charge- offs, net of recoveries
Balance, end of period
Balance, end of period- general
Balance, end of period- specific
Loans
Loans collectively evaluated with general allowance
Loans individually evaluated w ith specific allowance
Total loans
13
Year Ended December 31, 2021
Revolvers
Term Loans
$ 547,984 $
(393,798)
(75,000)
—
79,186 $
$
7,723,262 $
(1,955,691)
1,985,185
—
7,752,756 $
Total
8,271,246
(2,349,489)
1,910,185
—
7,831,942
$
$
79,186 $
4,773,672 $
4.852,858
— $
2,979,084 $
2,979,084
$4,868,123 $277,694,933 $282,563,056
4,812,188
$4,868,123 $282,507,121 $287,375,244
4,812,188
—
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
3.
Allowance for Loan Losses…continued
Balance, beginning of period
Provision (credit) for loan losses-general
Provision for loan losses-specific
Charge-offs, net of recoveries
Balance, end of period
Balance, end of period-general
Balance, end of period-specific
Loans
Loans collectively evaluated with general allowance
Loans individually evaluated with specific allowance
Total loans
Revolvers
Year Ended December 31, 2020
Term Loans
Total
$
$
$
$
345,003
127,980
75,000
—
547,983
472,983
75,000
$ 17,424,051 $ 17,769,054
(866,864)
462,441
(9,093,385)
8,271,246
(994,844)
387,441
(9,093,385)
7,723,263 $
$
$
$
6,729,363 $
7,202,346
993,900 $
1,068,900
$23,990,770
75,000
$24,065,770
$375,236,849 $399,227,619
4,887,188
$380,049,037 $404,114,807
4,812,188
4.
Property and Equipment
The cost basis of the Company’s property and equipment as well as the accumulated depreciation at December 31, 2021 and 2020, are as follows:
Furniture and fixtures
Computer equipment
Computer software
Less: Accumulated depreciation
December 31,
2021
$ 26,954
214,013
20,426
$ 261,393
(246,485)
$ 14,908
2020
$ 26,954
208,550
26,812
$ 262,316
(236,720)
$ 25,596
Capital lease assets totaling $17,310 are included as a component of computer equipment in the above schedule at both December 31, 2021 and
December 31, 2020.
Depreciation expense of $20,210 and $27,186 was recognized during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 and is included as a
component of depreciation and amortization expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Unutilized fully depreciated
assets totaling $10,444 were written off during the year ended December 31, 2021.
14
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
5.
Debt Obligations and Financings
Revolving Credit Facility
On May 12, 2011, the Company entered into a Loan Financing and Servicing Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Deutsche Bank AG (the
“Lender”) in the form of a revolving credit facility. After various amendments, the lender group was expanded and includes both Citibank, N.A.
and Deutsche Bank AG (together, the “Lenders”) at December 31, 2021.
The Company has the ability to borrow funds denominated in certain foreign currencies under the facility. The maximum amount available to be
borrowed in foreign denominated currencies is the US Dollar equivalent of $80,000,000. During 2021 and 2020, the Company incurred fees and
expenses totaling $1,084,317 and $45,287 in connection with certain amendments to the credit facility. These costs were deferred and are being
amortized on a straight-line basis over the contractual term of the Credit Agreement as an adjustment to interest expense.
At December 31, 2021, the amount available to be borrowed under the facility is the lesser of (a) $200,000,000 or (b) the amount calculated and
available per the Borrowing Base, as defined in the amended Credit Agreement. Borrowings on the facility bear interest at a rate of 3.00% plus the
Lenders’ cost of funds, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The applicable cost of funds varies depending on the currency in which the funds are
borrowed. At December 31, 2021, the effective rates were between 3.25% and 3.4875%. The Company also pays an undrawn fee on unfunded
commitments and an administrative agent fee.
The revolving credit facility is comprised of the following at December 31, 2021 and 2020:
Principal borrowings
Unamortized debt issuance costs
Revolving credit facility, net
December 31,
2021
2020
$100,742,374 $183,895,600
(1,285,135)
$ 99,251,811 $182,610,465
(1,490,563)
The credit facility terminates on the earlier of September 20, 2023 or upon the occurrence of a Facility Termination Event, as defined in the
amended Credit Agreement.
Commencing on March 20, 2022 and continuing every three months until the facility’s termination date, the Company may be required to make
principal pay-downs on certain amounts outstanding. The amount to be paid down is contingent upon the future amount outstanding as well as the
amount of future non-mandatory prepayments made on the credit facility.
Cash, as well as those of the Company’s loans that are held within Crystal Financial SPV, serve as collateral against the facility. At December 31,
2021 and 2020, the amount of cash and the face value of loans pledged as collateral totaled $1,580,694 and $278,715,272, and $2,152,342 and
$394,985,750, respectively. The Company has made certain customary representations and warranties under the facility, and is required to comply
with various covenants, reporting requirements, and other customary requirements for similar credit facilities. The Credit Agreement includes
usual and customary events of default for credit facilities of this nature. The Company is in compliance with all covenants at December 31, 2021
and 2020.
15
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
5.
Debt Obligations and Financings…continued
Operating and Capital Leases
The Company leases office space and equipment under various operating and capital lease agreements. Future minimum lease commitments under
these leases are as follows:
2022
2023
2024
Less: Amount representing interest
Present value of minimum capital lease payments, including current maturities of
$4,440
Operating
Leases
$ 640,989
653,787
441,650
$1,736,426
Capital
Leases
$4,584
2,674
—
$7,258
(170)
$7,088
Capital lease liabilities are recorded as a component of other liabilities on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
6.
Related Party Activity
On March 15, 2013, Crystal Financial committed $50,750,000 of capital to Crystal Financial SBIC LP (the “Fund”) in exchange for a 65.91%
limited partner interest. Crystal Financial SBIC LP was established to operate as a small business investment company under the Small Business
Investment Company (“SBIC”) Act. Of the total amount committed, $21,883,314 remains unfunded at December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Certain of the managing members of the Fund’s general partner, Crystal SBIC GP LLC (the “General Partner”), are also members of Crystal
Financial’s management team. Crystal Financial and the General Partner have entered into a Services Agreement whereby Crystal Financial
provides certain administrative services to the General Partner in exchange for a waiver of the quarterly management fee that it owes to the
General Partner.
The Company accounts for its limited partner interest in the Fund as an equity method investment in the accompanying consolidated financial
statements (see Note 9). Crystal Financial did not make any contributions to the Fund during 2021 or 2020. Cash distributions from the Fund
totaled $8,086,431 and $1,900,900 during 2021 and 2020, respectively. In accordance with the equity method of accounting, the Company was
allocated a net loss from the Fund totaling $1,430,559 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $789,088 for the year ended December 31, 2020.
These amounts represent the Company’s allocation of the Fund’s net loss in accordance with the Fund’s Limited Partnership Agreement. Crystal
Financial’s investment in the Fund is recorded as Investment in Crystal Financial SBIC LP in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and
its share of earnings and losses are recorded as Interest in (losses) of equity method investee on the consolidated statements of operations.
7. Member’s Capital
Crystal Financial has issued limited liability company interests, referred to as Class A Units. Each unit entitles its holder to one vote on all matters
submitted to a vote of the members. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company has 280,303 outstanding Class A Units, all of which are
owned by SLR.
16
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
8.
Commitments and Contingencies
The Company is party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk including unfunded revolver and delayed draw term loan commitments
to certain borrowers.
Under the revolving credit and delayed draw term loans, aggregate unfunded commitments total $87,838,688 and $67,664,203 at December 31,
2021 and 2020, respectively. These agreements have fixed expiration dates. The revolving credit agreements typically require payment of a
monthly fee equal to a certain percentage times the unused portion of the revolving line of credit. As the unfunded commitments may expire
without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. The amount of credit that can be
extended under each of the revolving credit agreements and delayed draw term loan agreements is typically limited to the borrower’s available
collateral, which is used in calculating the borrower’s borrowing base at the time of a respective draw.
Effective January 1, 2013, certain employees of Crystal Financial, including members of management, entered into a long- term incentive plan
agreement (“LTIP Agreement”). In accordance with the terms of the LTIP Agreement, a bonus pool is calculated each calendar year, and is based
upon the achievement of certain operating results during the year. The bonus pool calculated and earned for each calendar year will be paid out
two years after the year in which the bonus pool is calculated and earned. The calculated bonus pool is subject to a look-back calculation which
could cause the amount that is ultimately paid out to be less than the amount originally calculated. Amounts recorded pursuant to the LTIP
Agreement during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, if any, are included as a component of accrued expenses on the accompanying
consolidated balance sheets and as a component of compensation and benefits expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of
operations.
9.
Variable Interest Entity
In accordance with US GAAP, the Company evaluates (a) whether it holds a variable interest in an entity, (b) whether the entity is a variable
interest entity (“VIE”) and (c) whether the Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE. The granting of substantive kick-out rights is a key
consideration in determining whether a limited partnership is a VIE and whether or not that entity should be consolidated. In evaluating whether
or not Crystal Financial SBIC LP is a VIE of the Company, it is noted that the Limited Partnership Agreement of Crystal Financial SBIC LP does
not permit a simple majority of the limited partners to exercise kick-out rights, and therefore these rights are deemed to not be substantive.
Accordingly, Crystal Financial SBIC LP is deemed to be a VIE. In assessing whether or not the VIE should be consolidated, it was determined
that substantially all of the VIE’s activities are not conducted on behalf of Crystal Financial or its de facto agents. Accordingly, the Company does
not consolidate Crystal Financial SBIC LP in the accompanying consolidated financial statements
The following table sets forth the information with respect to the unconsolidated variable interest entity in which the Company holds a variable
interest as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Equity interest included on the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Maximum risk of loss (1)
December 31, 2021
8,341,297
$
30,224,611
December 31,2020
17,858,287
$
39,741,601
(1)
includes the equity investment the Company has made, or could be required to make
17
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
10. Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Fair Value Measurements (Topic 820) establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is
based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels are defined as follows:
Level 1- inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
Level 2- inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are
observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument
Level 3- inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.
A financial instrument’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value
measurement.
There were no financial assets or financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2021 or December 31, 2020.
Financial instruments that are not recorded at fair value on a recurring basis consist of cash, restricted cash, interest receivable, loans receivable,
investment in Crystal Financial SBIC LP, collateral held for borrower obligations and the revolving credit facility. Due to the short-term nature of
the Company’s cash, restricted cash, interest receivable, and collateral held for borrower obligations, the carrying value approximates fair value.
The Company’s loans receivable are recorded at outstanding principal, net of any deferred fees and costs, unamortized purchase discounts and the
allowance for loan losses. If the Company elected the fair value option, the estimated fair value of the Company’s loans receivable would be
derived using among other things, a discounted cash flow methodology that considers various factors including the type of loan and related
collateral, current market yields for similar debt investments, estimated cash flows, as well as a discount rate that reflects the Company’s
assessment of risk inherent in the cash flow estimates.
If the Company elected the fair value option, the estimated fair value of the Company’s investment in Crystal Financial SBIC LP and the
revolving credit facility at December 31, 2021 and 2020, would approximate the carrying value. The fair value is estimated based on consideration
of current market interest rates for similar debt instruments.
18
Crystal Financial LLC dba SLR Credit Solutions
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
10. Fair Value of Financial Instruments…continued
The following table presents the carrying amounts, estimated fair values, and placement in the fair value hierarchy of the Company’s long-term
financial instruments, at December 31, 2021 and 2020.
December 31, 2021
Financial assets:
Loans receivable
Investment in Crystal Financial SBIC LP
Financial liabilities:
Revolving credit facility
December 31, 2020
Financial assets:
Loans receivable
Investment in Crystal Financial SBIC LP
Financial liabilities:
Revolving credit facility
11.
Subsequent Events
Carrying
Amount
Estimated Fair
Value
Level 1 Level 2
Level 3
Fair Value Measurements
$287,375,244 $284,396,160 $ — $ — $284,396,160
8,341,297
8,341,297
8,341,297
—
—
100,742,374
100,742,374
—
—
100,742,374
Carrying
Amount
Estimated Fair
Value
Level 1 Level 2
Level 3
Fair Value Measurements
$404,114,807 $403,045,907 $ — $ — $403,045,907
17,858,287
17,858,287
17,858,287
—
—
183,895,600
183,895,600
—
—
183,895,600
The Company has evaluated subsequent events through February 18, 2022, the date which the financial statements were available to be issued.
On February 15, 2022, the Company executed the 26th amendment to the amended and restated Credit Agreement (Note 5) which, among other
things, increases the commitment on the credit facility from $200,000,000 to $250,000,000 and extends the termination date to August 15, 2025.
19
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
(A Limited Liability Company)
Years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020
With Independent Auditors’ Report
Exhibit 99.2
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Financial Statements
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020
Contents
Independent Auditors’ Report
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Members’ Capital
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
1
3
4
5
6
7
Independent Auditors’ Report
To the Board of Managers of
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Opinion
We have audited the consolidated financial statements of NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries (the Company), which comprise the consolidated balance
sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in members’ capital and cash flows for the
years then ended, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements.
In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of
December 31, 2021 and 2020 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP).
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAS). Our responsibilities under
those standards are further described in the Auditors’ Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements section of our report. We
are required to be independent of the Company and to meet our other ethical responsibilities, in accordance with the relevant ethical requirements
relating to our audits. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Responsibilities of Management for the Consolidated Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and for the
design, implementation and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of consolidated financial statements that are
free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management is required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the
aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the consolidated
financial statements are available to be issued.
Auditors’ Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement,
whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditors’ report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not
absolute assurance and therefore is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with GAAS will always detect a material misstatement when it
exists. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion,
forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations or the override of internal control. Misstatements are considered material if there is a substantial
likelihood that, individually or in the aggregate, they would influence the judgment made by a reasonable user based on the consolidated financial
statements.
Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, is a member of the global network of Baker Tilly International Ltd., the members of which are separate and
independent legal entities.
1
In performing an audit in accordance with GAAS, we:
•
•
•
•
•
Exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit.
Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, and design
and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks. Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the
amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements.
Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the
circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control. Accordingly, no
such opinion is expressed.
Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management,
as well as evaluate the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
Conclude whether, in our judgment, there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the
Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time.
We are required to communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit,
significant audit findings, and certain internal control-related matters that we identified during the audit.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 18, 2022
2
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020
(In Thousands)
Assets
Cash
Restricted cash
Financing receivables:
Net investment in direct finance leases
Secured loans, net
Total financing receivables, gross
Allowance for losses on financing receivables
Total financing receivables, net
Equipment off lease - held-for-sale
Equipment on lease, net
Fixed assets, net
Goodwill
Other assets held-for-sale
Other assets
Total assets
Liabilities and Members’ Capital
Liabilities:
Senior secured credit facility
Loans from affiliate
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Good faith deposits
Other liabilities
Total liabilities
Members’ capital:
Members’ capital
Total members’ capital
Total liabilities & members’ capital
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
3
2021
2020
$
8,989 $
71
6,330
191
134,353
79,972
214,325
(3,339)
210,986
150,192
43,248
193,440
(4,992)
188,448
24,138
—
2,352
1,200
2,482
378
29,832
29,832
—
2,450
10,101
9,670
264,007 $263,443
$ 117,483 $ 99,838
41,979
2,248
896
3,664
148,625
30,703
3,278
998
6,456
158,918
105,089
105,089
114,818
114,818
$264,007 $263,443
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
For the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020
(In Thousands)
Net operating income:
Interest income from direct finance leases
Interest income from secured loans
Income from operating leases
Total interest income
Interest expense
Net interest income
Other income
Net operating income
Provision for losses and impairments of equipment off lease
Net operating income after provisions and impairments
Expenses:
Compensation and benefits
General and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Lease and loan restructuring costs
Unrealized loss on equity investment
Total expenses
Net income/(loss)
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
4
2021
2020
$12,349 $15,567
4,004 4,734
581
553
16,906 20,882
6,700 8,224
10,206 12,658
6,025 3,630
16,231 16,288
9,390 11,050
6,841 5,238
8,649 7,648
3,745 3,214
2,908 1,837
1,176 1,422
92 —
16,570 14,121
$ (9,729) $ (8,883)
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Members’ Capital
For the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020
(In Thousands)
Members’ capital at December 31, 2019
Capital distributions
Net income/(loss)
Members’ capital at December 31, 2020
Net income/(loss)
Members’ capital at December 31, 2021
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
5
$123,951
(250)
(8,883)
$ 114,818
(9,729)
$105,089
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020
(In Thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income/(loss)
Adjustments to reconcile net income/(loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Provision for losses and impairments of equipment off lease
Depreciation and amortization of intangible asset
Amortization of deferred financing costs
Amortization of upfront fees received and initial direct costs paid
Unrealized loss on equity investment
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
(Increase)/Decrease in other assets
(Increase)/Decrease in interest receivable
Increase/(Decrease) in interest payable
Increase/(Decrease) in accounts payable and accrued expenses
Increase/(Decrease) in good faith deposits
Increase/(Decrease) in other liabilities
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Investments in secured loans and direct finance leases
Collections of principal on secured loans and direct finance leases
Purchases of secured loans and direct finance leases from an affiliate
Non-refundable upfront fees received
Initial direct costs paid
Proceeds from sales of equipment off lease
Cash flows from (purchases)/sales of fixed assets
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings on credit facility and loans from affiliate
Repayments on credit facility and loans from affiliate
Capital distributions
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and restricted cash
Cash and restricted cash at the beginning of period
Cash and restricted cash at the end of period
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information
Interest paid
Non-cash exchange of right of use assets for lease obligations
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements
6
2021
2020
$
(9,729)
$ (8,883)
9,390
2,908
468
191
92
237
105
(19)
1,030
102
337
5,112
(96,647)
77,576
(5,499)
22
(540)
17,052
(457)
(8,493)
114,294
(108,374)
—
5,920
2,539
6,521
9,060
$
11,050
1,837
375
504
—
189
187
(220)
(958)
(178)
(226)
3,677
(27,674)
52,076
(3,058)
—
(58)
5,608
(397)
26,497
44,859
(74,991)
(250)
(30,382)
(208)
6,729
$ 6,521
$
$
6,527
$ 8,020
3,597
$ —
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
For the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020
(In Thousands)
1. Organization and Business
NEF Holdings, Inc. was organized on June 7, 2013 as a Delaware corporation and commenced its operations in June 2013. Effective January 1, 2014,
NEF Holdings, Inc. converted from a corporation to a limited liability company (“LLC”), NEF Holdings, LLC (“NEF Holdings”), pursuant to
Section 18-214 of the Limited Liability Act in the State of Delaware. Subsequent to the close of business on July 31, 2017, NEF Holdings was acquired
by SLR Investment Corp., formerly Solar Capital Ltd. (“SLR”).
As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, NEF Holdings had five wholly-owned subsidiaries: Nations Fund I, LLC (“Fund I”), Nations
Equipment Finance, LLC (“NEF”), Equipment Operating Leases, LLC (“EOL”), NEF Auto Transport, LLC (“NEF Auto Transport”) and Loyer Capital
LLC (“Loyer Capital”) (collectively, the “Company”). In 2021, the Company relocated its headquarters from Norwalk, Connecticut to Wilton,
Connecticut.
Nations Fund I, Inc. was organized on September 17, 2010 as a Delaware corporation. Effective January 1, 2014, Nations Fund I, Inc. converted from a
corporation to a LLC, Nations Fund I, LLC, pursuant to Section 18-214 of the Limited Liability Act in the State of Delaware. Fund I is a commercial
equipment finance company that provides term loans and leases primarily to middle market and privately held companies. Fund I focuses on direct
origination of loans and equipment leases secured by equipment collateral, such as trailers, trucks, transportation and construction equipment.
NEF was organized as a LLC under the laws of the State of Delaware and commenced operations on August 24, 2010. NEF serves as the investment
manager for the Company. Services provided by NEF include, among other things, identifying, structuring and negotiating transactions, monitoring,
advising and managing investments, exercising control rights, options or warrants, liquidating investments, cash management, accounting, tax,
compliance and legal services. In 2021, NEF rebranded itself as SLR Equipment Finance.
NEF Investments, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEF Holdings, was organized as a Delaware LLC on January 22, 2018. On April 18, 2018, NEF
Investments’ LLC agreement was amended which changed the company’s name to Equipment Operating Leases, LLC. EOL is a commercial equipment
finance company that provides term loans and leases primarily to middle market and privately held companies.
NEF Auto Transport was organized as a LLC under the laws of the State of Delaware and commenced operations in December 2018 through the
acquisition of a former customer. NEF Auto Transport is an auto transport carrier providing direct auto-hauling services. As discussed in note 5, the
Company entered into an agreement to sell certain assets of NEF Auto Transport subsequent to December 31, 2021.
Loyer Capital was organized as a LLC under the laws of the State of Delaware and commenced operations in May 2019. Loyer Capital is a commercial
equipment finance company that provides term loans and leases primarily to middle market and privately held companies.
7
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S.
GAAP”). These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of NEF Holdings and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Fund I, NEF, EOL, Loyer
Capital and NEF Auto Transport. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The presentation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that
impact the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Such estimates and assumptions are subject to change in
the future as additional information becomes available or as circumstances are modified. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.
Management’s estimates and assumptions are used in estimating an allowance for losses on financing receivables, impairments of equipment off lease,
useful lives of leasing equipment and fixed assets, fair values of unguaranteed residual values, intangible assets and fair values of assets acquired and
liabilities assumed.
Cash
At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company’s cash balance totaled $9,060, and $6,521, of which $71 and $191, respectively, was
restricted. The restricted cash balance as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 is maintained in connection with the lease of the Company’s
office space.
Direct Finance Leases
Net investment in direct finance leases is reported net of unearned income, deferred non-refundable fees and initial direct costs associated with their
origination, and inclusive of guaranteed and unguaranteed residual values. Direct finance leases are usually long-term in nature, typically ranging for a
period of three to seven years and include either a nominal or fair market value purchase option at the end of the lease term.
Non-refundable fees received and initial direct costs incurred associated with the origination of direct finance leases are deferred and are recognized as
an adjustment to interest income over the contractual life of the direct finance leases using the interest method.
Secured Loans
Secured loans are reported at the principal amount outstanding, net of non-refundable fees, initial direct costs and accrued interest. Non-refundable loan
fees and initial direct costs are deferred and included in secured loans, net in the consolidated balance sheets. These fees are recognized as an adjustment
to interest income over the contractual life of the loans using the interest method.
8
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)
Income Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Codification
(“ASC”) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue
arising from contracts with customers. The core principle of the revenue model is for an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised
goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and
services. While this guidance replaces most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP, ASC 606 is not applicable to financial instruments
and, therefore, does not impact most of the Company’s revenues.
For direct finance leases, the difference between the cost of the equipment and the total finance lease receivable plus, where applicable, the
unguaranteed or guaranteed residual value is recorded as unearned income. Unearned income is amortized as earned income over the term of the
transaction using the interest method. For secured loans, interest income is recorded on the accrual basis in accordance with the terms of the respective
loan.
The Company’s revenue recognition pattern for revenue streams within the scope of ASC 606 include fees for providing administrative and collateral
monitoring services, which are earned ratably over the period in which the services are provided, and revenues associated with its auto-hauling
operations (see note 5). Such revenues are recognized when evidence of an arrangement exist, the performance obligations are satisfied, collections are
probable and the price is fixed or determinable. With respect to the Company’s auto-hauling operations, the sole performance obligation is deemed to be
satisfied at a single point in time, that is, when the customer takes physical possession of the automobile.
Other Income
Amounts in other income in the consolidated statements of operations primarily include gains on sales of equipment, fees charged for early terminations
of financing arrangements, other miscellaneous fees earned in connection with the administration of such financing arrangements and net impacts of
foreign currency translation. Also included in other income in the consolidated statements of operations are the revenues and cost of sales associated
with the Company’s auto-hauling business.
Fixed Assets
Fixed assets consist of furniture and fixtures, software, computers, leasehold improvements, automobiles, telephone and office equipment and auto
hauling trucks, and are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance that do not extend the
useful life of the asset are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of
operations.
9
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)
Fixed Assets (continued)
Depreciation and amortization of fixed assets are calculated using the straight-line method over their respective useful lives, and recorded in
depreciation and amortization in the consolidated statements of operations.
Furniture and fixtures
Telephone
Office equipment
Automobile
Auto Hauling Trucks
Computers
Software
Leasehold improvements
Useful Life (Years)
7
7
5
5
5
3
Lesser of 5 years or license period
Lesser of the life of the asset or
lease term
Good Faith Deposits
Good faith deposits represent cash received from the Company’s customers, when the proposal for a potential transaction is signed. These deposits are
used to pay expenses such as third party appraisals, document fees and travel and related costs incurred by the Company in connection with the
origination of the transaction. If the deposit exceeds the expenses incurred by the Company, the excess amount may be refundable to the customer. If the
expenses incurred exceed the deposits received, the Company’s customers are liable for the overage. Such overages are included in other assets on the
consolidated balance sheets. In the event the Company approves a transaction with a customer and the customer elects not to pursue the transaction, the
Company recognizes any remaining good faith deposit into income, as allowed by the agreed upon terms of the signed proposal. Such amounts are
included in other income in the consolidated statements of operations.
In certain instances, the Company incurs costs to restructure financing receivables, which are in excess of the customer’s good faith deposit, such as
legal fees and other expenses associated with the repossession and liquidation of equipment. If these costs are not collectable from the Company’s
customers, then such costs are expensed and recorded as lease and loan restructuring costs on the consolidated statements of operations.
Allowance for Losses on Financing Receivables
The Company maintains an allowance for losses on financing receivables at a level sufficient to absorb probable losses related to its financing
receivables as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. In determining its allowance for losses on financing receivables, the Company
considers historical loss rates, collateral coverage and remaining term to maturity of the financing arrangement, which are reviewed and updated, as
appropriate, on an ongoing basis.
Individually identified non-performing secured loans and direct finance leases are measured based on the specific circumstances of the transaction and a
specific allowance is established, if necessary. Amounts determined to be uncollectible are charged directly to provision for losses in the consolidated
statements of operations. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, provisions for losses of specifically identified financing
receivables totaled $0 and $732, respectively.
The Company classifies a financing receivable as past due when it is overdue by more than 60 days. As of December 31, 2021, financing receivables
with an outstanding balance of $0, $3,501, and $245 were between 61-90 days past due, 91-120 days past due and greater than 120 days past due,
respectively. As of December 31, 2020, financing receivables with an outstanding balance of $1,716, $3,854, and $2,671 were between 61-90 days past
due, 91-120 days past due and greater than 120 days past due, respectively.
10
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)
Non-Accrual Financing Receivables
Income recognition is generally suspended for financing receivables after 90 days of non-payment, or if full recovery becomes doubtful based on the
assessment by the Company. Income recognition is resumed when financing receivables are less than 90 days past due. At December 31, 2021 and
December 31, 2020, financing receivables with an outstanding balance of $22,030 and $6,525, respectively, were on non-accrual of income.
Equipment on Lease
Leasing equipment is comprised of equipment under operating leases. Leasing equipment is recorded at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over
the estimated useful life of the equipment. Income is recorded on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease as operating lease income in the
consolidated statements of operations.
The estimated useful lives and residual values of the Company’s leasing equipment are based on independent third party appraisals and management’s
judgment. The Company reviews its depreciation policies on a regular basis to determine whether changes have taken place that would suggest that a
change in its depreciation policies, useful lives of its equipment or the assigned residual values is warranted. At December 31, 2021, the Company’s
leasing equipment is comprised of a crane, which the Company estimates its useful life to be four years. At December 31, 2020, the Company’s leasing
equipment is comprised of rail cars, which the Company estimates their useful life to be thirty years.
Leasing equipment is tested for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that its carrying amount may not be recovered. Key
indicators of impairment on leasing equipment include, among other factors, a sustained decrease in operating profitability, a sustained decrease in
utilization, or indications of technological obsolescence.
Equipment off Lease
Equipment off lease arises when the Company repossesses collateral that secured a financing receivable in a customer default scenario. At December 31,
2021 and December 31, 2020, equipment off lease totaled $0 and $24,138, respectively, in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company intends to sell
such assets, and has classified these assets as held for sale, in accordance with the provisions of ASC 360, Property, Plant & Equipment. A write-down
of the financing receivable is recorded as a charge-off when the carrying amount exceeds the fair value and the difference relates to credit quality. At the
time of repossession, the financing receivable is transferred to equipment off lease at the lower of cost or fair value.
A review for impairment of equipment off lease is performed at least annually or when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying
amount of the asset may not be recoverable. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company recorded impairment
charges of $8,873 and $11,047, respectively, which are included in provision for losses and impairments of equipment off lease on the consolidated
statements of operations.
Other Assets
Included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets is an equity investment in a customer’s parent company stock, obtained to improve collateral
coverage on an existing financing receivable. The Company values equity investments that are traded on a public securities exchange at their reported
fair values. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded a non-cash charge of $92.
11
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)
Derivative Instruments
The Company manages exposure to interest rates through the use of interest rate caps traded in the over-the-counter markets with other financial
institutions. The Company does not enter into derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. Derivative instruments are recognized at fair
value and included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets.
Interest rate caps are used to manage the Company’s interest rate exposure on its senior secured credit facility. At December 31, 2021 and December 31,
2020, such derivatives had a notional amount of $75,000 and $80,000, respectively, and a fair value of $307 and $31, respectively, which are included in
other assets in the consolidated balance sheets. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, changes in fair value of interest rate
caps totaled $86 and ($49), respectively.
Deferred Financing Costs
Deferred financing costs represent fees and other incremental costs incurred in connection with the financing of the Company’s senior secured credit
facility. Such costs are amortized using the straight-line method into earnings over the contractual term of the facility. The unamortized balance of such
costs are included as a reduction to the senior secured credit facility balance.
Debt
Senior secured credit facility represents the Company’s borrowings under its long-term revolver, which are carried at amortized cost, along with the
related accrued interest payable and unamortized deferred financing costs.
Loans from affiliate represent the Company’s unpaid principal balance on term loans, along with the related accrued interest payable to SLR, a related
party, as described in note 1. Maturity dates range from August 1, 2022 through April 27, 2025 and carry interest rates ranging from 7.53% to 11.52%.
Future scheduled payments on loans from affiliate are $2,657 in 2022, $2,025 in 2023, $13,201 in 2024, and $12,788 in 2025.
Contingencies and Commitments
The Company may be subject to various legal proceedings, claims, and litigation, either asserted or unasserted that arise in the ordinary course of
business. The Company records accruals for contingent losses when such losses are probable and reasonably estimable. In the event that estimates or
assumptions prove to differ from actual results, adjustments are made in subsequent periods to reflect more current information. Legal fees are expensed
as incurred.
12
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)
Financial Asset Transfers
The Company accounts for transfers of financial assets under FASB ASC 860, Transfers and Servicing, utilizing a control oriented, financial
components approach to financial asset transfer transactions whereby the Company: (1) recognizes the financial and servicing assets it controls and the
liabilities it has incurred; (2) derecognizes financial assets when control has been surrendered; and (3) derecognizes liabilities once they are
extinguished. Control is considered to have been surrendered only if: (i) the transferred assets have been isolated from the Company and its creditors,
even in the event of bankruptcy or other receivership; (ii) the purchaser has the right to pledge or exchange the transferred assets, or, is a qualifying
special purpose entity (as defined) and the holders of beneficial interests in that entity have the right to pledge or exchange those interests; and (iii) the
Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement which both entitles and obligates it to repurchase or
redeem those assets prior to maturity, or through an agreement which both entitles or obligates it to repurchase or redeem those assets if they were not
readily obtainable elsewhere. If any of these conditions are not met, the Company accounts for the transfer as a secured borrowing.
Foreign Currencies
Assets and liabilities recorded in foreign currencies are translated at the exchange rate on the date of the consolidated balance sheets. Income and
expenses are translated at average rates of exchange prevailing during the year. Translation adjustments resulting from this process, which totaled ($19)
and $76 for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, are recorded in other income in the consolidated statements of
operations. At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had cash, financing receivables and debt denominated in the Canadian dollar.
Income Taxes
The Company is a LLC and has elected to be taxed as a partnership. Accordingly, the Company is not subject to federal or state income taxes. Taxable
income, losses and deductions flow through to the Company’s members.
Fair Value Measurement
Fair value is defined as the amount for which an asset could be exchanged, or a liability settled, between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm’s
length transaction at the measurement date. In determining fair value of financial instruments and intangibles, the Company uses various valuation
approaches, which utilize certain assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk to the
valuation technique. The inputs can be readily observable, market corroborated or generally unobservable internal inputs. The Company utilizes
valuation techniques that rely on both observable and unobservable inputs.
Leases
The Company accounts for leases in accordance with ASC 842, Leases. Included in other assets and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets
as of December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020, are right of use assets and corresponding lease obligations, associated with the Company’s office
spaces, of $4,218 and $1,105, respectively, and such amounts are included in other assets and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The
Company paid $579 and $548 for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, for such leases. The Company’s aggregate
scheduled remaining contractual payments under these leases are $642, $655, $552, $401, $409 and $2,053 for 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and
thereafter, respectively.
13
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (continued)
Goodwill and Intangible Asset
Goodwill represents the excess of consideration paid for the Company over the fair value of the related assets acquired and liabilities assumed from the
acquisition of the Company on July 31, 2017, as discussed in note 1. As discussed in note 5, in connection with the acquisition of one of its former
customers, the Company acquired an intangible asset related to customer relationships with a five year useful life. For the years ended December 31,
2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company recorded amortization expense of $811 and $811, respectively. Further, as discussed in note 16, subsequent
to December 31, 2021, the Company entered into a sale agreement for select assets of NEF Auto Transport, including the intangible asset related to
customer relationships. Accordingly, included in depreciation and amortization on the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended
December 31, 2021, is an acceleration of the amortization of the intangible asset related to customer relationships of $858 to bring the carrying value of
such asset to its estimated realizable value of $767, which is included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.
The Company assesses goodwill for impairment, annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances occur, by comparing the carrying
value to its fair value. If the fair value is less than the carrying value, an impairment charge is recorded in that period. Goodwill recognized in business
combinations is assigned to the reporting units that are expected to benefit from the combination as of the acquisition date. Goodwill is not amortized;
rather goodwill is tested annually for impairment or more frequently upon the occurrence of certain events or substantive changes in circumstances. The
Company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine if an impairment is more likely than not to have occurred. If the conclusion is
supported that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the Company would not need to
perform a quantitative impairment test. If the conclusion cannot be supported, or if the Company does not elect to do the qualitative assessment, then the
Company will perform a quantitative assessment. If a quantitative goodwill impairment test is performed, the Company utilizes a combination of market
and income valuation approaches. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded to the extent that the
fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. No impairment of goodwill resulted from the annual impairment testing in 2021 or 2020.
3. New Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 – Financial Instruments – Credit Losses. This amendment will require companies to broaden the
information considered in developing its expected credit loss estimates on financing receivables measured either individually or collectively. In
November 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-10, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses, which delayed the effective date of ASU 2016-13. This
amendment is effective for the Company for the fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the
new standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.
14
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
4. Recent Developments
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global emergency in the wake of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) outbreak and in
March of 2020 declared the outbreak a global pandemic. The outbreak of COVID-19 and its related negative public health developments have adversely
affected workforces, customers, suppliers, economies and financial markets around the world. Globally, governments have taken a series of aggressive
actions to support the economy and mitigate the systematic impacts of the pandemic, and the Company continues to proactively assess and utilize these
measures where appropriate. The extent of the impact on the Company’s financial performance and operations, including its ability to execute its
business initiatives and strategies, will continue to depend on the future developments in the U.S. and globally, which are uncertain and cannot be
predicted, including the duration and further spread of the disease, as well as the severity of the economic downturn or any delay or weakness in the
economic recovery. While the Company considers these disruptions to be temporary, if they continue, this may have a material adverse effect on the
Company’s results of future operations. The impact will in part be dependent on the U.S. government and other actions taken to lessen the health and
economic repercussions, such as additional fiscal stimulus, and the effectiveness of past and any future fiscal, monetary and other governmental actions.
5. Business Combinations
On December 11, 2018, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary NEF Auto Transport, acquired the assets of a privately held auto transport
hauler. The entity, which was one of the Company’s former customers, was acquired out of bankruptcy in satisfaction of all of the amounts due the
Company. Total consideration of $7,082 (of which $250 was in the form of cash) was allocated to the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and
liabilities assumed. In connection with the acquisition, the Company recorded an intangible asset of $3,950, which was included in other assets in the
consolidated balance sheets, net of accumulated amortization.
On January 17, 2019, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary NEF Auto Transport, acquired a privately owned auto transport carrier based
in Enumclaw, Washington. Total consideration of $975 was allocated to the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which
included cash of $33, receivables of $197, fixed assets of $788, other assets of $37, and payables of $80.
During 2019, the Company integrated the operations of both auto transport carriers to form one business and reporting unit. For the years ended
December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 such operations generated net losses of $4,367 and $3,004, respectively, which included revenues of $3,350
and $4,266, respectively and direct costs of $3,519 and $3,810, respectively.
As described in note 16, subsequent to December 31, 2021 the Company entered into a purchase and sale agreement for certain assets of NEF Auto
Transport for net proceeds of $2,450. More specifically, such assets to be sold include auto hauling trucks and ancillary equipment of $1,683 and an
intangible asset related to customer relationships of $767, both of which are included in other assets held for sale on the consolidated balance sheets at
December 31, 2021.
15
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
6. Financing Receivables
Net investment in direct finance leases consists of the following at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:
Gross finance lease receivables
Guaranteed residuals
Unguaranteed residuals
Unearned income
Deferred non-refundable fees collected
Deferred initial direct costs paid
Purchase accounting valuation adjustment
Total net investment in direct finance leases
Secured loans, net, consist of the following at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:
Secured loans, principal
Accrued interest receivable
Total secured loans, gross
Deferred non-refundable fees collected
Deferred initial direct costs paid
Purchase accounting valuation adjustment
Total secured loans, net
2021
2020
$120,036 $125,481
30,966
22,729
24,946
18,838
(32,064)
(27,317)
(12)
(370)
794
549
150,111
134,465
81
(112)
$134,353 $150,192
2021
2020
314
80,566
(67)
449
80,948
(976)
$80,252 $43,900
419
44,319
(145)
50
44,224
(976)
$79,972 $43,248
Aggregate scheduled payments, contractual maturities including guaranteed residuals and unguaranteed residuals by year on the fixed and floating-rate
secured loans and direct finance leases, are as follows:
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
Total
Secured loans:
Fixed rate
Floating rate
Direct finance leases
Total
$30,333 $11,021 $11,388 $ 6,813 $10,475 $ 6,722 $ 76,752
3,500
—
161,603
36,179
$72,582 $53,154 $39,413 $42,992 $22,558 $ 11,156 $241,855
—
4,434
—
28,025
—
12,083
—
42,249
3,500
38,633
7. Allowance for Losses on Financing Receivables
A financing receivable is considered impaired when it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the
contractual terms of the agreement. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company maintained a specific allowance for losses of $0
and $2,171 on financing receivables of $0 and $2,671, respectively, and a general allowance for losses of $3,339 and $2,821, respectively, on the
remaining portfolio of financing receivables.
16
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
7. Allowance for Losses on Financing Receivables (continued)
The Company monitors the internal risk rating of each customer. The internal risk rating was developed by the Company and is fully described in the
Company’s credit policies and procedures. The internal risk rating gives heavy weighting to collateral coverage and fixed charge coverage of the
customer. It also takes into account the customer’s leverage as well as subjective factors including industry cyclicality, quality of management and
liquidity. The internal risk ratings range from 1 to 8, with 1 being the best and 8 being the worst.
Customer’s risk ratings are computed quarterly during a quarterly portfolio review process. If during the life of a transaction, a customer’s risk rating is
downgraded to a risk rating of 4 or beyond, the Company’s credit team follows more stringent procedures for monitoring the credit, as specified in the
Company’s credit policies and procedures.
8. Equipment on Lease, net
At December 31, 2021, equipment under operating lease consists of a cost basis of $1,470, net of accumulated depreciation of $270 for a net balance of
$1,200. At December 31, 2020, equipment under operating lease consists of a cost basis of $3,670, net of accumulated depreciation of $492 and a
purchase accounting valuation discount of $826 for a net balance of $2,352. Total depreciation expense relating to equipment under operating leases for
the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 was $342 and $144, respectively, and is included in depreciation and amortization expense
on the consolidated statements of operations.
9. Fixed Assets, net
At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, fixed assets, net consists of the following:
Furniture and fixtures
Leasehold improvements
Automobile
Computers
Office equipment
Software
Auto hauling trucks
Fixed assets, gross
Accumulated depreciation
Fixed assets, net
2021
$ 148
153
59
53
40
34
—
487
(109)
$ 378
$
2020
15
55
59
83
7
11
3,873
4,103
(1,621)
$ 2,482
Depreciation and amortization expense related to fixed assets totaled $897 and $882 for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020,
respectively. For the years ending 2022, 2023 and 2024 and thereafter, the Company will recognize annual amortization expense related to software of
$10, $8, and $9, respectively.
17
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
10. Senior Secured Credit Facility
Senior secured credit facility consists of the following at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:
Senior secured credit facility, principal
Accrued interest payable
Unamortized deferred financing costs
Total senior secured credit facility
2021
2020
$118,002 $100,569
233
(964)
$117,483 $ 99,838
242
(761)
At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, Fund I maintained a revolving credit facility (the “Facility”) which consists of two separate revolvers,
one for U.S. dollars and one for Canadian dollars. The total availability on the U.S. dollar revolver is $180,000 and the total availability on the Canadian
dollar revolver is the lesser of CAD 45,000 and the U.S. dollar equivalent of $33,957. Interest is based on LIBOR, plus an applicable margin. The
applicable margin ranges from 2.25% to 2.50% based on Fund I’s leverage ratio. The leverage ratio represents the ratio of the outstanding balance of the
Facility to Fund I’s total member’s capital, as described in the Facility agreement. All assets of Fund I are pledged as collateral under the Facility. Fund I
is also required to pay a 0.375% per annum unused line fee. The Facility requires Fund I and the Company to maintain certain periodic financial
covenants surrounding capitalization, cash flow and default, delinquency and charge-off ratios. The Company provides a limited guaranty to the Facility
for all interest, fees and expenses that cannot otherwise be charged to Fund I. The Facility has a contractual maturity date of July 31, 2023, with the
principal payable in full at maturity.
11. Employee Compensation and Benefit Plans
As of December 31, 2021, the Company employed personnel at its headquarters in Wilton, Connecticut and its sales offices in California, Florida,
Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. Employee compensation and benefits are comprised of base salaries, discretionary bonuses, health care
benefits, employer 401(k) contributions and payroll taxes. As a part of their employment agreements, certain members of senior management are
eligible for an annual bonus amount, which is calculated as a percentage of their annual salaries, based on certain financial performance metrics, as
described in their employment agreements.
Effective August 1, 2017, the Company formed a Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) that provides for an annual bonus pool to certain members of
senior management based on the Company achieving certain performance criteria.
The Company sponsors a 401(k) plan, where the Company contributes a defined percentage of employees’ annual earnings up to the maximum annual
contribution amount as determined by the Internal Revenue Service.
12. Fair Value of Financial Instruments
FASB ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements (“ASC 820”), establishes a hierarchy of valuation techniques based on whether the inputs to those valuation
techniques are observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect
management’s market assumptions.
These two types of inputs create the following fair value hierarchy:
Level 1 – Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.
Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, such as interest rates and foreign
exchange rates that are observable at commonly quoted intervals. Financial assets utilizing Level 2 inputs include interest rate caps.
Level 3 – Unobservable inputs.
18
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
12. Fair Value of Financial Instruments (continued)
As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company measured its interest rate caps at fair value on a recurring basis. Total fair value of such
derivative instruments as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 was $307 and $31, respectively, which was classified as Level 2 in the fair
value hierarchy by the Company. The fair value of interest rate caps are measured using discounted cash flow calculations based on observable inputs
from the relevant interest/exchange rate curves in effect at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
ASC 820 also requires that the Company disclose estimated fair values for its financial instruments. No quoted market exists for the Company’s
financial instruments. Therefore, fair value estimates are based on judgments, risk characteristics of various financial instruments and other factors.
Changes in these assumptions could significantly affect the estimates.
The Company estimates the carrying amounts of cash approximated its fair values as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Since there is no
liquid secondary market for the Company’s financing receivables, the Company estimates the fair value of its secured loans and net investment in direct
finance leases by comparing the average yield of the portfolio to recent issuances of similar loans and leases. Further, based on the Company’s review of
the terms of the Facility and its loans from affiliate, as well as valuations from its lenders, management determined that the carrying value of its senior
secured credit facility approximated fair value.
The carrying amount and estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 were as follows:
Financial assets:
Cash and restricted cash
Net investment in direct finance leases
Secured loans, net
Total financing receivables, net of allowances
Financial liabilities:
Senior secured credit facility
Loans from Affiliate
13. Concentration of Credit Risk
2021
2020
Carrying
Amount
Estimated
Fair Value
Carrying
Amount
Estimated
Fair Value
$
9,060 $
9,060 $
6,521 $
6,521
132,370
78,616
210,986
132,491
78,814
211,305
145,960
42,488
188,448
145,180
43,069
188,249
$ 117,483 $ 116,571 $ 99,838 $ 99,150
41,979
30,703
41,979
30,703
Financing receivables subject the Company to credit risk. The Company monitors its portfolios by evaluating each of the customer’s financial condition
and collateral. The Company’s maximum exposure to credit risk at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, without considering the underlying
collateral, is represented by the carrying value of the financing receivables in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company monitors its financing
receivables for geographic concentrations.
19
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
13. Concentration of Credit Risk (continued)
The following table reflects such concentrations as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:
Colorado
Texas
Washington
Louisiana
New York
Missouri
Pennsylvania
Florida
Kentucky
North Carolina
Wisconsin
Massachusetts
Maine
Georgia
Tennessee
Ontario (Canada)
Other U.S. states / Canada
Total financing receivables, gross
Geographic Concentration
2021
$ 26,904
24,079
23,010
19,410
17,622
13,564
9,777
7,750
6,219
5,476
5,028
4,791
4,440
4,219
3,720
3,678
34,638
$214,325
Texas
Washington
Colorado
Kansas
Pennsylvania
Quebec (Canada)
North Carolina
Florida
Massachusetts
Wisconsin
Maine
Missouri
Michigan
Nevada
Connecticut
Tennessee
Other U.S. states / Canada
Total financing receivables, gross
2020
$ 34,995
25,103
16,202
14,367
13,215
8,162
7,627
7,318
5,944
5,495
5,161
4,941
4,272
4,085
3,897
3,857
28,799
$193,440
The amount and type of collateral required depends on an assessment of the credit risk of the counterparty. Guidelines are implemented regarding the
acceptability of types of collateral and valuation parameters. Typically, the Company obtains access to collateral either through direct ownership or by a
first lien security interest.
The Company also monitors its financing receivables for collateral concentrations. The following tables reflect such concentrations as of December 31,
2021 and December 31, 2020:
Tow boats
Tractors
Barge rigs
Helicopters
Cranes
Aircraft
Flight Simulators
All other
Total financing receivables, gross
Collateral Concentrations
2021
$ 23,010
20,097
18,283
18,112
17,751
12,594
11,785
92,693
$214,325
Cranes
Tractors
Tow boats
Barge rigs
Aircraft
Trucks
Trailers
All other
Total financing receivables, gross
2020
$ 29,129
28,356
25,103
18,194
16,055
13,765
8,981
53,857
$193,440
At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had financing receivables outstanding to one customer that approximated 9% and 11%,
respectively, of total financing receivables for each period.
20
NEF Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (continued)
(In Thousands)
14. Contingencies and Commitments
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had a U.S. and a Canadian revolver financing arrangement with a total outstanding balance of $3,530 and CAD
455 respectively, which are included in secured loans, net in the consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had a U.S. and a
Canadian revolver financing arrangements with a total outstanding balance of $3,897 and CAD 377 respectively, which are included in secured loans,
net in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company’s maximum commitments under the U.S. and Canadian revolvers were $4,000 and CAD 1,500,
respectively, for both years ending December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
15. Member’s Capital
At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, NEFCORP owns 100 Class A units and NEFPASS owns 100 Class B units, which represent the entire
capital of the Company.
16. Subsequent Events
The Company has evaluated subsequent events through February 18, 2022, the issuing date of the consolidated financial statements.
As discussed in note 5, on January 21, 2022 the Company entered into an agreement to sell certain assets of NEF Auto Transport. The sale is expected to
close within 30 days of the execution of the agreement.
21
KBH Topco, LLC
Consolidated Financial Statements and
Independent Auditor’s Report
December 31, 2021 and 2020
Exhibit 99.3
KBH TOPCO, LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Members’ Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Page
1 - 2
3
4
5
6
7 - 19
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
To the Management of
KBH TopCo, LLC
Opinion
We have audited the accompanying consolidated financial statements of KBH TopCo, LLC, which comprise the consolidated balance sheets as of
December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, changes in members’ equity, and cash flows for the
year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period November 3, 2020 (date of acquisition) through December 31, 2020, and the related notes to the
consolidated financial statements.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of KBH TopCo, LLC
as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period
November 3, 2020 (date of acquisition) through December 31, 2020, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America.
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Our responsibilities under those
standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements section of our report. We are
required to be independent of KBH TopCo, LLC and to meet our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the relevant ethical requirements
relating to our audits. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Responsibilities of Management for the Consolidated Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America, and for the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation
and fair presentation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management is required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events considered in the
aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about KBH TopCo, LLC’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the
consolidated financial statements are available to be issued.
Auditor’s Responsibility for the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement,
whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not
absolute assurance and therefore is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards will always detect a
material misstatement when it exists. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as
fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. Misstatements are considered
material if there is a substantial likelihood that, individually or in the aggregate, they would influence the judgment made by a reasonable user based on
the consolidated financial statements.
Page 2
In performing an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, we:
•
•
•
•
•
Exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit.
Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, and design
and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks. Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the
amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements.
Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the
circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of KBH TopCo, LLC’s internal control. Accordingly,
no such opinion is expressed.
Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management,
as well as evaluate the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
Conclude whether, in our judgment, there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about KBH
TopCo, LLC’s ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time.
We are required to communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit,
significant audit findings, and certain internal control related matters that we identified during the audit.
Bannockburn, Illinois
February 21, 2022
KBH TOPCO, LLC
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020
ASSETS
Page 3
Cash
Accounts receivable, net
Inventory, prepaid expenses, deposits and other assets
Investment in direct finance and sales-type leases, net
Equipment under operating leases at cost, net of accumulated depreciation of $88,877,030 and $12,374,971 as
of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively
Equipment used in operations at cost, net of accumulated depreciation of $178,018 and $25,273 as of December
31, 2021 and 2020, respectively
Goodwill
LIABILITIES AND MEMBERS’ EQUITY
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Distributions payable
Leased equipment accounts payable
Customer deposits and advanced payments
Deferred income tax liability
Secured borrowings
Notes payable - Recourse
Senior secured debt - Related party
Notes payable - Non-recourse
MEMBERS’ EQUITY
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
2021
7,049,803 $
$
16,503,537
8,079,273
80,796,043
2020
8,529,709
17,607,614
13,231,316
101,304,229
490,109,858
469,501,681
521,899
135,364,402
596,026
133,913,781
$738,424,815 $744,684,356
$ 13,840,502 $ 11,487,279
—
14,187,663
7,389,604
758,969
143,346,984
124,544,587
80,000,000
207,051,280
588,766,366
155,917,990
$738,424,815 $744,684,356
4,000,000
17,648,150
6,600,875
5,042,391
102,353,580
125,094,236
80,000,000
233,276,889
587,856,623
150,568,192
KBH TOPCO, LLC
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021
AND PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 3, 2020 (DATE OF ACQUISITION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020
Page 4
REVENUE
Leasing revenues
Sales of equipment and software
Transfers of financial assets
Service revenues
Other income
DIRECT LEASING EXPENSES AND COST OF EQUIPMENT SOLD
Depreciation of equipment
Interest expense - Secured borrowings
Interest expense - Recourse debt
Interest expense - Senior secured debt
Interest expense - Non-recourse debt
Cost of equipment and software sold
GROSS MARGIN
SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAX PROVISION
INCOME TAX PROVISION
NET INCOME
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
Foreign currency translation adjustment
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
2021
2020
$ 164,829,634 $ 25,391,172
74,367,255 17,604,852
415,588
156,627
49,508
245,888,498 43,617,747
5,392,972
1,201,238
97,399
85,447,004 14,570,293
6,086,340 1,089,055
893,117
4,518,691
6,488,889 1,051,309
8,438,114 1,429,925
88,145,805 16,812,629
199,124,843 35,846,328
46,763,655 7,771,419
30,277,701 4,842,030
16,485,954 2,929,389
758,969
12,151,405 2,170,420
4,334,549
(158,345)
247,570
$ 11,993,060 $ 2,417,990
KBH TOPCO, LLC
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN MEMBERS’ EQUITY
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021
AND PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 3, 2020 (DATE OF ACQUISITION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020
Page 5
BALANCE - NOVEMBER 3, 2020 (DATE OF ACQUISITION)
— $
— $
— $
—
Common Units
Units
Amount
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (loss)
Total
Issuance of units
Net income
Other comprehensive income
BALANCE - DECEMBER 31, 2020
Net income
Other comprehensive loss
Distributions
BALANCE - DECEMBER 31, 2021
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
84,000,000
—
—
84,000,000
153,500,000
2,170,420
—
155,670,420
—
—
247,570
247,570
153,500,000
2,170,420
247,570
155,917,990
12,151,405
—
—
—
12,151,405
—
(17,342,858)
84,000,000 $150,478,967 $
—
(158,345)
—
(158,345)
(17,342,858)
89,225 $150,568,192
KBH TOPCO, LLC
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021
AND PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 3, 2020 (DATE OF ACQUISITION) THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020
Page 6
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Direct finance lease and sales-type lease receipts
Depreciation and amortization
Loss on sales of equipment and software
Earned income from direct finance and sales-type leases
Deferred income tax liability
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
Inventory, prepaid expenses, deposits and other assets
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Distributions payable
Leased equipment accounts payable
Customer deposits and advanced payments
Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Acquisition of KBH Topco, LLC, net of cash acquired
Investment in direct finance and sales-type leases
Purchases of equipment under operating leases
Proceeds from sales of equipment and software
Purchases of equipment used in operations
Net Cash Used In Investing Activities
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from issuance of common units
Proceeds from secured borrowings
Principal payments on secured borrowings
Proceeds from notes payable - recourse
Principal payments on notes payable - recourse
Proceeds from notes payable - non-recourse
Principal payments on notes payable - non-recourse
Distributions
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Financing Activities
EFFECTS OF CURRENCY TRANSLATION
NET CHANGE IN CASH
CASH - BEGINNING OF YEAR
CASH - END OF YEAR
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
Interest paid
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF NON-CASH INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Acquisition of KBH Topco, LLC - Rollover equity
Business combination measurement period adjustments
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
2021
2020
$ 12,151,405 $
2,170,420
40,404,348
85,617,265
15,224,574
(5,157,268)
4,283,422
1,188,541
618,299
2,968,563
4,000,000
3,460,487
(788,729)
163,970,907
9,861,750
14,595,566
205,016
(794,989)
758,969
4,045,605
282,975
(2,391,413)
—
(6,550,194)
(22,658)
22,161,047
—
(30,298,539)
(152,636,613)
49,299,822
(96,134)
(133,731,464)
(126,127,714)
(12,258,832)
(23,613,551)
12,426,497
(26,099)
(149,599,699)
—
—
(40,993,404)
233,345,186
(232,795,537)
185,871,270
(159,645,661)
(17,342,858)
(31,561,004)
(158,345)
(1,479,906)
8,529,709
7,049,803 $
134,312,500
10,900,921
(10,710,604)
51,199,521
(51,083,422)
24,648,636
(23,546,761)
—
135,720,791
247,570
8,529,709
—
8,529,709
$
$ 26,747,795 $
4,555,478
$
$
— $ 19,187,500
1,450,621 $
—
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1 – DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Page 7
Principles of Consolidation and Financial Reporting. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of KBH Topco,
LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“KBHT”) formed on October 29, 2020, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (each organized as either a
Nevada limited liability company or a Delaware limited liability company), collectively referred to as the “Company.” All significant
intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In November 2020, 87.50% of the Company was acquired by SLR
Investment Corp. f/k/a Solar Capital Ltd. (“SLR”)(Note 2).
Description of Business. The Company leases, rents, sells, manages, and remarkets technology, industrial, healthcare, and other general
equipment and software. Their customers are located throughout the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Management Estimates and Assumptions. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts
reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Significant
estimates and assumptions are used for, but not limited to: (1) estimated useful lives and unguaranteed residual values of equipment under
operating, direct finance and sales-type leases; (2) classification of leases; (3) valuation of leased equipment; (4) impairment of equipment;
(5) impairment of goodwill; (6) revenue recognition; (7) allowance for doubtful accounts; and (8) valuation of net deferred income tax assets or
liabilities. Future events and their effects cannot be predicted with certainty; accordingly, accounting estimates require the exercise of judgment.
Accounting estimates used in the preparation of these consolidated financial statements change as new events occur, as more experience is
acquired, as additional information is obtained, and as the operating environment changes.
Concentration of Credit Risk. The Company regularly maintains bank balances that exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation limits.
Revenue Recognition. The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with three different accounting standards: (1) Financial Accounting
Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“FASB ASC”) 840, Leases, (2) FASB ASC 860, Transfers and Servicing, and
(3) FASB ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
Revenue from Leasing Transactions under FASB ASC 840 - The Company accounts for certain leasing revenues in accordance with FASB ASC
840. The accounting for revenue is different depending on the type of lease. Each lease is classified as either a direct finance lease, sales-type
lease, or operating lease, as appropriate. If a lease meets one or more of the following four criteria, the lease is classified as either a direct finance
or sales-type lease; otherwise, it will be classified as an operating lease:
•
•
•
•
the lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee by the end of the lease term;
the lease contains a bargain purchase option;
the lease term is equal to 75 percent or more of the estimated economic life of the leased property; or
the present value at the beginning of the lease term of the minimum lease payments equals or exceeds 90 percent of the fair value of
the leased property at the inception of the lease.
For direct finance and sales-type leases, the Company records the net investment in leases, which consists of the sum of the minimum lease
payments, initial direct costs (direct finance leases only), and unguaranteed residual value (gross investment) less the unearned income. For direct
finance leases, the difference between the gross investment and the cost of the leased equipment is recorded as unearned income at the inception
of the lease. Under sales-type leases, the difference between the fair value and cost of the leased property plus initial direct costs (net margins) is
recorded as unearned income at the inception of the lease. Revenue for both direct finance and sales-type leases are recognized as the unearned
income is amortized over the life of the lease using the interest method.
(Continued)
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1 – DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)
Page 8
Revenue Recognition (Continued). Revenue from Leasing Transactions under FASB ASC 840 (Concluded) - For operating leases, rental amounts
are accrued on a straight-line basis over the lease term and are recognized as leasing revenue.
Leasing revenues consist of rentals due under operating leases and the amortization of unearned income on direct finance and sales-type leases.
Equipment under operating leases is recorded at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the useful life.
Revenue from the Transfer of Financial Assets under FASB ASC 860 - The Company enters into arrangements to transfer the contractual payments
due under direct finance and sales-type leases, which are accounted for in accordance with FASB ASC 860. These transfers are accounted for as
either a pledge of collateral in a secured borrowing or a sale. For transfers accounted for as a secured borrowing, the corresponding investments
serve as collateral for recourse and non-recourse notes payable. For transfers accounted for as sales, the Company derecognizes the carrying value
of the asset transferred plus any liability and recognizes a net gain or loss on the sale, which are presented as transfers of financial assets in the
consolidated statements of comprehensive income.
Revenue from Sales of Equipment, Software and Services under FASB ASC 606 - Under FASB ASC 606, revenue is recognized when the
Company satisfies its performance obligations, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for
those goods or services.
Revenue from contracts with customers is measured based on the consideration specified in the contract with the customer, and excludes any sales
incentives and amounts collected on behalf of third parties. Contracts with customers may include multiple promises that are distinct performance
obligations. For such arrangements, the Company allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone
selling price. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to a customer. The Company recognizes
revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control over a product or service to a customer. The amount of revenue
recognized reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for such goods or services. After completion of the
performance obligation, the Company has an unconditional right to consideration as outlined in the contract.
Service Revenues - The Company maintains service contracts for maintenance and repair services to customers for the customer owned
equipment. The Company’s arrangement is typically a single performance obligation comprised of a series of distinct services that are
substantially the same and that have the same pattern of transfer. The Company typically recognizes sales from these services on a straight-
line basis over the period services are provided. Payments are typically due within 30 days after an invoice is sent to the customer.
Invoices for services are typically sent in advance.
Equipment and Software Sales - The Company sells equipment and software to both current lessees and third parties for leased equipment,
brokerage of equipment, and lease transaction sales. Sales revenue is recorded at the amount of gross consideration received. Revenue is
recognized at a point in time when the Company satisfies its performance obligations. Payments are typically due upon receipt of the
invoice. Invoices for equipment and software sales are typically sent in advance.
The Company has adopted certain practical expedients under FASB ASC 606 with significant items disclosed herein. The Company has elected to
apply the portfolio approach practical expedient allowed under FASB ASC 606 to evaluate contracts with customers that share the same revenue
recognition patterns as the result of evaluating them as a group will have substantially the same result as evaluating them individually.
(Continued)
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page 9
NOTE 1 – DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)
Revenue Recognition (Concluded). Disaggregation of Revenue - The table below summarizes the Company’s revenues as presented in the
consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2021 by revenue type and by the applicable accounting
standard:
Leasing revenues
Sales of equipment and software
Transfers of financial assets
Service revenues
Other income
Total revenue
FASB ASC 840
$164,829,634
—
—
—
—
$164,829,634
Year Ended December 31, 2021
FASB ASC 860
—
$
—
5,392,972
—
—
$ 5,392,972
FASB ASC 606
$
—
74,367,255
—
1,201,238
97,399
$ 75,665,892
Total
$164,829,634
74,367,255
5,392,972
1,201,238
97,399
$245,888,498
Total revenue subject to FASB ASC 606 recognized at a point in time and over time was $74,464,654 and $1,201,238, respectively, for the year
ended December 31, 2021.
The table below summarizes the Company’s revenues as presented in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the period ended
December 31, 2020 by revenue type and by the applicable accounting standard:
Leasing revenues
Sales of equipment and software
Transfers of financial assets
Service revenues
Other income
Total revenue
FASB ASC 840
$ 25,391,172
—
—
—
—
$ 25,391,172
Period Ended December 31, 2020
FASB ASC 860
—
$
—
415,588
—
—
415,588
$
FASB ASC 606
$
—
17,604,852
—
156,627
49,508
$ 17,810,987
Total
$25,391,172
17,604,852
415,588
156,627
49,508
$43,617,747
Total revenue subject to FASB ASC 606 recognized at a point in time and over time was $17,654,360 and $156,627, respectively, for the period
ended December 31, 2020.
Residual Values - The estimated unguaranteed residual values of equipment at the end of the useful life are recorded at the inception of each lease.
The estimated residual values vary as a percentage of the original equipment cost and depend upon the equipment type. Unguaranteed residual
values for direct finance and sales-type leases are recorded at their net present value and the unearned income is amortized over the life of the
lease using the interest method. The residual values for operating leases are included in the leased equipment’s net book value. Residual values are
evaluated on a quarterly basis and any impairment, other than temporary, is recorded in the period in which the impairment is determined. No
upward revision of residual values is made subsequent to lease inception.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. Accounts receivable represent customer obligations, which include base monthly,
quarterly, and annual rentals due under the terms of each respective customer’s lease and equipment sales. The carrying amount of accounts
receivable is reduced by an allowance that reflects management’s best estimate of amounts that will not be collected. The allowance for doubtful
accounts was $11,759 as of December 31, 2021 and $-0- as of December 31, 2020 and November 3, 2020.
(Continued)
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1 – DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)
Page 10
Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation provisions for revenue-producing equipment are computed using the straight-line method over the
related useful life of the equipment, after giving effect to an estimated residual value. The useful lives for leased equipment range from
approximately six and ten years. For other equipment used in operations, depreciation and amortization is computed using the straight-line method
over the estimated useful lives of the assets, ranging from approximately three to eight years.
Goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination. The
Company performs an annual impairment test for goodwill at the entity level. There were no impairment charges or triggering events for the year
ended December 31, 2021 or for the period ended December 31, 2020.
Foreign Operations. The functional currencies for the consolidated foreign operations are the Canadian dollar, Euro, and British pound. The
translation of the applicable foreign currencies into U.S. dollars is performed for monetary balance sheet accounts using current exchange rates in
effect at the balance sheet date and for revenue and expense accounts using a weighted average exchange rate during the period. Nonmonetary
balance sheet accounts and related revenue, expense, gain and loss accounts are re-measured using historical rates to produce the same results as if
the items had been initially recorded in U.S. dollars. The gains or losses resulting from such translation of the Canadian dollar, Euro, and British
pound are included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income in members’ equity. Assets located outside the United States and
subject to foreign currency denominated transactions totaled $7,888,439 and $8,046,244 as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Income Taxes. The Company was formed as a limited liability company and elected to be taxed as a C-Corporation. Deferred income taxes are
provided using the liability method whereby deferred income tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and operating loss and
tax credit carryforwards and deferred income tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the
differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred income tax assets are reduced by a valuation
allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred income tax assets will not be
realized. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of the changes in tax laws and rates at the date of enactment. Income
tax expense is the tax payable or refundable for the period plus or minus the change during the period in deferred income tax assets and liabilities.
KBHT’s wholly-owned subsidiaries are disregarded entities for income tax purposes. Their operations are combined with the operations of KBHT
and reported together in one income tax return.
Fair Value Measurements. Fair value accounting guidance defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value under GAAP, and
expands disclosures about fair value measurements for both financial and non-financial assets. It also provides a fair value hierarchy that
prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in
active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (level 3 measurements). The
three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described as follows:
Level 1.
Inputs to the valuation methodology are unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the
Company has the ability to access.
(Continued)
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1 – DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)
Level 2.
Inputs to the valuation methodology include the following:
Page 11
•
•
•
•
Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets;
Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets;
Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability;
Inputs that are derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable market data by correlation or other means.
If the asset or liability has a specified (contractual) term, the level 2 input must be observable for substantially the full term
of the asset or liability.
Level 3.
Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.
The asset’s or liability’s fair value measurement level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to
the fair value measurement. Valuation techniques used need to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable
inputs.
Certain assets are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis subsequent to initial recognition. These assets are not measured at fair value on
an ongoing basis but are subject to fair value adjustments only under certain circumstances, as GAAP does not permit the recording of unrealized
appreciation of equipment held for sale and leased equipment.
In certain circumstances, these assets were written down to estimated fair value when it is determined that net realizable value is below cost.
Adjustments to write down certain equipment held for sale and leased equipment to their net realizable value totaled approximately $4,200,000
and $-0- for the year ended December 31, 2021 and for the period ended December 31, 2020, respectively, and are included within cost of
equipment and software sold on the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Equipment held for sale totaled approximately $4,551,000
and $8,356,000 as December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and is included within inventory, prepaid expenses, deposits and other assets on the
consolidated balance sheets.
Business Combinations. The Company records the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including contingent liabilities, at fair value on the
date of the acquisition. As required, preliminary fair values are determined once a business is acquired, with the final determination of the fair
values being completed within the one-year measurement period from the date of acquisition.
The transactions were recorded under the acquisition method of accounting whereby the assets acquired and liabilities assumed were recognized at
estimated fair value using level 3 inputs. The estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed are preliminary, pending the
completion of various analyses and the finalization of estimates. During the measurement period (which is not to exceed one year from each
acquisition date), additional assets or liabilities may be recognized if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of
the acquisition dates that, if known, would have resulted in the recognition of those assets or liabilities as of each respective date. The preliminary
allocations may be adjusted after obtaining additional information regarding, among other things, asset valuations, liabilities assumed and
revisions of previous estimates.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements. In February 2016, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842).
FASB issued ASU 2016-02 to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the
balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. Certain qualitative and quantitative disclosures are required, as well as a
retrospective recognition and measurement of impacted leases. In June 2020, FASB issued ASU 2020-05, Revenue from Contracts with Customers
(Topic 606) and Leases (Topic 842): Deferral of the Effective Dates for Certain Entities, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2016-02 to
annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2021, with early adoption permitted. Management is currently evaluating this standard.
(Continued)
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page 12
NOTE 1 – DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Concluded)
Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Concluded). In January 2017, FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350):
Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This ASU removes the second step of the test where the Company compares the implied fair value
of goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill for that reporting unit. An impairment charge equal to the amount by which the carrying
amount of goodwill for the reporting unit exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill is recorded, limited to the amount of goodwill allocated
to that reporting unit. An entity will apply a one-step quantitative test and record the amount of goodwill impairment as the excess of a reporting
unit’s carrying amount over its fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The new guidance does not
amend the optional qualitative assessment of goodwill impairment. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15,
2021, with early adoption permitted. Management is currently evaluating this standard.
In June 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial
Instruments, to revise the criteria for the measurement, recognition, and reporting of credit losses on financial instruments to be recognized when
expected. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, with early adoption permitted. Management is currently
evaluating this standard.
Economic Conditions. In March 2020, government agencies announced warnings related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Any potential decline
in economic activity in the U.S. and other regions of the world as a result of the virus may have an adverse impact on the Company.
NOTE 2 – BUSINESS COMBINATION
On November 3, 2020, KBHT and its members entered into the Contribution and Equity Purchase Agreement (“Agreement”) whereby SLR
acquired a total of 73,500,000 Common units in KBHT and the continuing members/investors retained 10,500,000 Common units. The
Agreement included contingent consideration that was valued at the time of closing and based on achieving certain performance-based targets as
defined in the Agreement as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2023. The Company believes that the performance-based targets will not be
achieved based on available information and certain assumptions known at the time of the business combination and year end, therefore, the
estimated fair value of the contingent consideration was $-0- as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
During 2021, the Company recorded measurement period adjustments totaling approximately $1,451,000 related to the 2020 business
combination as a result of changes to the estimated fair value of certain assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Adjustments to depreciation and
amortization that would have been recognized in the prior period if the measurement period adjustments had been recognized at the acquisition
date are nominal.
(Continued)
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page 13
NOTE 2 – BUSINESS COMBINATION (Concluded)
The following table summarizes the consideration paid and the estimated fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition
date, which includes the effects of any measurement period adjustments through November 3, 2021:
Consideration:
Cash
Rollover equity
Less: Cash acquired
Estimated fair value of identifiable assets acquired:
Accounts receivable
Inventory, prepaid expenses, deposits and other assets
Investment in direct finance and sales-type leases
Equipment under operating leases
Equipment used in operations
Estimated fair value of identifiable liabilities assumed:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Leased equipment accounts payable
Customer deposits and advanced payments
Secured borrowings
Notes payable - Recourse
Senior secured debt - Related party
Notes payable - Non-recourse
Estimated fair value of identifiable net assets acquired
Aggregate purchase price
Goodwill
Preliminary fair
values as of
November 3,
2020
Measurement
period
adjustments
Final fair
values as of
November 3,
2021
$134,312,500
19,187,500
(8,184,786)
$145,315,214
$
$
—
—
—
—
$134,312,500
19,187,500
(8,184,786)
$145,315,214
$ 21,653,219
13,514,291
98,486,185
472,715,909
595,200
606,964,804
$
84,464
(4,121,804)
(2,309,158)
4,280,537
—
(2,065,961)
$ 21,737,683
9,392,487
96,177,027
476,996,446
595,200
604,898,843
13,878,692
20,737,857
7,412,262
143,156,667
124,428,488
80,000,000
205,949,405
595,563,371
11,401,433
(615,340)
—
—
—
—
—
—
(615,340)
(1,450,621)
13,263,352
20,737,857
7,412,262
143,156,667
124,428,488
80,000,000
205,949,405
594,948,031
9,950,812
145,315,214
$133,913,781
—
$ 1,450,621
145,315,214
$135,364,402
Page 14
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 3 – INVESTMENT IN DIRECT FINANCE AND SALES-TYPE LEASES, NET
The Company’s investment in direct finance and sales-type leases consisted of the following as of December 31:
Minimum lease payments
Estimated unguaranteed residual value
Subtotal
Less: Unearned lease income
Investment in direct financing and sales-type leases, net
2021
2020
$79,388,382 $ 94,711,947
16,684,656
111,396,603
10,092,374
$80,796,043 $101,304,229
9,605,695
88,994,077
8,198,034
NOTE 4 – FUTURE MINIMUM LEASE PAYMENTS TO BE RECEIVED
Future minimum lease payments to be received by the Company under the terms of the non-cancelable operating, direct finance and sales-type
leases as of December 31, 2021 were as follows:
Year Ending December 31
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
Amount
$135,894,266
95,501,824
58,057,217
32,549,530
14,049,990
12,372,066
$348,424,893
NOTE 5 – DEBT
Secured Borrowings. The Company enters into arrangements to transfer the contractual payments due under direct finance, sales-type and
operating leases. Due to the rights retained on certain lease participations sold, the Company is deemed to have retained effective control over
these leases and therefore these transfers are accounted for as secured borrowings. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has secured borrowing
agreements totaling $102,353,580 of which $11,786,767 was recourse and $90,566,813 was non-recourse. As of December 31, 2020, secured
borrowing agreements totaled $143,346,984 of which $14,499,228 was recourse and $128,847,756 was non-recourse. These secured borrowing
agreements have various maturity dates through 2028 and interest rates ranging from 3.28% and 5.65%. The investment in direct finance and
sales-type leases and the equipment under operating leases pledged under these secured borrowing agreements were $5,781,120 and
$115,961,247, respectively, as of December 31, 2021 and $13,149,746 and $145,157,918, respectively, as of December 31, 2020.
(Continued)
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 5 – DEBT (Continued)
Secured Borrowings (Concluded). Principal payments on secured borrowings as of December 31, 2021 were due as follows:
Page 15
Year Ending December 31
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
Amount
$ 43,044,886
25,011,194
19,326,484
13,323,169
1,628,326
19,521
$102,353,580
Notes Payable - Recourse. The Company has recourse borrowing arrangements with various financial institutions with $125,094,236 and
$124,544,587 of recourse debt outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Various rate structures for each line pricing exist,
based upon either the U.S. prime rate (3.25% at December 31, 2021, “Prime”) plus a spread, or based upon 30-day LIBOR plus a spread, or the
like term swap rate for the investment period, plus 2.50% to 4.50%. Borrowings are collateralized by either a first lien on the equipment and
assignment of rent or a second lien on the equipment representing the leased equipment’s residual values.
Under a $30,000,000 facility, maturing in August 2022, principal payments are determined by the maturities of the underlying equipment leases,
of which $23,582,986 and $27,030,233 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Balances are priced at Prime plus
1.50%, with a floor of 5.00%. Outstanding balances as of December 31, 2021 were due between January 2022 and December 2025. The debt
agreement includes covenants for minimum tangible net worth and leverage.
Under a $55,000,000 facility maturing in July 2022, $45,000,000 of the facility was secured by a first lien on the equipment, with principal
payments due based on the following schedule: the first two months of borrowing are interest only, after which 1.00% of the original principal is
due on the first of each month, and then at six months from the date of the individual borrowing for the purchase of the equipment, the remaining
principal balance is due. On this facility, $32,541,965 and $26,003,443 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Additionally, $10,000,000 of this facility was able to be used for borrowings on a term basis, secured by a first lien on the equipment representing
the leased equipment’s residual values and assignment of rent, of which $412,067 and $589,519 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and
2020, respectively. The debt agreement includes covenants for minimum tangible net worth.
Under a $35,000,000 facility maturing in November 2023, principal payments are due based on the following schedule: the first two months of
borrowing are interest only, after which 1.00% of the original principal is due on the first of each month, and then at six months from the date of
the individual borrowing for the purchase of the equipment, the remaining principal balance is due. On this facility, $18,858,589 and $15,055,465
was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Additionally, $10,000,000 of this facility is able to be used for borrowings on a
term basis, secured by a second lien on the equipment representing the leased equipment’s residual values, of which $5,859,129 and $3,377,547
was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The debt agreement includes covenants for minimum tangible net worth.
Under a $27,000,000 facility, subject to annual review, borrowings are collateralized by either a first lien on the equipment and assignment of
rents or a second lien on the equipment representing the leased equipment’s residual values subject to a cap on residuals of $8,000,000. On this
facility, $3,836,082 and $4,564,437 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Outstanding balances as of December 31,
2021 were due between January 2022 and January 2028.
(Continued)
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 5 – DEBT (Continued)
Page 16
Notes Payable - Recourse (Continued). Under a $7,000,000 facility, subject to annual review, borrowings are collateralized by a combination of
first lien on the equipment and assignment of rents and a second lien on the equipment representing the leased equipment’s residual values. On
this facility, $2,776,787 and $5,217,438 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Outstanding balances as of
December 31, 2021 were due between January 2022 and September 2025.
Under a $10,000,000 facility, subject to annual review, borrowings are collateralized by a combination of first lien on the equipment and
assignment of rents and a second lien on the equipment representing the leased equipment’s residual values. Rates are determined at the time of
discounting based on the underlying lease term. On this facility, $3,365,554 and $3,141,421 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020,
respectively. Outstanding balances as of December 31, 2021 were due between January 2022 and July 2026.
Under a $15,000,000 facility, subject to annual review, borrowings are collateralized by a combination of first lien on the equipment and
assignment of rents and a second lien on the equipment representing the leased equipment’s residual values. On this facility, $4,122,105 and
$6,566,243 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Additionally, the same financial institution provided a $9,000,000
facility for borrowings collateralized by the Company’s equipment leases with a subsidiary, secured by both the rental stream and equipment
residual values. On this portion of the facility, $4,431,018 and $1,873,644 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Outstanding balances as of December 31, 2021 were due between January 2022 and December 2026. The debt agreement includes covenants for
minimum tangible net worth.
Under a $2,500,000 facility, subject to annual review, borrowings are collateralized by a combination of first lien on the equipment and
assignment of rents and a second lien on the equipment representing the leased equipment’s residual values. On this facility, $1,706,853 and
$1,248,058 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Outstanding balances as of December 31, 2021 were due between
January 2022 and October 2026.
Under a $28,000,000 facility, subject to annual review in June 2022, the Company may borrow either funding against lease stream payments or
equity residual in equipment. The periodic payments are determined by the underlying equipment lease streams and/or residual values of
equipment, with both interest rate and principal payments being determined at the time of line draw by the financial institution. Rates on
borrowings from this facility range from 200 to 450 basis points over the like term swap rate at the time of borrowing, with $9,311,551 and
$12,599,717 outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Borrowings for equity residuals are priced at 2.00% over the
corresponding non-recourse stream rate for the underlying transaction. Outstanding balances as of December 31, 2021 were due between January
2022 and December 2026. There are additional loans with this financial institution of which $132,154 and $864,851 was outstanding as of
December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. In addition, the Company provides a $400,000 corporate guarantee on the corporate credit cards issued
by this financial institution for use by a Company subsidiary. The debt agreement includes covenants for minimum tangible net worth.
The Company has a borrowing arrangement collateralized by a first lien on the equipment and assignment of rents on a pool of lease transactions
totaling $66,190,220 and $22,456,096 outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, at a borrowing rate ranging from 3.50% to
5.95%. Of the total transactions, $11,912,337 and $12,748,781 as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, is secured on a recourse basis for
a portion of the equipment’s residual values. The recourse portion of this transaction will amortize with cash flow from residual values.
Management estimates that this obligation will fully amortize by October 2025. An additional $7,500,000 was provided on a recourse basis at
5.25% of which $2,245,059 and $3,663,790 was outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
(Continued)
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page 17
NOTE 5 – DEBT (Concluded)
Notes Payable - Recourse (Concluded). Principal payments on recourse notes payable as of December 31, 2021 were due as follows:
Year Ending December 31
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
Amount
$ 81,232,770
16,799,271
14,665,598
7,993,646
4,348,651
54,300
$125,094,236
Senior Secured Debt - Related Party. During 2020, the Company borrowed $80,000,000 under a recourse senior secured debt facility with SLR.
The interest rate on the facility is floating at 90-day LIBOR plus 7.00%. Interest payments are due quarterly until maturity in December 2024. The
debt is collateralized by a subordinated lien on the Company’s leased assets and the Company’s outstanding rollover equity interests. The debt
agreement includes covenants for minimum tangible net worth and leverage. The outstanding balance including accrued interest was $80,000,000
as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2021 and period ended December 31, 2020, the Company incurred and paid
related party interest of approximately $6,489,000 and $1,051,000, respectively.
Notes Payable - Non-Recourse. Non-recourse notes payable are collateralized by the assignment of rent and the equipment value under lease. The
financial institutions have a first lien on the underlying leased equipment with no further recourse against the Company in the event of default by
lessee. Interest rates range from 1.70% to 8.90%. Under these arrangements, each lease is financed under a separate borrowing. Non-recourse debt
and related interest expense is paid by funds from assigned committed term lease payments with various financial institutions. The outstanding
balance was $233,276,889 and $207,051,280 as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Principal payments on non-recourse notes payable as of December 31, 2021 were due as follows:
Year Ending December 31
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
Amount
$ 88,626,632
60,460,422
37,451,922
21,073,706
13,644,962
12,019,245
$233,276,889
NOTE 6 – MEMBERS’ EQUITY
All members of the Company have the same rights, preferences, and privileges. Profits, losses, and distributions are allocated in accordance with
the Operating Agreement.
The Company has two classes of units: Common units and Preferred units. There were no Preferred units issued and outstanding as of
December 31, 2021 and 2020.
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page 18
NOTE 7 – LEASE COMMITMENTS
The Company leases various facilities under the terms of non-cancelable operating leases which expire from February 2022 through July 2028
which call for monthly rental payments ranging from approximately $500 to $30,000 per month. Total rent expense under these leases was
approximately $1,040,000 and $128,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and period ended December 31, 2020, respectively. Approximate
total minimum future rent obligations as of December 31, 2021 were as follows:
Year Ending December 31
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
Amount
$ 826,000
813,000
534,000
503,000
364,000
964,000
$4,004,000
NOTE 8 – INCOME TAXES
The income tax provision consisted of the following components for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the period ended December 31, 2020:
Deferred
Current
2021
$4,283,422
51,127
$4,334,549
2020
$758,969
—
$758,969
The Company’s deferred income tax assets and liabilities consisted of the following components as of December 31:
Deferred income tax asset (liability)
Depreciation and amortization
Allowance for doubtful accounts
Deferred rent
Net operating loss
Prepaids
Net deferred income tax liability
2021
2020
3,035
—
15,155,639
—
$(20,201,065) $(4,722,296)
—
14,530
4,025,807
(77,010)
$ (5,042,391) $ (758,969)
The Company’s effective income tax rate was approximately 26.30% and 25.90% for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the period ended
December 31, 2020, respectively.
NOTE 9 – LITIGATION
From time to time, the Company is subject to litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. It is the opinion of the Company’s management
that any claims pending are either covered by insurance or that there is no material exposure to the Company in connection with any proceedings.
KBH TOPCO, LLC
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page 19
NOTE 10 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Management has evaluated all known subsequent events from December 31, 2021 through February 21, 2022, the date the accompanying
consolidated financial statements were available to be issued and is not aware of any material subsequent events occurring during this period that
have not been disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Supplemental Information
Exhibit 99.4
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
SLR Investment Corp. (formerly, Solar Capital Ltd.):
We have audited and reported separately herein on the consolidated financial statements of SLR Investment Corp. (and subsidiaries) (the Company) as
of December 31, 2021 and 2020 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2021.
We have also previously audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the
consolidated statements of assets and liabilities of the Company, including the consolidated schedules of investments, as of December 31, 2019, 2018,
2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows for the years ended
December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012, (none of which is presented herein), and we expressed unqualified opinions on those
consolidated financial statements.
The senior securities table included in Part II, Item 7 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2021, under
the caption “Senior Securities” (the Senior Securities Table) has been subjected to audit procedures performed in conjunction with the audit of the
Company’s respective consolidated financial statements. The Senior Securities Table is the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our audit
procedures included determining whether the Senior Securities Table reconciles to the respective consolidated financial statements or the underlying
accounting and other records, as applicable, and performing procedures to test the completeness and accuracy of the information presented in the Senior
Securities Table. In forming our opinion on the Senior Securities Table, we evaluated whether the Senior Securities Table, including its form and
content, is presented in conformity with the instructions to Form N-2. In our opinion, the Senior Securities Table is fairly stated, in all material respects,
in relation to the respective consolidated financial statements as a whole.
New York, NY
March 1, 2022
/s/ KPMG LLP