ITEM 1. BUSINESS
The Company
We are a specialty finance company focused on lending to middle-market companies. We are a closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). In addition, we have elected to be treated, and expect to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2016. From our commencement of investment operations on July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2020, we have originated $2.18 billion in aggregate principal amount of debt and equity investments prior to any subsequent exits and repayments. We seek to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation primarily through direct originations of secured debt, including first lien, unitranche, including last out portions of such loans, and second lien debt, and unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt, as well as through select equity investments.
“Unitranche” loans are first lien loans that may extend deeper in a company’s capital structure than traditional first lien debt and may provide for a waterfall of cash flow priority between different lenders in the unitranche loan. In a number of instances, we may find another lender to provide the “first out” portion of such loan and retain the “last out” portion of such loan, in which case, the “first out” portion of the loan would generally receive priority with respect to payment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder over the “last out” portion that we would continue to hold. In exchange for the greater risk of loss, the “last out” portion generally earns a higher interest rate than the “first out” portion. We use the term “mezzanine” to refer to debt that ranks senior only to a borrower’s equity securities and ranks junior in right of payment to all of such borrower’s other indebtedness. We may make multiple investments in the same portfolio company.
We expect to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of our net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes), directly or indirectly in private middle-market credit obligations and related instruments. We define “credit obligations and related instruments” for this purpose as any fixed-income instrument, including loans to, and bonds and preferred stock of, portfolio companies and other instruments that provide exposure to such fixed-income instruments. “Middle market” is used to refer to companies with between $5 million and $125 million of annual earnings before interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) excluding certain one-time and non-recurring items that are outside the operations of these companies. While, as a result of fluctuations in the net asset value (“NAV”) of one asset relative to another asset, private middle-market credit obligations and related instruments may represent less than 80% of our net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) at any time, we may not invest, under normal circumstances, more than 20% of our net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities and other instruments that are not private middle-market credit obligations and related instruments. To the extent we determine to invest indirectly in private middle-market credit obligations and related instruments, we may invest through certain synthetic instruments, including derivatives that have similar economic characteristics to private middle-market credit obligations which we will value at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value for the purpose of complying with the above mentioned policy. For purposes of determining compliance with our 80% policy, each applicable derivative instrument will be valued based upon its market value. We will notify unitholders (the “Unitholders”) at least 60 days prior to any change to the 80% investment policy described above.
We expect to directly or indirectly invest at least 70% of our total assets in middle-market companies domiciled in the United States. However, we may from time to time invest opportunistically in large U.S. companies, non-U.S. companies, stressed or distressed debt, structured products, private equity or other opportunities, subject to limits imposed by the Investment Company Act.
While our investment program is expected to focus primarily on debt investments, our investments may include equity features, such as a direct investment in the equity or convertible securities of a portfolio company or warrants or options to buy a minority interest in a portfolio company. Any warrants we may receive with debt securities will generally require only a nominal cost to exercise, so as a portfolio company appreciates in value, we may achieve additional investment return from these equity investments. 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 portfolio company, upon the occurrence of specified events. In many cases, we may also obtain registration rights in connection with these equity investments, which may include demand and “piggyback” registration rights.
For a discussion of the competitive landscape we face, please see “Item 1A.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves certain risks relating to our structure and investment objective. You should carefully consider these risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this report, before you decide whether to make an investment in our securities. The risks set forth below are not the only risks we face, and we may face other risks that we have not yet identified, which we do not currently deem material or which are not yet predictable. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In such case, the NAV of our securities could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Summary Risk Factors
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The following is a summary of certain of the principal risks that should be carefully considered before investing in our securities:
Market Developments and General Business Environment
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Political, social and economic uncertainty, including uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic, creates and exacerbates risks.
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The capital markets are currently in a period of disruption and economic uncertainty. Such market conditions have materially and adversely affected debt and equity capital markets, which have had, and may continue to have, a negative impact on our business and operations.
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The United Kingdom referendum decision to leave the European Union may create significant risks and uncertainty for global markets and our investments.
Legal and Regulatory
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Our operation as a BDC imposes numerous constraints on us and significantly reduces our operating flexibility. In addition, if we fail to maintain our status as a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company, which would subject us to additional regulatory restrictions.
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We will be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on all of our income if we are unable to maintain our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
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Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective.
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We incur significant costs as a result of being registered under the Exchange Act.
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Efforts to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will involve significant expenditures, and noncompliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may adversely affect us.
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Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies, changes in the interpretation thereof or newly enacted laws or regulations, or any failure by us or our portfolio companies to comply with these laws or regulations, could require changes to certain of our or our portfolio companies’ business practices, negatively impact our or our portfolio companies’ operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies.
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Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.
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Our activities may be limited as a result of potentially being deemed to be controlled by a bank holding company.
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Commodity Futures Trading Commission rules may have a negative impact on us and our Investment Adviser.
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Our ability to enter into transactions involving derivatives and financial commitment transactions may be limited.
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Certain investors are limited in their ability to make significant investments in us.
Competition
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We are dependent upon management personnel of our Investment Adviser for our future success.
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We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.
Operational
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We are dependent on information systems, and systems failures, as well as operating failures, could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect our liquidity, financial condition or results of operations.
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Terrorist attacks, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may impact the businesses in which we invest and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
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Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies by causing a disruption to our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information or the confidential information of our portfolio companies and/or damage to our business relationships or the business relationships of our portfolio companies, all of which could negatively impact theour business, financial condition and operating results of us or our portfolio companies.
Our Business and Structure
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Our limited Term and the expiration of the Investment Period may impact our investment strategy.
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Global economic, political and market conditions may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our revenue growth and profitability.
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Our Investment Adviser, its principals, investment professionals and employees and the members of its Investment Committee have certain conflicts of interest.
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Goldman Sachs’ financial and other interests may incentivize Goldman Sachs to favor other Accounts.
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Our financial condition and results of operations depend on our Investment Adviser’s ability to manage our future growth effectively.
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Our ability to grow depends on our access to adequate capital.
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We borrow money, which may magnify the potential for gain or loss and may increase the risk of investing in us.
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Our Investment Adviser will be paid the Management Fee even if the value of the Unitholders’ investments declines and our Investment Adviser’s Incentive Fee may create incentives for it to make certain kinds of investments.
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Potential conflicts of interest with other businesses of Goldman Sachs could impact our investment returns.
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Our Board of Directors may change our investment objective, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or Unitholder approval.
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Our Investment Adviser can resign on 60 days’ notice. 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.
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Our Investment Adviser’s responsibilities and its liability to us are limited under the Investment Advisory Agreement, which may lead our Investment Adviser to act in a riskier manner on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.
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We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.
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We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.
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Investors may fail to pay their undrawn Commitment.
Our Portfolio Company Investments
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Our investments are very risky and highly speculative.
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Investing in middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks.
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Many of our portfolio securities do not have a readily available market price and we value these securities at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures adopted by our Board of Directors, which valuation is inherently subjective and may not reflect what we may actually realize for the sale of the investment.
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The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.
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Our portfolio may be focused in a limited number of portfolio companies, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if any of these companies default on their obligations under any of their debt instruments or if there is a downturn in a particular industry.
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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.
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We may be subject to risks associated with investments in real estate loans.
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We may be subject to risks associated with investments in energy companies.
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Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio.
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The portfolio companies may prepay loans, which may reduce stated yields in the future if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.
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Investments in common and preferred equity securities, many of which are illiquid with no readily available market, involve a substantial degree of risk.
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By originating loans to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, we may be exposed to distressed lending risks.
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We may be exposed to special risks associated with bankruptcy cases.
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Declines in market prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets can result in significant net unrealized depreciation of our portfolio, which in turn would affect our results of operations.
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Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.
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Our portfolio companies may have incurred or issued, or may in the future incur or issue, debt or equity securities that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies, which could have an adverse effect on us in any liquidation of the portfolio company.
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Our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged.
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Our investments in non-U.S. companies may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. Investments.
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We may expose ourselves to risks if we engage in hedging transactions.
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We may form one or more CLOs, which may subject us to certain structured financing risks.
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We will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds of the funds we raise from investors and will use proceeds in part to satisfy operating expenses.
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We may invest a significant portion of our assets in high-quality short- term investments, which will generate lower rates of return than those expected from the interest generated on our intended investment program.
The Units
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Investing in Units involves an above average degree of risk.
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A Unitholder’s interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional Units, which could reduce the overall value of an investment in us.
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We may in the future determine to issue Preferred Units, which could adversely affect the value of the Units.
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We may not be able to pay investors distributions on Units, our distributions to investors may not grow over time and a portion of our distributions to investors may be a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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The tax treatment of a non-U.S. Unitholder in its jurisdiction of tax residence will depend entirely on the laws of such jurisdiction, and may vary considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
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We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize taxable income before or without receiving cash representing such income.
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Unitholders may receive Units as distributions, which could result in adverse tax consequences to them.
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If we are not treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, U.S. Unitholders that are individuals, trusts or estates will be taxed as though they received a distribution of some of our expenses.
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Non-U.S. Unitholders may be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax on dividends paid by us.
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To the extent OID and PIK interest constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to typical risks associated with such
income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash representing such income.
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The Units are limited in their transferability; we may repurchase or force a sale of a Unitholder’s Units.
Market Developments and General Business Environment
Political, social and economic uncertainty, including uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic, creates and exacerbates risks.
Social, political, economic and other conditions and events will occur that create uncertainty and have significant impacts on issuers, industries, governments and other systems, including the financial markets, to which the Company and its investments are exposed. In addition, global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and political, economic and other conditions and events in one country, region, or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Furthermore, the occurrence of, among other events, natural or man-made disasters, severe weather or geological events, fires, floods, earthquakes, outbreaks of disease (such as COVID-19, avian influenza or H1N1/09), epidemics, pandemics, malicious acts, cyber-attacks, terrorist acts or the occurrence of climate change, also adversely impact our performance from time to time. Such events may result in, and have resulted in, closing borders, securities exchange closures, health screenings, healthcare service delays, quarantines, cancellations, supply chain disruptions, lower consumer demand, market volatility and general uncertainty. Such events have adversely impacted, and may continue to adversely impact our portfolio companies and markets and economies over the short- and long-term, including in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. We have been, and may continue to be negatively impacted if the value of our portfolio company holdings were harmed by such political or economic conditions or events. Moreover, such negative political and economic conditions and events have disrupted, and could continue to disrupt the processes necessary for our operations. This has created, and may continue to create widespread business continuity issues for us and our portfolio companies and heightened cybersecurity, information security and operational risks as a result of, among other things, remote work arrangements.
For example, in December 2019, COVID-19 emerged in China and has since spread rapidly to other countries, including the United States. 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. 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. While several countries, as well as certain states in the United States, have liberalized public health restrictions as to further reopen their economies, recurring COVID-19 outbreaks have led to the re-introduction of such restrictions in certain states in the United States and globally and could continue to lead to the re-introduction of such restrictions elsewhere. 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 U.S. and other major markets. With respect to the U.S. credit markets (in particular for middle market loans), this outbreak has resulted in, and until fully resolved is likely to continue to result in, the following, among other things: (i) government imposition and/or re-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 chains, demand and practical aspects of their operations, as well as furloughs or lay-offs of employees (while such measures are hoped to be temporary, their impact may persist or become permanent); (ii) increased draws by borrowers on revolving lines of credit; (iii) increased requests by borrowers for amendments, forbearance agreements and waivers of provisions of their credit agreements in order 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 in functioning of 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. The COVID-19 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. Further, even after the pandemic subsides, the U.S. economy, as well as most other major global economies may continue to experience a recession, and we anticipate our business could be materially and adversely affected by a prolonged recession in the U.S. and other major markets.
Although it is impossible to predict the precise nature and consequences of these events, or of any political or policy decisions and regulatory changes occasioned by emerging events or uncertainty on applicable laws or regulations that impact us, our portfolio companies and our investments, it is clear that these types of events are impacting and will, for at least some time, continue to impact us and our portfolio companies. In many instances, the impact will be adverse and profound. For example, middle market companies in which we may invest are being significantly impacted by these emerging events and the uncertainty caused by these events. The effects of a public health emergency may materially and adversely impact (i) the value and performance of us and our portfolio companies, (ii) the ability of our borrowers to continue to meet loan covenants or repay loans provided by us on a timely basis or at all, which may require us to restructure our investments or write down the value of our investments, (iii) our ability to comply with the covenants and other terms of our debt obligations and to repay such obligations, on a timely basis or at all, (iv) our ability to comply with certain regulatory requirements, such as asset coverage requirements under the Investment Company Act, (v) our ability to maintain our distributions at their current level or to pay them at all or (vi) our ability to source, manage and divest investments and achieve our investment objectives, all of which could result in significant losses to
us. We will also be negatively affected if the operations and effectiveness of any of our portfolio companies (or any of the key personnel or service providers of the foregoing) is compromised or if necessary or beneficial systems and processes are disrupted.
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 can 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 and our portfolio companies’ operating results and the fair values of our debt and equity investments.
The capital markets are currently in a period of disruption and economic uncertainty. Such market conditions have materially and adversely affected debt and equity capital markets, which have had, and may continue to have, a negative impact on our business and operations.
The U.S. capital markets have experienced extreme disruption following the global outbreak of COVID-19. Such disruptions have been evidenced by volatility in global stock markets as a result of, among other things, uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the fluctuating price of commodities such as oil. Despite actions of the U.S. federal government and foreign governments, these events have contributed to worsening general economic conditions that are materially and adversely impacting broader financial and credit markets and reducing the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole. These conditions could continue for a prolonged period of time or worsen in the future.
Significant changes or volatility in the capital markets have negatively affected, and may continue to negatively affect, the valuations of our investments. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan to hold an investment to maturity). Our valuations, and particularly valuations of private investments and private companies, are inherently uncertain, fluctuate over short periods of time and are often based on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information that may not reflect the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken in response thereto. Any public health emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic or an 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 and our portfolio companies.
Significant changes in the capital markets, such as the disruption in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, have limited and could continue to limit our investment originations, limit our ability to grow and have a material negative impact on our and our portfolio companies’ operating results and the fair values of our debt and equity investments. Additionally, the recent disruption in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and may continue to have, a negative effect on the potential for liquidity events involving our investments. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments to access capital, if required. As a result, we could realize significantly less than the value at which we have recorded our investments if we were required to sell them to increase our liquidity. An inability on our part to raise incremental capital, and any required sale of all or a portion of our investments as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Further, current market conditions may make it difficult to raise equity capital, extend the maturity of or refinance our existing indebtedness or obtain new indebtedness with similar terms and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business. The debt capital available to us in the future, if available at all, may bear a higher interest rate and may be available only on terms and conditions less favorable than those of our existing debt and such debt may need to be incurred in a rising interest rate environment. If we are unable to raise new debt or refinance our existing debt, then our equity investors will not benefit from the potential for increased returns on equity resulting from leverage, and we may be unable to make new commitments or to fund existing commitments to our portfolio companies. Any inability to extend the maturity of or refinance our existing debt, or to obtain new debt, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The United Kingdom referendum decision to leave the European Union may create significant risks and uncertainty for global markets and our investments.
The decision made in the United Kingdom referendum in June 2016 to leave the European Union (commonly known as “Brexit”) has caused, and may continue to cause, increased volatility in global financial markets, and in particular in the markets of the United Kingdom and across Europe, and may also lead to weakening in political, regulatory, consumer, corporate and financial confidence in the United Kingdom and Europe. On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union and the United Kingdom entered a transition period that expired on December 31, 2020. During this transition phase, the United Kingdom and the European Union sought to negotiate and finalize a new, more permanent trade deal. On December 24, 2020, negotiators representing the United Kingdom and the European Union came to a preliminary trade agreement, the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (“TCA”), which is an agreement on the terms governing certain aspects of the European Union’s and United Kingdom’s relationship following the end of the transition period. On December 30, 2020, the United Kingdom and the European Union signed the TCA, which was ratified by the British Parliament on the same day. The TCA has been provisionally applied since January 1, 2021 but cannot formally enter into force until ratified by the European
Parliament. In the event that the European Parliament does not ratify the TCA before February 28, 2021, the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union would be based on the World Trade Organization rules. However, even under the TCA, many aspects of the United Kingdom-European Union trade relationship remain subject to further negotiation. Due to political uncertainty, it is not possible to anticipate the form or nature of the future trading relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. While certain measures have been proposed and/or implemented within the United Kingdom and at the European Union level or at the member state level, which are designed to minimize disruption in the financial markets, it is not currently possible to determine whether such measures would achieve their intended effects. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the extent of the impact of the withdrawal and the resulting economic arrangements in the United Kingdom and in global markets as well as any associated adverse consequences remain unclear and may lead to ongoing political and economic uncertainty and periods of exacerbated volatility in both the United Kingdom and in wider European markets for some time. The mid-to-long term uncertainty may have a negative effect on the performance of any investments in issuers that are economically tied to the United Kingdom or Europe. Additionally, the decision made in the United Kingdom referendum may lead to a call for similar referenda in other European jurisdictions which may cause increased economic volatility and uncertainty in the European and global markets. This volatility and uncertainty may have an adverse effect on the economy generally and on the ability of us and our portfolio companies to execute our respective strategies and to receive attractive returns.
Legal and Regulatory
Our operation as a BDC imposes numerous constraints on us and significantly reduces our operating flexibility. In addition, if we fail to maintain our status as a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company, which would subject us to additional regulatory restrictions.
The Investment Company Act imposes numerous constraints on the operations of BDCs. For example, BDCs generally are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of qualifying U.S. private companies or thinly traded public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the time of investment. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective. Furthermore, any failure to comply with the requirements imposed on BDCs by the Investment Company Act could cause the SEC to bring an enforcement action against us and/or expose us to claims of private litigants.
We may be precluded from investing in what our Investment Adviser believes are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the Investment Company Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we will be prohibited from making any additional investment that is not a qualifying asset and could be forced to forgo attractive investment opportunities. Similarly, these rules could prevent us from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position).
If we fail to maintain our status as a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company that is required to register under the Investment Company Act, which would subject us to additional regulatory restrictions and significantly decrease our operating flexibility. In addition, any such failure could cause an event of default under any outstanding indebtedness we might have, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We will be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on all of our income if we are unable to maintain our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
Although we have elected to be treated, and expect to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2016, we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain RIC status. To maintain RIC status and be relieved of U.S. federal income taxes on income and gains distributed to Unitholders, we must meet the annual distribution, source-of-income and asset diversification requirements described below.
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The annual distribution requirement for a RIC will generally be satisfied if we distribute to Unitholders on an annual basis at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (generally, our net ordinary income plus the excess of our realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction) for each taxable year. Because we use debt financing, we are subject to an asset coverage ratio requirement under the Investment Company Act, and we are subject to certain covenants contained in our credit agreements and other debt financing agreements. This asset coverage ratio requirement and these covenants could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions to Unitholders that are necessary for us to satisfy the distribution requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, and thus are unable to make sufficient distributions to Unitholders, we could fail to maintain our RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax (and any applicable U.S. state and local taxes).
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The source-of-income requirement will be satisfied if at least 90% of our gross income for each year is derived from dividends, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities or foreign currencies, payments with respect to loans of certain securities, net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock or securities or foreign currencies.
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The asset diversification requirement will be satisfied if, at the end of each quarter of our 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 acceptable securities, and no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of one issuer, of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the
same or similar or related trades or businesses or of certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships.” Failure to meet these requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of our RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.
If we fail to maintain our RIC status for any reason, and we do not qualify for certain relief provisions under the Code, we would be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax (and any applicable U.S. state and local taxes). In this event, the resulting taxes and any resulting penalties could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of our income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions to Unitholders, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective.
Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to raise additional capital, and the ways in which we can do so. Raising additional capital may expose us to risks, including the typical risks associated with leverage, and may result in dilution to our current Unitholders. The Investment Company Act limits our ability to borrow amounts or issue debt securities or Preferred Units, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” to amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined under the Investment Company Act, equals at least 200% immediately after such borrowing or issuance (except in connection with certain trading practices or investments) or 150% if certain requirements are met, as described below. Consequently, if the value of our assets declines, 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 this may be disadvantageous to us and, as a result, our Unitholders. The Small Business Credit Availability Act modified the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act to reduce the required asset coverage ratio applicable to BDCs to 150%, subject to certain approval and disclosure requirements and, in the case of BDCs without common equity listed on a national securities exchange, such as the Company, an offer to repurchase shares held by the BDC’s stockholders as of the date the requisite approval is obtained. Under the legislation, BDCs are able to increase their leverage capacity if shareholders approve a proposal to do so. If a BDC receives shareholder approval, it would be allowed to increase its leverage capacity on the first day after such approval. Alternatively, the legislation allows the majority of the directors who are not “interested persons,” as defined in the Investment Company Act, of the BDC to approve an increase in its leverage capacity, and such approval would become effective after one year. As a result, BDCs may be able to incur additional leverage in the future, and the risks associated with an investment in BDCs may increase.
We incur significant costs as a result of being registered under the Exchange Act.
We incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements, as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. These requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, which requires significant resources and management oversight. See “Item 1. Business-Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.” We have implemented procedures, processes, policies and practices for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. These activities may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We have incurred, and expect to incur in the future, significant annual expenses related to these steps and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, director fees, reporting requirements of the SEC, transfer agent fees, additional administrative expenses payable to the Administrator to compensate it for hiring additional accounting, legal and administrative personnel, increased auditing and legal fees and similar expenses associated with being a public company.
The systems and resources necessary to comply with public company reporting requirements will increase further once we cease to be an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. As long as we remain an emerging growth company we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Efforts to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will involve significant expenditures, and noncompliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may adversely affect us.
Under current SEC rules, we are required to report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act. We are required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in our internal control over financial reporting. As a result, we incur additional expenses that may negatively impact our financial performance and our ability to make distributions. This process also may result in a diversion of management’s time and attention. We cannot be certain as to the timing of completion of our evaluation, testing and remediation actions or the impact of the same on our operations, and we may not be able to ensure that the process is effective or that our internal control over financial reporting is or will be effective in a timely manner. In the event that we are unable to maintain or achieve compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be adversely affected.
Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until the date on which we are a “large accelerated filer” or an “accelerated filer” or the date we are no longer classified as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. Because we do not currently have comprehensive documentation of our internal control
and have not yet tested our internal control in accordance with Section 404, we cannot conclude, as required by Section 404, that we do not have a material weakness in our internal control or a combination of significant deficiencies that could result in the conclusion that we have a material weakness in our internal control. As a public entity, we will be required to complete our initial assessment in a timely manner. If we are not able to implement the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, our operations, financial reporting or financial results could be adversely affected. Matters impacting our internal control may cause us to be unable to report our financial information on a timely basis and thereby subject us to adverse regulatory consequences, including sanctions by the SEC.
Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies, changes in the interpretation thereof or newly enacted laws or regulations, or any failure by us or our portfolio companies to comply with these laws or regulations, could require changes to certain of our or our portfolio companies’ business practices, negatively impact our or our portfolio companies’ operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies.
We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation at the local, state, federal and, in some cases, foreign levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, are likely to change from time to time, and new laws and regulations may be enacted. Accordingly, any change in these laws or regulations, changes in their interpretation, or newly enacted laws or regulations, or any failure by us or our portfolio companies to comply with these laws or regulations, could require changes to certain of our or our portfolio companies’ business practices, negatively impact our or our portfolio companies’ operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies. In addition to the legal, tax and regulatory changes that are expected to occur, there may be unanticipated changes and uncertainty regarding any such changes. The legal, tax and regulatory environment for BDCs, investment advisers and the instruments that they utilize (including derivative instruments) is continuously evolving. In addition, there is significant uncertainty regarding certain legislation and the regulations that have been adopted (and future regulations that will need to be adopted pursuant to such legislation) and, consequently, the full impact that such legislation will ultimately have on us and the markets in which we trade and invest is not fully known. Such uncertainty and any resulting confusion may itself be detrimental to the efficient functioning of the markets and the success of certain investment strategies.
Legislative and regulatory proposals directed at the financial services industry that are proposed or pending in the U.S. Congress, may negatively impact the operations, cash flows or financial condition of us and our portfolio companies, impose additional costs on us and our portfolio companies, intensify the regulatory supervision of us and our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies.
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 our operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us, intensify the regulatory supervision of us or otherwise adversely affect our business.
Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.
As a BDC, we are prohibited under the Investment Company Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of a majority of the Independent Directors who have no financial interest in the transaction, or in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. For example, any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities is deemed to be an affiliate for purposes of the Investment Company Act and, if this is the only reason such person is an affiliate, we are generally prohibited from buying any asset from or selling any asset (other than Units) to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of such directors. The Investment Company Act also prohibits “joint transactions” with an affiliate, which could include joint investments in the same portfolio company, without approval of the Independent Directors or in some cases the prior approval of the SEC. Moreover, except in certain limited circumstances, we are prohibited from buying any asset from or selling any asset to a holder of more than 25% of our voting securities, absent prior approval of the SEC. The analysis of whether a particular transaction constitutes a joint transaction requires a review of the relevant facts and circumstances then existing. In certain circumstances, negotiated co-investments may be made only pursuant to an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. On January 4, 2017, we received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits us to participate in negotiated co-investment transactions with certain affiliates (including GS BDC and GS PMMC II), each of whose investment adviser is GSAM, in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions, as well as regulatory requirements and pursuant to the conditions required by the exemptive relief. As a result of our exemptive order, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of GS BDC, GS PMMC II and/or other funds managed by our Investment Adviser. Additionally, if our Investment Adviser forms other funds in the future, we may co-invest on a concurrent basis with such other affiliates, subject to compliance with the exemptive relief, applicable regulations and regulatory guidance, as well as applicable allocation procedures.
Our activities may be limited as a result of potentially being deemed to be controlled by a bank holding company.
Goldman Sachs is a BHC under the BHCA and is therefore subject to supervision and regulation by the Federal Reserve. In addition, Goldman Sachs is a FHC under the BHCA, which is a status available to BHCs that meet certain criteria. FHCs may engage in a broader range of activities than BHCs that are not FHCs. However, the activities of FHCs and their affiliates remain subject to certain restrictions imposed by the BHCA and related regulations. Because Goldman Sachs may be deemed to “control” us within the meaning of the BHCA, these restrictions could apply to us as well. Accordingly, the BHCA and other applicable banking laws, rules, regulations and guidelines, and
their interpretation and administration by the appropriate regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve, may restrict our investments, transactions and operations and may restrict the transactions and relationships between our Investment Adviser, Goldman Sachs and their affiliates, on the one hand, and us on the other hand. For example, the BHCA regulations applicable to Goldman Sachs and us may, among other things, restrict our ability to make certain investments or the size of certain investments, impose a maximum holding period on some or all of our investments and restrict our and our Investment Adviser’s ability to participate in the management and operations of the companies in which we invest. In addition, certain BHCA regulations may require aggregation of the positions owned, held or controlled by related entities. Thus, in certain circumstances, positions held by Goldman Sachs and its affiliates (including our Investment Adviser) for client and proprietary Accounts may need to be aggregated with positions held by us. In this case, where BHCA regulations impose a cap on the amount of a position that may be held, Goldman Sachs may utilize available capacity to make investments for its proprietary Accounts or for the Accounts of other clients, which may require us to limit and/or liquidate certain investments.
These restrictions may materially adversely affect us by, among other things, affecting our Investment Adviser’s ability to pursue certain strategies within our investment program or trade in certain securities. In addition, Goldman Sachs may cease in the future to qualify as an FHC, which may subject us to additional restrictions. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the bank regulatory requirements applicable to Goldman Sachs and us, or the interpretation thereof, will not change, or that any such change will not have a material adverse effect on us.
Goldman Sachs may in the future, in its sole discretion and without notice to investors, engage in activities impacting us and/or our Investment Adviser in order to comply with the BHCA or other legal requirements applicable to, or reduce or eliminate the impact or applicability of any bank regulatory or other restrictions on, Goldman Sachs, us or other funds and Accounts managed by our Investment Adviser and its affiliates. Goldman Sachs may seek to accomplish this result by causing GSAM to resign as our Investment Adviser, voting for changes to the Board of Directors, causing Goldman Sachs personnel to resign from the Board of Directors, reducing the amount of Goldman Sachs’ investment in us (if any), revoking our right to use the Goldman Sachs name or any combination of the foregoing, or by such other means as it determines in its sole discretion. Any replacement investment adviser appointed by us may be unaffiliated with Goldman Sachs.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission rules may have a negative impact on us and our Investment Adviser.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and the SEC have issued final rules establishing that certain swap transactions are subject to CFTC regulation. Engaging in such swap or other commodity interest transactions such as futures contracts or options on futures contracts may cause us to fall within the definition of “commodity pool” under the Commodity Exchange Act and related CFTC regulations. Our Investment Adviser has claimed relief from CFTC registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 with respect to our operations, with the result that we will be limited in our ability to use futures contracts or options on futures contracts or engage in swap transactions. Specifically, CFTC Rule 4.5 imposes strict limitations on using such derivatives other than for hedging purposes, whereby the use of derivatives not used solely for hedging purposes is generally limited to situations where (i) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions does not exceed five percent of the liquidation value of our portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such contracts it has entered into; or (ii) the aggregate net notional value of such derivatives does not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of our portfolio. Moreover, we anticipate entering into transactions involving such derivatives to a very limited extent solely for hedging purposes or otherwise within the limitations of CFTC Rule 4.5.
Our ability to enter into transactions involving derivatives and financial commitment transactions may be limited.
In November 2020, the SEC adopted a rulemaking regarding the ability of a BDC (or a registered investment company) to use derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (except reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions). Under the newly adopted rules, BDCs that use derivatives will be subject to a value-at-risk (“VaR”) leverage limit, a derivatives risk management program and testing requirements and requirements related to board reporting. These new requirements will apply unless the BDC qualifies as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined under the adopted rules. Under the new rule, a BDC may enter into an unfunded commitment agreement that is not a derivatives transaction, such as an agreement to provide financing to a portfolio company, if the BDC has, among other things, a reasonable belief, at the time it enters into such an agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all of its unfunded commitment agreements, in each case as it becomes due. Collectively, these requirements may limit our ability to use derivatives and/or enter into certain other financial contracts.
Certain investors are limited in their ability to make significant investments in us.
Private funds that are excluded from the definition of “investment company” either pursuant to Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act are restricted from acquiring directly or through a controlled entity more than 3% of our total outstanding voting equity (measured at the time of the acquisition). Investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act are also subject to this restriction as well as other limitations under the Investment Company Act that would restrict the amount that they are able to invest in our securities. As a result, certain investors may be precluded from acquiring additional Units, at a time that they might desire to do so.
Competition
We are dependent upon management personnel of our Investment Adviser for our future success.
We do not have any employees. We depend on the experience, diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the GSAM Credit Alternatives Team, together with other investment professionals that our Investment Adviser currently retains or may subsequently retain, to identify, evaluate, negotiate, structure, close, monitor and manage our investments. Our future will depend success to a significant extent on
the continued service and coordination of our Investment Adviser’s senior investment professionals. The departure of any of our Investment Adviser’s key personnel, including members of the Investment Committee, or of a significant number of the investment professionals of our Investment Adviser, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, we cannot assure investors that our Investment Adviser will remain our investment adviser or that we will continue to have access to our Investment Adviser or its investment professionals. See “-Our Investment Adviser can resign on 60 days’ notice. 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.”
We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.
A number of entities, including GS BDC and GS PMMC II, compete with us to make the types of investments that we make in middle-market companies. We compete with other BDCs, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, CLOs, private funds, including hedge funds, and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Many of our competitors are more experienced, substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. Some competitors may have a lower cost of funds, perpetual fund lives 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, certain of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the Investment Company Act imposes on us as a BDC and that the Code imposes on us as a RIC. Additionally, an investment opportunity may be appropriate for one or more of us and GS BDC and GS PMMC II or any other investment fund managed by our affiliates, and co-investment may not be possible. In these instances GSAM will adhere to its investment allocation policy in order to determine to which entity to allocate the opportunity. Also, as a result of this competition, we may not be able to secure attractive investment opportunities from time to time.
We do not seek to compete primarily based on the interest rates we offer, and GSAM believes that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that are comparable to or lower than the rates we offer. Rather, we compete with our competitors based on our reputation in the market, our existing investment platform, the seasoned investment professionals of our Investment Adviser, our experience and focus on middle-market companies, our disciplined investment philosophy, our extensive industry focus and relationships and our flexible transaction structuring. For a more detailed discussion of these competitive advantages, see “Item 1. Business-Competitive Advantages.”
We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may experience decreased net interest income and increased risk of credit loss. As a result of operating in such a competitive environment, we may make investments that are on less favorable terms than what we may have originally anticipated, which may impact our return on these investments. We cannot assure investors that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Operational
We are dependent on information systems, and systems failures, as well as operating failures, could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect our liquidity, financial condition or results of operations.
Our business is dependent on our Investment Adviser’s and third parties’ communications and information systems. Any failure or interruption of those systems, including as a result of the termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement or 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:
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sudden electrical or telecommunications outages;
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natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes;
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disease pandemics;
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events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including terrorist acts; and
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cyber-attacks.
In addition to our dependence on information systems, poor operating performance by our service providers could adversely impact us.
These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and negatively affect the value of Units and our ability to pay distributions to Unitholders.
Terrorist attacks, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may impact the businesses in which we invest and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Terrorist acts, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may disrupt our operations, as well as the operations of the businesses in which we invest. Such acts have created, and continue to create, economic and political uncertainties and have contributed to global economic instability. Future terrorist activities, military or security operations, global health emergencies or natural disasters could further weaken the domestic/global economies and create additional uncertainties, which may negatively impact the businesses in which we
invest directly or indirectly and, in turn, could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. Losses from terrorist attacks, global health emergencies and natural disasters are generally uninsurable.
Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies by causing a disruption to our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information or the confidential information of our portfolio companies and/or damage to our business relationships or the business relationships of our portfolio companies, all of which could negatively impact the business, financial condition and operating results of us or our portfolio companies.
A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the information resources of us or our portfolio companies. These incidents may be an intentional attack or an unintentional event and could involve a third party or our own personnel gaining unauthorized access to our information systems or those of our portfolio companies for purposes of obtaining ransom payments, misappropriating assets, stealing confidential information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. The result of these incidents may include disrupted operations, misstated or unreliable financial data, liability for loss or misappropriation of data, stolen assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation and damage to our reputation or business relationships. As our and our portfolio companies’ reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our information systems, both internal and those provided by Goldman Sachs and third-party service providers, and the information systems of our portfolio companies. Goldman Sachs and these third-party service providers have implemented processes, procedures and internal controls to help mitigate cybersecurity risks and cyber intrusions, but these measures, as well as our increased awareness of the nature and extent of a risk of a cyber incident, do not guarantee that a cyber incident will not occur and/or that our financial results, operations or confidential information will not be negatively impacted by such an incident.
Our Business and Structure
Our limited Term and the expiration of the Investment Period may impact our investment strategy.
Unless earlier liquidated by the Board of Directors or extended by the Board of Directors (and, to the extent necessary, a majority-in-interest of the Unitholders), our Term will end on the seven year anniversary of the Final Closing Date. Due to our finite Term, we may be required to sell Investments at an inopportune time, which could adversely affect our performance and/or cause us to seek to invest in loans with a shorter term than would be the case if our Term was longer, which might adversely affect the nature and/or quality of our Investments. In addition, we may depart from our stated investment objective and policies as we prepare for the expiration of our Term and distribute our assets to Unitholders.
Following the expiration of the Investment Period, we are not permitted to reinvest proceeds realized by us from the sale or repayment of any investment. Accordingly, we may be required to distribute such proceeds to Unitholders, which may cause our fixed expenses to increase as a percentage of assets under management. In addition, any proceeds realized by us from the sale or repayment of Investments could result in an increased concentration of our portfolio, which could increase the risks associated with ownership of the Units. For more, see “-Our Portfolio Company Investments-Our portfolio may be focused in a limited number of portfolio companies, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if any of these companies default on their obligations under any of their debt instruments or if there is a downturn in a particular industry.”
Global economic, political and market conditions may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our revenue growth and profitability.
The current worldwide financial market situation, as well as various social and political tensions in the United States and around the world, have contributed and may continue to contribute to increased market volatility, may have long-term effects on the United States and worldwide financial markets, and may cause economic uncertainties or deterioration in the United States and worldwide. We monitor developments and seek to manage our investments in a manner consistent with achieving our investment objective, but there can be no assurance that we will be successful in doing so.
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 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, 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. These conditions, government actions and future developments may cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may adversely affect our ability to access debt financing on favorable terms and may increase the interest costs of our borrowers, hampering their ability to repay us. Continued or future adverse economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Legislation may be adopted that could significantly affect the regulation of U.S. financial markets. Areas subject to potential change, amendment or repeal include the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and the authority of the Federal Reserve and the Financial Stability Oversight Council. These or other regulatory changes could result in greater competition from banks and other lenders with which we compete for lending and other investment opportunities. The United States may also potentially withdraw from or renegotiate various trade agreements and take other actions that would change current trade policies of the United States. We cannot predict which, if any, of these actions will be taken or, if taken, their effect on the financial stability of the United States. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our Investment Adviser, its principals, investment professionals and employees and the members of its Investment Committee have certain conflicts of interest.
Our Investment Adviser, its principals, affiliates, investment professionals and employees, the members of its Investment Committee and our officers and directors serve or may serve now or in the future as investment advisers, officers, directors, principals of, or in other capacities with respect to, public or private entities (including other BDCs and other investment funds) that operate in the same or a related line of business as us. For example, we have the same management and Investment Committee teams as GS BDC and GS PMMC II. Therefore, we expect these individuals may have obligations to investors in such other BDCs, the fulfillment of which might not be in our best interests or the best interests of Unitholders, and we expect that investment opportunities will satisfy the investment criteria for both us and such other BDCs. In addition, GSAM and its affiliates also manage other investment funds (including vehicles in which Goldman Sachs and its personnel have an interest), and expect to manage other vehicles in the future, that have investment mandates that are similar, in whole or in part, to ours and, accordingly, may invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by us. As a result, our Investment Adviser and/or its affiliates may face conflicts in allocating investment opportunities between such other entities and us. The fact that our investment advisory fees may be lower than those of certain other funds advised by GSAM could result in this conflict of interest affecting us adversely relative to such other funds.
Subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs or Accounts may invest alongside us. In certain circumstances, negotiated co-investments by us and other Accounts may be made only pursuant to an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. Together with our Investment Adviser, GS BDC, GS MMLC (which merged with GS BDC on October 12, 2020) and GS PMMC II , the Company has received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits us to participate in negotiated co-investment transactions with GS BDC, GS PMMC II and certain other funds that may be managed by GSAM, including the GSAM Credit Alternatives Team, in the future, subject to certain conditions, such as that co-investments be made in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions, as well as regulatory requirements and pursuant to the conditions required by the exemptive relief, and are allocated fairly among participants. Under the terms of our exemptive relief, a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the Investment Company Act) of our Independent Directors must make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the proposed transaction are reasonable and fair to us and our Unitholders and do not involve overreaching of us or our Unitholders on the part of any person concerned, and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our Unitholders and is consistent with our board of directors approved criteria. See “-Legal and Regulatory-Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.”
As a result of our exemptive order, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of GS BDC, GS PMMC II and/or other funds managed by our Investment Adviser. If we are unable to rely on our exemptive relief for a particular opportunity when our Investment Adviser identifies certain investments, it will be required to determine which Accounts should make the investment at the potential exclusion of other Accounts. In such circumstances, our Investment Adviser will adhere to its investment allocation policy in order to determine the Account to which to allocate the opportunity. The policy currently provides that our Investment Adviser allocate opportunities through a rotation system or in such other manner as our Investment Adviser determines to be equitable. Accordingly, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by other Accounts.
Goldman Sachs’ financial and other interests may incentivize Goldman Sachs to favor other Accounts.
Our Investment Adviser receives performance-based compensation in respect of its investment management activities on our behalf, which rewards our Investment Adviser for positive performance of our investment portfolio. As a result, our Investment Adviser may make investments for us that present a greater potential for return but also a greater risk of loss or that are more speculative than would be the case in the absence of performance-based compensation. In addition, our Investment Adviser may simultaneously manage other Accounts (including other BDCs (including GS BDC and GS PMMC II)) for which our Investment Adviser may be entitled to receive greater fees or other compensation (as a percentage of performance or otherwise) than it receives in respect of us. In addition, subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs may invest in other Accounts (including other business development companies (including GS BDC and GS PMMC II)), and such investments may constitute substantial percentages of such other Accounts’ outstanding equity interests. Therefore, our Investment Adviser may have an incentive to favor such other Accounts over us. To address these types of conflicts, the Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures under which investment opportunities will be allocated in a manner that it believes is consistent with its obligations as an investment adviser. However, the amount, timing, structuring or terms of an investment by us may differ from, and performance may be different than, the investments and performance of other Accounts.
Our financial condition and results of operations depend on our Investment Adviser’s ability to manage our future growth effectively.
Our ability to achieve our investment objective depends on our Investment Adviser’s 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 the structuring of our investment process and the ability of our Investment Adviser to provide competent, attentive and efficient services to us. Our executive officers and the members of the Investment Committee have substantial responsibilities in connection with their roles at our Investment Adviser, with respect to GS BDC and GS PMMC II, and other clients of our Investment Adviser, as well as responsibilities under the Investment Advisory Agreement. We may also be called upon to provide significant managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies. These demands on their time, which will increase as the number of investments grow, may distract them or slow the rate of investment. In order to grow, our Investment Adviser may need to hire, train, supervise, manage and retain new employees. However, we cannot assure investors that we will be able to do so effectively. Any failure to manage our future growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our ability to grow depends on our access to adequate capital.
If we do not have adequate capital available for investment, our performance could be adversely affected. In addition, we have elected to be treated, and expect to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2016. To maintain our status as a RIC, among other requirements, we are required to timely distribute to Unitholders at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction), which is generally our net ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses, if any, for each taxable year. Consequently, such distributions will not be available to fund new Investments. During the Investment Period, we may issue Units to subscribers, but our ability to sell additional securities may be adversely affected by a number of factors including our performance prior to such date or general market conditions. While we are permitted to reinvest proceeds realized from the sale or repayment of Investments during the Investment Period, subject to the requirements of Section 852(a) of Subchapter M of the Code and the terms of any indebtedness or preferred units (the “Preferred Units”), after the expiration of the Investment Period, we will not be permitted to do so, subject to certain exceptions. Accordingly, after the Investment Period, we expect to use debt financing to fund our growth, if any. Unfavorable economic or capital market conditions may increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. An inability to successfully access the capital markets could limit our ability to grow our business and fully execute our business strategy and could decrease our earnings, if any.
We borrow money, which may magnify the potential for gain or loss and may increase the risk of investing in us.
As part of our business strategy, we may borrow from and issue senior debt securities to banks, insurance companies and other lenders or investors. Holders of these senior securities or other credit facilities will have claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of Unitholders. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause NAV to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have if we did not employ leverage. Similarly, any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make distributions to Unitholders. 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.
Also, if we have senior debt securities or other credit facilities, any obligations to such creditors may be secured by a pledge of and a security interest in some of all of our assets, including our portfolio of investments and cash. In the case of a liquidation event, those lenders would receive proceeds to the extent of their security interest before any distributions are made to our Unitholders. Furthermore, the revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (the “JPM Revolving Credit Facility”) imposes, and any credit agreement or other debt financing agreement into which we may enter may impose, financial and operating covenants that restrict our investment activities (including restrictions on industry concentrations), remedies on default and similar matters. In connection with any future borrowings, our lenders may also require us to pledge assets.
In addition, we may be unable to obtain our desired leverage, which would, in turn, affect investors’ return on investment.
The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in our Units assuming various annual returns on our portfolio, net of expenses. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical, and actual returns may be higher or lower than those appearing in the table below.
(1)
Assumes (i) $1,442.06 million in total assets as of December 31, 2020, (ii) $471.08 million in outstanding indebtedness as of December 31, 2020, (iii) $809.72 million in net assets as of December 31, 2020 and (iv) an annualized average interest rate on our indebtedness as of December 31, 2020, excluding fees (such as fees on undrawn amounts and amortization of financing costs), of 4.37%.
Based on our outstanding indebtedness of $471.08 million as of December 31, 2020 and an annualized average interest rate on our indebtedness as of December 31, 2020, excluding fees (such as fees on undrawn amounts and amortization of financing costs), of 4.37%, our investment portfolio at fair value would have had to produce an annual return of approximately 1.64% to cover annual interest payments on the outstanding debt.
Our Investment Adviser will be paid the Management Fee even if the value of the Unitholders’ investments declines and our Investment Adviser’s Incentive Fee may create incentives for it to make certain kinds of investments.
Our Investment Adviser is entitled to an Incentive Fee from us based on our investment performance. The Incentive Fee payable by us to our Investment Adviser may create an incentive for our Investment Adviser to make investments on behalf of us that are risky or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such a compensation arrangement, and also to incur leverage, which will tend to enhance returns where our portfolio has positive returns. Additionally, the Management Fee is payable even in the event the value of Unitholders’ investments declines.
Potential conflicts of interest with other businesses of Goldman Sachs could impact our investment returns.
There are significant potential conflicts of interest that could negatively impact our investment returns. A number of these potential conflicts of interest with affiliates of our Investment Adviser and Group Inc. are discussed in more detail elsewhere in this report.
Group Inc., including its affiliates and personnel, is a BHC and a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization, and a major participant in global financial markets that provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net-worth individuals. As such, it acts as an investor, investment banker, research provider, investment manager, financier, adviser, market maker, trader, prime broker, derivatives dealer, lender, counterparty, agent and principal. In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs and its affiliates advise clients in all markets and transactions and purchase, sell, hold and recommend a broad array of investments, including securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products for its own Accounts or for the Accounts of their customers and have other direct and indirect interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equity, bank loans and other markets in which we invest or may invest. Such additional businesses and interests will likely give rise to potential conflicts of interest and may restrict the way we operate our business. For example, (1) we may not be able to conduct transactions relating to investments in portfolio companies because our Investment Adviser is not permitted to obtain or use material nonpublic information in effecting purchases and sales in public securities transactions for us, or (2) Goldman Sachs, the clients it advises, and its personnel may engage (or consider engaging) in commercial arrangements or transactions with us (subject to any limitations under the law), and/or may compete for commercial arrangements or transactions in the same types of companies, assets, securities or other assets or instruments as us. Transactions by, advice to and activities of such Accounts (including potentially Goldman Sachs acting on a proprietary basis), may involve the same or related companies, securities or other assets or instruments as those in which we invest and may negatively affect us (including our ability to engage in a transaction or other activities) or the prices or terms at which our transactions or other activities may be effected. For example, Goldman Sachs may be engaged to provide advice to an account that is considering entering into a transaction with us, and Goldman Sachs may advise the account not to pursue the transaction with us, or otherwise in connection with a potential transaction provide advice to the account that would be adverse to us. See “-Our Investment Adviser, its principals, investment professionals and employees and the members of its Investment Committee have certain conflicts of interest” and “-Legal and Regulatory-Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.” In addition, GS & Co. may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the limitations set forth in Section 57(k) of the Investment Company Act, receive compensation from us or from the borrowers if we make any investments based on opportunities that such employees or personnel of GS & Co. have referred to us. Such compensation might incentivize GS & Co. or its employees or personnel to refer opportunities or to recommend investments that might otherwise be unsuitable for us. Further, any such compensation paid by us, or paid by the borrower (to which we would otherwise have been entitled) in connection with such investments, may negatively impact our returns.
Furthermore, Goldman Sachs is currently, and in the future expects to be, raising capital for new public and private investment vehicles that have, or when formed will have, the primary purpose of middle-market direct lending. These investment vehicles, as well as existing investment vehicles (including GS BDC and GS PMMC II), will compete with us for investments. Although our Investment Adviser and its affiliates will endeavor to allocate investment opportunities among their clients, including us, in a fair and equitable manner and consistent with applicable allocation procedures, it is expected that, in the future, we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by other clients or entities managed by our Investment Adviser or its affiliates or that we may participate in such investments to a lesser extent due to participation by such other clients or entities.
In addition, subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs or another investment account or vehicle managed or controlled by Goldman Sachs may hold securities, loans or other instruments of a portfolio company in a different class or a different part of the capital structure than securities, loans or other instruments of such portfolio company held by us. As a result, Goldman Sachs or another investment account or vehicle may pursue or enforce rights or activities, or refrain from pursuing or enforcing rights or activities, on behalf of its own account, that could have an adverse effect on us. In addition, to the extent Goldman Sachs has invested in a portfolio company for its own account, Goldman Sachs may limit the transactions engaged in by us with respect to such portfolio company or issuer for reputational, legal, regulatory or other reasons.
Our Board of Directors may change our investment objective, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or Unitholder approval.
The 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 Investment Company Act or other applicable laws) and without Unitholder approval. However, absent Unitholder 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 the Units. Nevertheless, the effects may adversely affect our business and impact our ability to make distributions.
Our Investment Adviser can resign on 60 days’ notice. 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 Agreement, to resign at any time upon 60 days’ written notice, regardless of whether we have found a replacement. If our Investment Adviser resigns, we may not be able to find a new external 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 value of our Units may decline.
Our Investment Adviser’s responsibilities and its liability to us are limited under the Investment Advisory Agreement, which may lead our Investment Adviser to act in a riskier manner on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.
Our Investment Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by us in connection with the matters to which the Investment Advisory Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on our Investment Adviser’s part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by our Investment Adviser of its obligations and duties under the Investment Advisory Agreement. Any person, even though also employed by our Investment Adviser, who may be or become an employee of and paid by us shall be deemed, when acting within the scope of his or her employment by us, to be acting in such employment solely for us and not as our Investment Adviser’s employee or agent. These protections may lead our Investment Adviser to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account. See “-Our Investment Adviser will be paid the Management Fee even if the value of Unitholders’ investments declines and our Investment Adviser’s Incentive Fee may create incentives for it to make certain kinds of investments.”
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.
We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including interest rates payable on debt investments we make, default rates on such investments, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in certain markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods or the full fiscal year.
We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.
Our debt investments may be based on floating rates, such as LIBOR, the Euro Interbank Offered Rate, the Federal Funds Rate or the Prime Rate. General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments, the value of our securities and our rate of return on invested capital. Currently, most of our floating rate investments are linked to LIBOR and it is unclear how increased regulatory oversight and the future of LIBOR may affect market liquidity and the value of the financial obligations to be held by or issued to us that are linked to LIBOR, or how such changes could affect our investments and transactions and financial condition or results of operations. Central banks and regulators in a number of major jurisdictions (for example, the 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 (“IBORs”). The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has announced that it intends not to compel panel banks to contribute to LIBOR after 2021. The E.U. Benchmarks Regulation imposed conditions under which only compliant benchmarks may be used in new contracts after 2021. 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 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 the U.S. Treasury securities, and is based on directly observable U.S. Treasury-backed repurchase transactions. In addition, on March 25, 2020, the FCA reaffirmed the central assumption that firms cannot rely on LIBOR being published after the end of 2021. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 may adversely impact the timing of many firms’ transition planning, and we continue to assess the potential impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our transition plans. Although SOFR appears to be the preferred 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, whether the COVID-19 outbreak will have further effect on LIBOR transition timelines or plans, or other reforms to LIBOR that may be enacted in the United States, United Kingdom or elsewhere. Furthermore, on November 30, 2020, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (“ICE”) announced that the ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (“IBA”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ICE and the administrator of LIBOR, will consider extending the LIBOR transition deadline to June 30, 2023. The announcement was supported by the FCA and the Federal Reserve. Despite the announcement, regulators continue to emphasize the importance of LIBOR transition planning. The elimination of LIBOR or any other changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of LIBOR or alternative reference rates could have an adverse impact on the market for or value of any LIBOR-linked securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us. In addition, if LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to renegotiate the credit agreements extending beyond 2021 with our portfolio companies that utilize LIBOR as a factor in determining the interest rate, in order to replace LIBOR with the new standard that is established, which may have an adverse effect on our overall financial condition or results of operations. As such, some or all of these credit agreements may bear a lower interest rate, which would adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations. Moreover, if LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to renegotiate certain terms of our Revolving Credit Facilities (as defined below). If we are unable to do so, amounts drawn under the Revolving Credit Facilities may bear interest at a higher rate, which would increase the cost of our borrowings and, in turn, affect our results of operations.
Because we have borrowed money, and may issue preferred stock to finance investments, our net investment income depends, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay distributions on preferred stock and the rate that our investments yield. 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.
A reduction in the interest rates on new investments relative to interest rates on current investments could also have an adverse impact on our net interest income. However, an increase in interest rates could decrease the value of any investments we hold which earn fixed interest rates, including subordinated loans, senior and junior secured and unsecured debt securities and loans and high yield bonds, and also could increase our interest expense, thereby decreasing our net income. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make an investment in our Units less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our Units. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if such increases cause our borrowing costs to rise at a rate in excess of the rate that our investments yield.
In periods of rising interest rates, to the extent we borrow money subject to a floating interest rate, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if such increases cause our
borrowing costs to rise at a rate in excess of the rate that our investments yield. 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.
If general interest rates rise, there is a risk that the portfolio companies in which we hold floating rate securities will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. In addition, rising interest rates may increase pressure on us to provide fixed rate loans to our portfolio companies, which could adversely affect our net investment income, as increases in our cost of borrowed funds would not be accompanied by increased interest income from such fixed-rate investments.
A change in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to a change in the interest rate we receive on many of our debt investments. Accordingly, a change in the interest rate could make it easier for us to meet or exceed the performance threshold in the Investment Advisory Agreement and may result in a substantial increase in the amount of incentive fees payable to our Investment Adviser with respect to the portion of the Incentive Fee based on income.
Interest rates in the United States are currently at historically low levels. Certain countries have experienced negative interest rates on certain fixed-income instruments. Very low or negative interest rates may magnify interest rate risk. Changing interest rates, including rates that fall below zero, may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market volatility and may detract from our performance to the extent we are exposed to such interest rates and/or volatility.
Investors may fail to pay their undrawn Commitment.
The obligation of Unitholders to fund undrawn Commitments is without defense, counterclaim or offset of any kind. However, if a Unitholder fails to pay any amount of its Commitment when called, other Unitholders who have an undrawn Commitment may be required to fund their respective Commitments sooner and in a greater amount (but not more than their undrawn Commitment) than they otherwise would have absent such a default.
In addition, if funding of Commitments by other Unitholders and borrowings by us are inadequate to cover defaulted Commitments, we may make fewer Investments and be less diversified than if all Unitholders had paid their contributions. Additionally, we may be forced to obtain substitute sources of liquidity by selling Investments (to the extent permitted by the LLC Agreement) to meet our funding obligations. Such forced sales of investment assets by us may be at disadvantageous prices. In addition, if we are not able to obtain substitute sources of liquidity, we may default on our funding obligations.
Our Portfolio Company Investments
Our investments are very risky and highly speculative.
We invest primarily through direct originations of secured debt, including first lien, unitranche, and last out portions of such loans; second lien debt; unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt; and select equity investments. The securities in which we invest typically are not rated by any rating agency, and if they were rated, they would be below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investors Service and lower than “BBB-” by Fitch Ratings or S&P). These securities, which may be referred to as “junk bonds,” “high yield bonds” or “leveraged loans,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Therefore, our investments may result in an above average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal. We also may invest in other assets, including U.S. government securities and structured securities. These investments entail additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns.
Secured Debt. When we make a secured debt investment, we generally take a security interest in the available assets of the portfolio company, including the equity interests of any 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 debt investment 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. In some circumstances, our lien could be subordinated to claims of other creditors, such as trade creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio company’s financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the debt investment. Consequently, the fact that our debt is secured does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the debt investment’s terms, or at all, or that we will be able to collect on the loan, in full or at all, should we enforce our remedies.
Unsecured Debt, including Mezzanine Debt. Our unsecured debt investments, including mezzanine debt investments, generally will be subordinated to senior debt in the event of an insolvency. This may result in an above average amount of risk and loss of principal.
Equity Investments. When we invest in secured debt or unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt, we may acquire equity securities from the company in which we make the investment. In addition, we may invest in the equity securities of portfolio companies independent of any debt investment. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of such equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of such interests. However, the equity interests we hold 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.
Investing in middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks.
Investing in middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks, including:
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such 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;
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such companies 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;
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such companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on the portfolio company and, in turn, on us;
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such companies 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;
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there is generally little public information about these companies, they and their financial information are not subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and other regulations that govern public companies and we may be unable to uncover all material information about these companies, which may prevent us from making a fully informed investment decision and cause us to lose money on our investments;
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our executive officers, directors and Investment Adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in the portfolio companies; and
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such companies 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, including any debt securities held by us, upon maturity.
Many of our portfolio securities do not have a readily available market price and we value these securities at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures adopted by our Board of Directors, which valuation is inherently subjective and may not reflect what we may actually realize for the sale of the investment.
The majority of our investments are expected to be in debt instruments that do not have readily ascertainable market prices. The fair value of assets that are not publicly traded or whose market prices are not readily available are determined in good faith under procedures adopted by our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors utilizes the services of independent third-party valuation firms (“Independent Valuation Advisors”) in determining the fair value of a portion of the securities in our portfolio as of each quarter end. Investment professionals from our Investment Adviser also prepare portfolio company valuations using sources and/or proprietary models depending on the availability of information on our assets and the type of asset being valued, all in accordance with our valuation policy.
Because fair valuations, and particularly fair valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and are often based to a large extent on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information, it may be more difficult for investors to value accurately our investments and could lead to undervaluation or overvaluation of the Units. In addition, the valuation of these types of securities may result in substantial write-downs and earnings volatility.
Our NAV as of a particular date may be materially greater than or less than the value that would be realized if our assets were to be liquidated as of such date. For example, if we were required to sell a certain asset or all or a substantial portion of our assets on a particular date, the actual price that we would realize upon the disposition of such asset or assets could be materially less than the value of such asset or assets as reflected in our NAV. Volatile market conditions could also cause reduced liquidity in the market for certain assets, which could result in liquidation values that are materially less than the values of such assets as reflected in our NAV.
When our NAV is determined other than on a quarter-end (such as in connection with issuances of shares of our common Units on dates occurring mid-quarter), such determinations of NAV are generally made by our Investment Adviser, acting under delegated authority from, and subject to the supervision of our Board of Directors. While such NAV determinations are made in accordance with procedures adopted by our Board of Directors, such intra-quarter NAV determinations do not follow the same procedures as quarter-end NAV determinations, such as the input of our Audit Committee or Independent Valuation Advisors, which may heighten the risks described above. However, we intend to comply at all times with the limitations of Section 23 under the Investment Company Act (which generally prohibits us from issuing Units at a price below the then-current NAV of the Units as determined within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, of such issuance, subject to certain exceptions).
The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.
Various restrictions render our investments relatively illiquid, which may adversely affect our business. As we generally make investments in private companies, substantially all of these Investments are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than publicly traded securities. Our Investment Adviser is not permitted to obtain or use material non-public information in effecting purchases and sales in public securities transactions for us, which could create an additional limitation on the liquidity of our investments. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need arises. Therefore, if we are required to or desire to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we could realize significantly less than the value at which we have recorded our investments, or could be unable to dispose of our investments in a timely manner or at such times as we deem advisable.
Our portfolio may be focused in a limited number of portfolio companies, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if any of these companies default on their obligations under any of their debt instruments or if there is a downturn in a particular industry.
We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act, which means that we are not limited by the Investment Company Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer, excluding limitations on investments in certain other financial and investment companies. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers or industries, our NAV may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market’s assessment of the issuer. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. In addition, 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 significantly affect our aggregate returns. Further, any industry in which we are meaningfully concentrated at any given time could be subject to significant risks that could adversely impact our aggregate returns. For example, as of December 31, 2020, Health Care Providers & Services, together with Health Care Technology and Health Care Equipment & Supplies, represented 23.4% of our portfolio at fair value. Our investments in Health Care Providers & Services, Health Care Technology and Health Care Equipment & Supplies are subject to substantial risks, including, but not limited to, the risk that the laws and regulations governing the business of health care companies, and interpretations thereof, may change frequently. Current or future laws and regulations could force our portfolio companies engaged in health care, to change their policies related to how they operate, restrict revenue, change costs, change reserve levels and change business practices. In addition, as of December 31, 2020, Software represented 5.5% of our portfolio at fair value. Our investments in Software and Internet Software & Services are subject to substantial risks, including, but not limited to, intense competition, changing technology, shifting user needs, frequent introductions of new products and services, competitors in different industries and ranging from large established companies to emerging startups, decreasing average selling prices of products and services resulting from rapid technological changes, cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents and various legal and regulatory risks.
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.
We do not generally hold controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. While we are obligated as a BDC to offer to make managerial assistance available to our portfolio companies, there can be no assurance that management personnel of our portfolio companies will accept or rely on such assistance. To the extent that we do not hold a controlling equity interest in a portfolio company, we are subject to the risk that such portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree, and the stockholders and management of such portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to our interests. Due to the lack of liquidity for 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.
In addition, we may not be in a position to control any portfolio company by investing in its debt securities. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as debt investors.
We may be subject to risks associated with investments in real estate loans.
Our Investment Adviser, on our behalf, may periodically invest in loans related to real estate and real estate-related assets, and such investments will be subject to the risks inherent to investment in real estate-related assets generally. These risks include, but are not limited to, regional, national and international economic conditions, the supply and demand for properties, the financial resources of tenants, buyers and sellers of properties, changes in building, environmental, zoning and other laws and regulations, changes in real property tax rates, changes in interest rates and the availability of financing, which may render the sale or refinancing of properties difficult or impracticable, environmental liabilities, uninsured losses, acts of God, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, acts of war (declared and undeclared), strikes and other factors which are beyond the control of our Investment Adviser and us.
We may be subject to risks associated with investments in energy companies.
The energy industry has been in a period of disruption and volatility that has been characterized by fluctuations in oil and gas prices and production levels. This disruption and volatility has led to, and future disruptions and volatility may lead to, decreases in the credit quality and performance of our potential debt and equity investments in energy companies, which could, in turn, negatively impact the fair value of our investments in energy companies. Any prolonged decline in oil and gas prices or production levels could adversely impact the ability of our potential portfolio companies in the energy industry to satisfy financial or operating covenants that may be imposed by us and other lenders or to make payments to us as and when due, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, energy companies are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets in which they operate, which are impacted by numerous factors, including weather, use of renewable fuel sources, natural disasters, governmental regulation and general economic conditions, in addition to the effects of increasing regulation and general operational risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the performance and value of our energy-related investments as well as our cash flows from such investments.
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:
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increase or maintain in whole or in part our equity ownership percentage or debt participation;
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exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or
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attempt to preserve or enhance the value of our investment.
We may elect not to make follow on investments or may 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 and the limitations set forth in “Item 1 Business.” The failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and the 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, because we prefer other opportunities or because we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements, compliance with covenants contained in the JPM Revolving Credit Facility or compliance with the requirements for maintenance of our RIC status.
The portfolio companies may prepay loans, which may reduce stated yields in the future if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.
Certain of the loans we make are prepayable at any time, with some prepayable at no premium to par. We cannot predict when such loans may be prepaid. Whether a loan is prepaid will depend both on the continued positive performance of the portfolio company and the existence of favorable financing market conditions that permit such portfolio company to replace existing financing with less expensive capital. In periods of rising interest rates, the risk of prepayment of floating rate loans may increase if other financing sources are available. As market conditions change frequently, it is unknown when, and if, this may be possible for each portfolio company. In the case of some of these loans, having the loan prepaid early may reduce the achievable yield for us in the future below the current yield disclosed for our portfolio if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.
Investments in common and preferred equity securities, many of which are illiquid with no readily available market, involve a substantial degree of risk.
Although common stock has historically generated higher average total returns than fixed income securities over the long term, common stock also has experienced significantly more volatility in those returns. Our equity investments may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless, and our ability to recover our investment will depend on our portfolio company’s success. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including:
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any equity investment we make in a portfolio company could be subject to further dilution as a result of the issuance of additional equity interests and to serious risks as a junior security that will be subordinate to all indebtedness (including trade creditors) or senior securities in the event that the issuer is unable to meet its obligations or becomes subject to a bankruptcy process;
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to the extent that the portfolio company requires additional capital and is unable to obtain it, we may not recover our investment; and
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in some cases, equity securities in which we invest will not pay current dividends, and our ability to realize a return on our investment, as well as to recover our investment, will be dependent on the success of the portfolio company.
Even if the portfolio company is successful, our ability to realize the value of our investment may be dependent on the occurrence of a liquidity event, such as a public offering or the sale of the portfolio company. It is likely to take a significant amount of time before a liquidity event occurs or we can otherwise sell our investment. In addition, the equity securities we receive or invest in may be subject to restrictions on resale during periods in which it could be advantageous to sell them.
There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities, including:
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preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. If we own a preferred security that is deferring its distributions, we may be required to report income for tax purposes before we receive such distributions;
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preferred securities are subordinated to debt in terms of priority to income and liquidation payments, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than debt;
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preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stock or U.S. government securities; and
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generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, subject to limited exceptions.
Additionally, when we invest in debt securities, we may acquire warrants or other equity securities as well. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of such equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of such interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.
We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the equity securities of investment funds that are operating pursuant to certain exceptions to the Investment Company Act and, to the extent we so invest, will bear our ratable share of any such company’s expenses, including
management and performance fees. We will also remain obligated to pay the Management Fee and Incentive Fee to our Investment Adviser with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of such companies. With respect to each of these investments, the Unitholders will bear their pro rata share of the Management Fee and Incentive Fee due to our Investment Adviser as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any such investment funds or advisers.
By originating loans to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, we may be exposed to distressed lending risks.
As part of our lending activities, we may originate loans to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Although the terms of such financing may result in significant financial returns to us, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. There is no assurance that we will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing our loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company that we fund, we may lose all or part of the amounts advanced to the borrower or may be required to accept collateral with a value less than the amount of the loan advanced by us to the borrower.
We may be exposed to special risks associated with bankruptcy cases.
Many of the events within a bankruptcy case are adversarial and often beyond the control of the creditors. While creditors generally are afforded an opportunity to object to significant actions, there can be no assurance that a bankruptcy court would not approve actions that may be contrary to our interests. Furthermore, there are instances where creditors can lose their ranking and priority if they are considered to have taken over management of a borrower.
The reorganization of a company can involve substantial legal, professional and administrative costs to a lender and the borrower; it is subject to unpredictable and lengthy delays; and during the process a company’s competitive position may erode, key management may depart and a company may not be able to invest its capital adequately. In some cases, the debtor company may not be able to reorganize and may be required to liquidate assets. The debt of companies in financial reorganization will, in most cases, not pay current interest, may not accrue interest during reorganization and may be adversely affected by an erosion of the issuer’s fundamental value.
In addition, lenders can be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by them where they become too involved in the borrower’s business or exercise control over the borrower. For example, we could become subject to a lender’s liability claim, if, among other things, the borrower requests significant managerial assistance from us and we provide such assistance as contemplated by the Investment Company Act.
Declines in market prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets can result in significant net unrealized depreciation of our portfolio, which in turn would affect our results of operations.
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 under procedures adopted by our Board of Directors. We may take into account the following types of factors, if relevant, in determining the fair value of our investments: the enterprise value of a portfolio company (the entire value of the portfolio company to a market participant, including the sum of the values of debt and equity securities used to capitalize the enterprise at a point in time), the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow (taking into consideration current market interest rates and credit spreads), the markets in which the portfolio company does business, a comparison of the portfolio company’s securities to similar publicly traded securities and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we use the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate our valuation.
While most of our investments are not publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan on holding an investment through its maturity). As a result, volatility in the capital markets can also adversely affect our investment valuations. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments are recorded as unrealized depreciation. The effect of all of these factors on our portfolio can reduce our NAV by increasing net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may suffer unrealized losses, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.
Our portfolio companies may be susceptible to economic downturns or recessions and may be unable to repay our loans during these periods. Therefore, during these periods our non-performing assets may increase and the value of our portfolio may decrease if we are required to write down the values of our investments. Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and the value of our equity investments. Economic slowdowns or recessions could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and assets. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events could prevent us from increasing investments and harm our operating results.
A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on the portfolio company’s assets representing collateral for its obligations. This could trigger cross defaults under other agreements and jeopardize our portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that we hold and the value of any equity securities we own. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company.
Our portfolio companies may have incurred or issued, or may in the future incur or issue, debt or equity securities that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies, which could have an adverse effect on us in any liquidation of the portfolio company.
Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt, or issue other equity securities that rank equally with or senior to, our investments. By their terms, such instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of dividends, interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments in respect of our investments. These debt instruments would usually prohibit the portfolio companies from paying interest on or repaying our investments in the event and during the continuance of a default under such debt. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of securities ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company typically are entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution in respect of our investment. After repaying such holders, the portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of securities ranking equally with our Investments, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other security holders in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company.
Additionally, certain loans that we make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt, which will be secured on a first priority basis. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of and be entitled to receive proceeds from any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.
The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing any junior priority loans we make to our portfolio companies may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an intercreditor agreement, at any time that senior obligations are outstanding, we may forfeit certain rights with respect to the collateral to the holders of the senior obligations. These rights may include the right to commence enforcement proceedings against the collateral, the right to control the conduct of such enforcement proceedings, the right to approve amendments to collateral documents, the right to release liens on the collateral and the right to waive past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights as junior lenders are adversely affected. In addition, a bankruptcy court may choose not to enforce an intercreditor agreement or other arrangement with creditors. Similar risks to the foregoing may apply where we hold the last out piece of a unitranche loan.
We may also make unsecured loans to portfolio companies, meaning that such loans will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such portfolio companies. Liens on such portfolio companies’ collateral, if any, will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under its outstanding secured debt and may secure certain future debt that is permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under its secured loan agreements. The holders of obligations secured by such liens will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of such collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of such collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of such collateral would be sufficient to satisfy our unsecured loan obligations after payment in full of all secured loan obligations. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay the outstanding secured loan obligations, then the unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors’ claims against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.
Our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged.
Many of our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, which may have adverse consequences to these portfolio companies and to us as an investor. These portfolio companies may be subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants and the leverage may impair these portfolio companies’ ability to finance their future operations and capital needs. As a result, these portfolio companies’ flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to take advantage of business opportunities may be limited. Further, a leveraged company’s income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used.
Our investments in non-U.S. companies may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. Investments.
Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in securities of non-U.S. companies to the extent permissible under the Investment Company Act. Investing in non-U.S. 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 non-U.S. taxes (potentially at confiscatory levels), less liquid markets, 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 are likely to be more pronounced for investments in companies located in emerging markets and particularly for middle market companies in these economies.
Although most of our investments are denominated in U.S. dollars, any investments that are denominated in a non-U.S. currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to the U.S. dollar. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure investors that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us.
We may expose ourselves to risks if we engage in hedging transactions.
Subject to applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act and applicable CFTC regulations, we may enter into hedging transactions in a manner consistent with SEC guidance, which may expose us to risks associated with such transactions. Such hedging 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. Use of these hedging instruments may include counter-party credit risk.
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. Moreover, it may not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that is so generally anticipated that we are not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price.
The success of any hedging transactions we may enter into 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 (or be able to) establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations. See also “-Our Business and Structure-We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.”
We may form one or more CLOs, which may subject us to certain structured financing risks.
To the extent permissible under risk retention rules adopted pursuant to Section 941 of the Dodd-Frank Act and applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, to finance investments, we may securitize certain of our investments, including through the formation of one or more CLOs, while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. This would involve contributing a pool of assets to a special purpose entity, and selling debt interests in such entity on a non-recourse or limited-recourse basis to purchasers. Any interest in any such CLO held by us may be considered a “non-qualifying asset” for purposes of the Investment Company Act.
If we create a CLO, we will depend on distributions from the CLO’s assets out of its earnings and cash flows to enable us to make distributions to Unitholders. The ability of a CLO to make distributions will be subject to various limitations, including the terms and covenants of the debt it issues. For example, tests (based on interest coverage or other financial ratios or other criteria) may restrict our ability, as holder of a CLO’s equity interests, to receive cash flow from these investments. There is no assurance any such performance tests will be satisfied. Also, a CLO may take actions that delay distributions in order to preserve ratings and to keep the cost of present and future financings lower or the CLO may be obligated to retain cash or other assets to satisfy over-collateralization requirements commonly provided for holders of the CLO’s debt. As a result, there may be a lag, which could be significant, between the repayment or other realization on a loan or other assets in, and the distribution of cash out of, a CLO, or cash flow may be completely restricted for the life of the CLO. If we do not receive cash flow from any such CLO that is necessary to satisfy the annual distribution requirement for maintaining our RIC status, and we are unable to obtain cash from other sources necessary to satisfy this requirement, we could fail to maintain our status as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
In addition, a decline in the credit quality of loans in a CLO due to poor operating results of the relevant borrower, declines in the value of loan collateral or increases in defaults, among other things, may force a CLO to sell certain assets at a loss, reducing their earnings and, in turn, cash potentially available for distribution to us for distribution to Unitholders.
To the extent that any losses are incurred by the CLO in respect of any collateral, such losses will be borne first by us as owner of equity interests. Finally, any equity interests that we retain in a CLO will not be secured by the assets of the CLO, and we will rank behind all creditors of the CLO.
We will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds of the funds we raise from investors and will use proceeds in part to satisfy operating expenses.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to locate a sufficient number of suitable investment opportunities to allow us to successfully deploy capital that we raise from investors in a timeframe that will permit investors to earn above-market returns. To the extent we are unable to invest substantially all of the capital we raise within our contemplated timeframe, our investment income, and in turn our results of operations, will likely be materially adversely affected. See “-Our Business and Structure-We are a new company and have limited operating history.”
We intend to use substantially all of the proceeds from the offering of Units, net of expenses, to make investments in accordance with our investment objectives and strategies. We anticipate that the remainder will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes, including the payment of operating expenses. However, subject to the restrictions of applicable law and regulations, including the Investment Company Act, we have significant flexibility in applying the proceeds of the funds we raise from investors and may use the net proceeds in ways with which Unitholders may not agree, or for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of the capital raising. We may also pay operating expenses, and may pay other expenses such as due diligence expenses of potential new Investments, from net proceeds. Our ability to achieve our investment objective may be limited to the extent that net proceeds of the funds we raise from investors, pending full investment by us in portfolio companies, are used to pay operating expenses.
We may invest a significant portion of our assets in high-quality short- term investments, which will generate lower rates of return than those expected from the interest generated on our intended investment program.
From time to time, a significant portion of our assets may be invested in a money market fund managed by an affiliate of Group Inc. This investment may earn yields substantially lower than the income that we expect to receive from investments made in accordance with our investment objective. As a result, we may not be able to achieve our investment objective and/or pay any dividends while a significant portion of our assets are invested in the money market fund or, if we are able to do so, such dividends may be substantially lower than the dividends that we expect to pay when our portfolio is fully invested in accordance with our investment objectives. If we do not realize yields in excess of our expenses, we may incur operating losses.
The Units
Investing in Units involves an above average degree of risk.
The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and volatility or loss of principal. The investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative and aggressive, and therefore an investment in Units may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.
A Unitholder’s interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional Units, which could reduce the overall value of an investment in us.
Unitholders do not have preemptive rights to any Units we issue in the future. We may decide in accordance with the process described below, to issue additional equity interests at or below the NAV per Unit. To the extent we issue additional equity interests, a Unitholder’s percentage ownership interest in us may be diluted. In addition, if such Units are issued below NAV, existing Unitholders may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of their Units.
We are generally not able to issue and sell Units at a price per Unit below the then-current NAV per Unit. We may, however, sell Units, warrants, options or rights to acquire Units, at a price below the then-current NAV per Unit (i) with the consent of a majority in interest of our Unitholders (and a majority in interest of our Unitholders who are not affiliates of us) and (ii) if, among other things, a majority of our Independent Directors and a majority of our directors who have no financial interest in the transaction determine that such sale is in the best interests of us and our Unitholders.
We may in the future determine to issue Preferred Units, which could adversely affect the value of the Units.
The issuance of Preferred Units with dividend or conversion rights, liquidation preferences or other economic terms favorable to the holders of Preferred Units could make an investment in the Units less attractive. In addition, the dividends on any Preferred Units we issue must be cumulative. Payment of dividends and repayment of the liquidation preference of Preferred Units must take preference over any distributions or other payments to Unitholders, and holders of Preferred Units 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 (other than convertible Preferred Units that converts into Units). In addition, under the Investment Company Act, Preferred Units would constitute a “senior security” for purposes of our 150% asset coverage test.
We may not be able to pay investors distributions on Units, our distributions to investors may not grow over time and a portion of our distributions to investors may be a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Subject to the requirements of Section 852(a) of Subchapter M of the Code, and the terms of any indebtedness or Preferred Units, we intend to (i) distribute to Unitholders, pro rata based on the number of Units held by each Unitholder, before the end of each taxable year net proceeds attributable to the repayment or disposition of Investments (together with any interest, dividends and other net cash flow in respect
of such Investments), except to the extent such proceeds from repayment or disposition are permitted to be, and are, retained for reinvestment prior to the termination of the Investment Period, (ii) distribute quarterly investment income (i.e., proceeds received in respect of interest payments, dividends or fees as opposed to proceeds received in connection with the disposition or repayment of an investment), and (iii) distribute substantially all of our investment company taxable income and net capital gain for each taxable year in order to qualify for treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code , except that we may retain certain net capital gains for reinvestment and carry forward taxable income for distribution in the following year and pay any applicable tax. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on such factors as the Board determines to be relevant from time to time, including our earnings, financial condition and compliance with any debt covenants we may be subject to. Accordingly, we may not pay distributions to Unitholders.
The distributions we pay to Unitholders in a year may exceed our taxable income for that year and, accordingly, a portion of such distributions may constitute a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes that would reduce a holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Units and correspondingly increase such holder’s gain, or reduce such holder’s loss, on disposition of such Units. Distributions in excess of a holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Units will constitute capital gains to such holder. Unitholders who periodically receive the payment of a distribution from a RIC consisting of a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be under the impression that they are receiving a distribution of RIC’s net ordinary income or capital gains when they are not. Accordingly, Unitholders should read carefully any written disclosure accompanying a distribution from us and the information about the specific tax characteristics of our distributions provided to Unitholders after the end of each calendar year, and should not assume that the source of any distribution is our net ordinary income or capital gains.
The tax treatment of a non-U.S. Unitholder in its jurisdiction of tax residence will depend entirely on the laws of such jurisdiction, and may vary considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Depending on (i) the laws of such non-U.S. Unitholder’s jurisdiction of tax residence, (ii) how we, the Investments and/or any other investment vehicles through which we directly or indirectly invest are treated in such jurisdiction, and (iii) the activities of any such entities, an investment in us could result in such non-U.S. Unitholder recognizing adverse tax consequences in its jurisdiction of tax residence, including (a) with respect to any generally required or additional tax filings and/or additional disclosure required in such filings in relation to the treatment for tax purposes in the relevant jurisdiction of an interest in us, the Investments and/or any other investment vehicles through which we directly or indirectly invest and/or of distributions from such entities and any uncertainties arising in that respect (our not being established under the laws of the relevant jurisdiction), (b) the possibility of taxable income significantly in excess of cash distributed to a non-U.S. Unitholder, and possibly in excess of our actual economic income, (c) the possibilities of losing deductions or the ability to utilize tax basis and of sums invested being returned in the form of taxable income or gains, and (d) the possibility of being subject to tax at unfavorable tax rates. A non-U.S. Unitholder may also be subject to restrictions on the use of its share of our deductions and losses in its jurisdiction of tax residence. Each prospective investor is urged to consult its own tax advisors with respect to the tax and tax filing consequences, if any, in its jurisdiction of tax residence of an investment in us, as well as any other jurisdiction in which such prospective investor is subject to taxation.
We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize taxable income before or without receiving cash representing such income.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will include in our taxable income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as original issue discount (“OID”), which may occur if we receive warrants in connection with the origination of a loan or possibly in other circumstances or contracted payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest, which generally represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such OID, which could be significant relative to our overall investment assets, and increases in loan balances as a result of PIK interest will be included in our taxable income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in our taxable income other amounts that we have not yet received or will not receive in cash, such as accruals on a contingent payment debt instrument, accruals of interest income and/or original issue discount on defaulted debt, or deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. Moreover, we generally will be required to take certain amounts in income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on our financial statements. The credit risk associated with the collectability of deferred payments may be increased as and when a portfolio company increases the amount of interest on which it is deferring cash payment through deferred interest features. Our investments with a deferred interest feature may represent a higher credit risk than loans for which interest must be paid in full in cash on a regular basis. For example, even if the accounting conditions for income accrual are met, the borrower could still default when our actual collection is scheduled to occur upon maturity of the obligation.
Because in certain cases we may recognize taxable income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty making distributions to Unitholders that will be sufficient to enable us to meet the annual distribution requirement necessary for us to maintain our status as a RIC. Accordingly, we may need to sell some of our assets at times and/or at prices that we would not consider advantageous, we may need to raise additional equity or debt capital, or we may need to forego new investment opportunities or otherwise take actions that are disadvantageous to our business (or be unable to take actions that are advantageous to our business) to enable us to make distributions to Unitholders that will be sufficient to enable us to meet the annual distribution requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash in the amount required for us to make, or if we are restricted from making, sufficient distributions to our stockholders to meet the annual distribution requirement, 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 (and any applicable U.S. state and local taxes).
Unitholders may receive Units as distributions, which could result in adverse tax consequences to them.
In order to satisfy the annual distribution requirement applicable to RICs, we have the ability to declare a large portion of a distribution in Units instead of in cash. The Company is not subject to restrictions on the circumstances in which it may declare a portion of a distribution in Units but would generally anticipate doing so only in unusual situations, such as, for example, if we do not have sufficient cash to meet our
RIC distribution requirements under the Code. Generally, were we to declare such a distribution, we would allow Unitholders to elect payment in cash and/or Units of equivalent value. Under published IRS guidance, the entire distribution will generally be treated as a taxable distribution for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and count towards our RIC distribution requirements under the Code, if certain conditions are satisfied. Among other things, the aggregate amount of cash available to be distributed to all Unitholders is required to be at least 20% of the aggregate declared distribution. If too many Unitholders elect to receive cash, the cash available for distribution is required to be allocated among the Unitholders electing to receive cash (with the balance of the distribution paid in Units) under a formula provided in the applicable IRS guidance. The number of Units distributed would thus depend on the applicable percentage limitation on cash available for distribution, the Unitholders’ individual elections to receive cash or stock, and the value of the Units. Each Unitholder generally would be treated as having received a taxable distribution (including for purposes of the withholding tax rules applicable to a non-U.S. Unitholder) on the date the distribution is received in an amount equal to the cash that such Unitholder would have received if the entire distribution had been paid in cash, even if the Unitholder received all or most of the distribution in Units. We currently do not intend to pay distributions in Units, but there can be no assurance we will not do so in the future.
If we are not treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, U.S. Unitholders that are individuals, trusts or estates will be taxed as though they received a distribution of some of our expenses.
During the period when we have elected to be treated as a RIC, we expect to be treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company” as a result of Units being held by at least 500 persons at all times during a taxable year. However, we cannot assure investors that we will be treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for all years. If we are not treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for any calendar year, each U.S. Unitholder that is an individual, trust or estate will be treated as having received a dividend from us in the amount of such U.S. Unitholder’s allocable share of the Management Fees and Incentive Fees paid to our Investment Adviser and certain of our other expenses for the calendar year, and these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions of such U.S. Unitholder. Miscellaneous itemized deductions of a U.S. Unitholder that is an individual, trust or estate are disallowed for tax years beginning before January 1, 2026, and thereafter generally are (i) deductible by such Unitholders only to the extent that the aggregate of such U.S. Unitholder’s miscellaneous itemized deductions exceeds 2% of such U.S. Unitholder’s adjusted gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (ii) not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax and (iii) subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions under the Code. In addition, if we are not treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company, we will be subject to limitations on the deductibility of certain “preferential dividends” that are distributed to Unitholders on a non- pro-rata basis.
Non-U.S. Unitholders may be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax on dividends paid by us.
Distributions of our “investment company taxable income” to a non-U.S. Unitholder that are not effectively connected with the non-U.S. Unitholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States will generally be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable income tax treaty) to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits.
Certain properly reported distributions are generally exempt from withholding of U.S. federal income tax where they are paid in respect of our (i) “qualified net interest income” (generally, our U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which we or the non-U.S. Unitholder are at least a 10% equity holder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of our net short-term capital gain over our net long-term capital loss for such taxable year), and certain other requirements are satisfied.
NO ASSURANCE CAN BE GIVEN AS TO WHETHER ANY OF OUR DISTRIBUTIONS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS EXEMPTION FROM WITHHOLDING OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX. IN PARTICULAR, THIS EXEMPTION WILL NOT APPLY TO OUR DISTRIBUTIONS PAID IN RESPECT OF OUR NON-U.S. SOURCE INTEREST INCOME OR OUR DIVIDEND INCOME (OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF INCOME OTHER THAN GENERALLY OUR NON-CONTINGENT U.S.-SOURCE INTEREST INCOME RECEIVED FROM UNRELATED OBLIGORS AND OUR QUALIFIED SHORT-TERM CAPITAL GAINS). IN THE CASE OF UNITS HELD THROUGH AN INTERMEDIARY, THE INTERMEDIARY MAY WITHHOLD U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX EVEN IF WE REPORT THE PAYMENT AS QUALIFIED NET INTEREST INCOME OR QUALIFIED SHORT-TERM CAPITAL GAIN. BECAUSE THE UNITS WILL BE SUBJECT TO SIGNIFICANT TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS, AND AN INVESTMENT IN UNITS WILL GENERALLY BE ILLIQUID, NON-U.S. UNITHOLDERS WHOSE DISTRIBUTIONS ON UNITS ARE SUBJECT TO WITHHOLDING OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TRANSFER THEIR UNITS EASILY OR QUICKLY OR AT ALL.
To the extent OID and PIK interest constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash representing such income.
Our investments may include OID instruments and PIK interest arrangements, which represents contractual interest added to a loan balance and due at the end of such loan’s term. To the extent OID or PIK interest constitute a portion of our income, we are exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:
•
The higher interest rates of OID and PIK instruments reflect the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with these instruments, and OID and PIK instruments generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans.
•
Even if the accounting conditions for income accrual are met, the borrower could still default when our actual collection is supposed to occur at the maturity of the obligation.
•
OID and PIK instruments 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. OID and PIK income may also create uncertainty about the source of our cash distributions.
For accounting purposes, any cash distributions to shareholders representing OID and PIK income are not treated as coming from paid-in capital, even if the cash to pay them comes from offering proceeds. As a result, despite the fact that a distribution representing OID and PIK income could be paid out of amounts invested by our Unitholders, the Investment Company Act does not require that Unitholders be given notice of this fact by reporting it as a return of capital.
The Units are limited in their transferability; we may repurchase or force a sale of a Unitholder’s Units.
Unitholders are not permitted to transfer their Units, including a transfer of solely an economic interest, without the prior written consent of us. While we expect not to unreasonably withhold our prior written consent to transfers by Unitholders, adverse tax consequences for certain of our U.S. holders may arise if we have fewer than 500 beneficial owners of our capital stock. Accordingly, we expect to withhold our consent if any such transfer would or may result in us having fewer than 550 beneficial owners of our capital stock. Additionally, we expect to withhold our consent if any such transfer would (i) be prohibited by or trigger a prepayment under our debt or other credit facilities, (ii) result in a violation of applicable securities law, (iii) result in us no longer being eligible to be treated as a RIC, (iv) result in us being subject to additional regulatory or compliance requirements imposed by laws other than the Exchange Act or the Investment Company Act, or (v) result in our assets becoming “plan assets” of any ERISA Member within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation (the regulation concerning the definition of “plan assets” under ERISA adopted by the United States Department of Labor and codified in 29 C.F.R. §2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA). Finally, Units may be transferred only in transactions that are exempt from registration under the Securities Act and the applicable securities laws of other jurisdictions, and therefore investors will be subject to restrictions on resale and transfer associated with securities sold pursuant to Regulation D, Regulation S and other exemptions from registration under the Securities Act.
Any transfer of Units in violation of these provisions will be void, and any intended recipient of the Units will acquire no rights in such Units and will not be treated as a Unitholder for any purpose. Prospective investors in us should not invest in us unless they are prepared to retain their Units until we liquidate.
Under the terms of the LLC Agreement, in the event any person is or becomes the owner of Units, and such ownership would result in a violation of any of the above provisions, we may, and each Unitholder has agreed and acknowledged that we have the power to, cause us to repurchase the Units of such person, or require such person to transfer their Units to another person; provided, any such repurchase will be conducted in accordance with the terms of the LLC Agreement and Section 23 of the Investment Company Act and applicable rules thereunder.
ITEM 1B.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
None.
ITEM 2.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.
We maintain our principal executive office at 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282. We do not own any real estate.
ITEM 3.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
From time to time, we may be a party to certain legal proceedings, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under loans to or other contracts with our portfolio companies. We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us.
ITEM 4.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II.
ITEM 5.
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
There is currently no public market for the Units, and we do not expect one to develop in the future.
Unitholders
As of February 25, 2021, there were approximately 1,000 holders of record of our Units.
Sales of Unregistered Securities
The following table summarizes the total Units issued and proceeds received related to capital drawdowns:
Each of the above issuances and sales of the Units was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D or Regulation S under the Securities Act. Each purchaser of Units was required to represent that it is (i) either an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act or, in the case of Units sold outside the United States, not a “U.S. person” in accordance with Regulation S of the Securities Act and (ii) was acquiring the Units purchased by it for investment and not with a view to resale or distribution. We do not engage in general solicitation or advertising and do not offer securities to the public, in connection with such issuances and sales.
Because the Units were acquired by investors in one or more transactions “not involving a public offering,” they are “restricted securities” and may be required to be held indefinitely. Our Units may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless (i) our consent is granted and (ii) the Units are registered under applicable securities laws or specifically exempted from registration (in which case the Unitholder may, at our option, be required to provide us with a legal opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to us, that registration is not required). Accordingly, an investor must be willing to bear the economic risk of investment in the Units until we are liquidated. No sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or other disposition, whether voluntary or involuntary, of Units may be made except by registration of the transfer on our books. Each transferee will be required to execute our LLC Agreement pursuant to which they will agree to be bound by these restrictions and the other restrictions imposed on the Units.
Distributions
Subject to the requirements of Section 852(a) of Subchapter M of the Code, and the terms of any indebtedness or Preferred Units, we intend to (i) distribute to Unitholders, pro rata based on the number of Units held by each Unitholder, before the end of each taxable year, or in certain cases, during the following taxable year, net proceeds attributable to the repayment or disposition of investments (together with any interest, dividends and other net cash flow in respect of such investments), except to the extent such proceeds from repayment or disposition are retained for reinvestment prior to the termination of the Investment Period in accordance with “-Recycling” below, (ii) distribute quarterly investment income (i.e. proceeds received in respect of interest payments, dividends or fees as opposed to proceeds received in
connection with the disposition or repayment of an Investment) commencing with the quarter ended December 31, 2016, and (iii) distribute substantially all of our investment company taxable income and net capital gain for each taxable year in order to maintain our status as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code for any such taxable year.
Depending upon the level of taxable income and net capital gain earned in a year, we may choose to retain certain net capital gain for reinvestment and carry forward taxable income for distribution in the following year and pay any applicable tax. Distributions to Unitholders will be appropriately adjusted for any taxes payable by us or any direct or indirect subsidiary through which we invest (including any corporate, state, local, non-U.S. and withholding taxes).
No distribution shall be made to a Unitholder to the extent not permitted under applicable law. Although we do not intend to do so, we have the ability to declare a portion of a dividend in Units.
The following tables summarize the distributions declared on our Units:
(1)
$0.09 is considered return of capital distribution.
Recycling
Subject to the requirements of Section 852(a) of Subchapter M of the Code and the terms of any indebtedness or Preferred Units, proceeds realized by us from the sale or repayment of any investment (as opposed to investment income) during the Investment Period (but not in excess of the cost of any such investment) may be retained and reinvested by us; provided that such additional amounts reinvested shall not, in the aggregate, exceed our total Unitholder Commitments. Any amounts so reinvested will not reduce a Unitholder’s undrawn Commitment.
To the extent that we retain net capital gains for reinvestment or carry forward taxable income for distribution in the following year, there may be certain tax consequences to us and our Unitholders.
ITEM 6.
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Not applicable.
ITEM 7.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and other parts of this report contain forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties. References to “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company,” mean Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, unless otherwise specified. The terms “GSAM,” our “Adviser” or our “Investment Adviser” refer to Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership. The term “Group Inc.” refers to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The term “Goldman Sachs” refers to Group Inc., together with Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (including its predecessors, “GS & Co.”), GSAM and its other subsidiaries and affiliates. The discussion and analysis contained in this section refers to our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The information contained in this section should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report. Please see “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with this discussion and analysis. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated by such forward-looking information due to factors discussed under “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” appearing elsewhere in this report.
OVERVIEW
We are a specialty finance company focused on lending to middle-market companies. We are a closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). In addition, we have elected to be treated, and expect to qualify annually, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2016. From our commencement of investment operations on July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2020, we have originated $2.18 billion in aggregate principal amount of debt and equity investments prior to any subsequent exits and repayments. We seek to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation primarily through direct originations of secured debt, including first lien, unitranche, including last out portions of such loans, and second lien debt, and unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt, as well as through select equity investments.
“Unitranche” loans are first lien loans that may extend deeper in a company’s capital structure than traditional first lien debt and may provide for a waterfall of cash flow priority between different lenders in the unitranche loan. In a number of instances, we may find another lender to provide the “first out” portion of such loan and retain the “last out” portion of such loan, in which case, the “first out” portion of the loan would generally receive priority with respect to payment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder over the “last out” portion that we would continue to hold. In exchange for the greater risk of loss, the “last out” portion generally earns a higher interest rate than our “first out” portion. We use the term “mezzanine” to refer to debt that ranks senior only to a borrower’s equity securities and ranks junior in right of payment to all of such borrower’s other indebtedness. We may make multiple investments in the same portfolio company. We expect to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of our net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes), directly or indirectly in private middle-market credit obligations and related instruments. We define “credit obligations and related instruments” for this purpose as any fixed-income instrument, including loans to, and bonds and preferred stock of, portfolio companies and other instruments that provide exposure to such fixed-income instruments. “Middle market” is used to refer to companies with between $5 million and $200 million of annual earnings before interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) excluding certain one-time and non-recurring items that are outside the operations of these companies. While, as a result of fluctuations in the net asset value (“NAV”) of one asset relative to another asset, private middle-market credit obligations and related instruments may represent less than 80% of our net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) at any time, we may not invest, under normal circumstances, more than 20% of our net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities and other instruments that are not private middle-market credit obligations and related instruments. To the extent we determine to invest indirectly in private middle-market credit obligations and related instruments, we may invest through certain synthetic instruments, including derivatives that have similar economic characteristics to private middle-market credit obligations. For purposes of determining compliance with our 80% policy, each applicable derivative instrument will be valued based upon its market value. We will notify our Unitholders at least 60 days prior to any change to the 80% investment policy described above.
We expect to directly or indirectly invest at least 70% of our total assets in middle-market companies domiciled in the United States. However, we may from time to time invest opportunistically in large U.S. companies, non-U.S. companies, stressed or distressed debt, structured products, private equity or other opportunities, subject to limits imposed by the Investment Company Act.
While our investment program is expected to focus primarily on debt investments, our investments may include equity features, such as a direct investment in the equity or convertible securities of a portfolio company or warrants or options to buy a minority interest in a portfolio company. Any warrants we may receive with debt securities will generally require only a nominal cost to exercise, so as a portfolio company appreciates in value, we may achieve additional investment return from these equity investments. 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 portfolio company, upon the occurrence of specified events. In many cases, we may also obtain registration rights in connection with these equity investments, which may include demand and “piggyback” registration rights.
For a discussion of the competitive landscape we face, please see “Item 1A. Risk Factors-Competition-We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities” and “Item 1. Business-Competitive Advantages.”
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
The resurgence in the spread of COVID-19 toward the end of 2020 and into 2021 has created greater uncertainty regarding the economic outlook for the near term, even as early efforts to distribute vaccines are underway. While governments and central banks continued to be aggressive in providing fiscal and monetary stimulus, the global economic recovery remains fragile. 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, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
Our investment portfolio continues to be focused on industries and sectors that are generally expected to be more durable than industries and sectors that are more prone to economic cycles. Given the unprecedented nature of COVID-19 and the difficulty in predicting future government responses and restrictions, the operating environment of our portfolio companies is evolving rapidly. Business disruption experienced by our portfolio companies may reduce, over time, the amount of interest and dividend income that we receive from our investments companies and may require us to contribute additional capital to such portfolio companies. We may need to restructure our investments in some portfolio companies, which could result in reduced interest payments from or permanent impairments of our investments, and could result in the restructuring of certain of our investments from income paying investments into non-income paying equity investments. Any such decrease in our net investment income would increase the percentage of our cash flows dedicated to our debt obligations and distribution payments to our Unitholders. As a result, we may be required to reduce the future amount of distributions to our Unitholders. We continue to closely monitor our investment portfolio in order to be positioned to respond appropriately.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Goldman Sachs has continued to successfully execute on its Business Continuity Planning (the “BCP”) strategy since initially activating it in the first quarter of 2020. Goldman Sachs’ priority has been to safeguard its employees and to ensure continuity of business operations. Goldman Sachs has a central team that continues to manage its COVID-19 response, which is led by its chief administrative officer and chief medical officer. As a result of the execution of Goldman Sachs’ BCP, the majority of its employees continue to work remotely during most of 2020 and continue to do so in January 2021. In order to re-open offices to Goldman Sachs employees after initial restrictions began to ease in the second quarter of 2020, Goldman Sachs established policies and protocols to address safety considerations, taking into account the readiness of people, communities and facilities. Over the course of the pandemic, the extent to which Goldman Sachs employees have worked from its offices has varied based on how circumstances in each location have evolved. Goldman Sachs is in constant dialogue with key stakeholders to assess health and safety conditions across all of its office locations and to have robust procedures in place to protect the well-being of its employees, such as controls around building access, strict physical distancing measures, enhanced cleaning regimes and on-site COVID-19 testing. Our systems and infrastructure have continued to support our business operations. We have maintained regular and active communication across senior management, the rest of our private credit group and our board of directors (the “Board of Directors”). Furthermore, we have ongoing dialogues with our vendors to ensure they continue to meet our criteria for business continuity.
For further information about the risks associated with COVID-19, see “-Item 1A. Risk Factors” in Part II.
KEY COMPONENTS OF OPERATIONS
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, the amount of capital we have available to us and the competitive environment for the type of investments we make.
As a BDC, we may not acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” specified in the Investment Company 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.” Pursuant to rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), “eligible portfolio companies” include certain companies that do not have any securities listed on a national securities exchange and public companies whose securities are listed on a national securities exchange but whose market capitalization is less than $250 million.
Revenues
We generate revenues in the form of interest income on debt investments and, to a lesser extent, capital gains and distributions, if any, on equity securities that we may acquire in portfolio companies. Some of our investments may provide for deferred interest payments or payment-in-kind (“PIK”) income. The principal amount of the debt investments and any accrued but unpaid interest generally becomes due at the maturity date.
We generate revenues primarily through receipt of interest income from the investments we hold. In addition, we may generate revenue in the form of commitment, origination, structuring, syndication, exit fees or diligence fees, fees for providing managerial assistance and consulting fees. Portfolio company fees (directors’ fees, consulting fees, administrative fees, tax advisory fees and other similar compensation) will be paid to us, unless, to the extent required by applicable law or exemptive relief, if any, therefrom, we receive our allocable portion of such fees when invested in the same portfolio company as other client accounts managed by our Investment Adviser (including GS BDC and GS PMMC II, collectively with other client accounts managed by our Investment Adviser, the “Accounts”), which other Accounts could receive their allocable portion of such fee. We do not expect to receive material fee income as it is not our principal investment strategy. We record contractual prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income.
Dividend income on preferred equity investments is recorded on an accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity investments is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies and on the ex-dividend date for publicly traded portfolio companies. Interest and dividend income are presented net of withholding tax, if any.
Expenses
Our primary operating expenses include the payment of the management fee (the “Management Fee”) and the incentive fee (the “Incentive Fee”) to the Investment Adviser, legal and professional fees, interest and other debt expenses and other operating and overhead related expenses. The Management Fee and Incentive Fee compensate our Investment Adviser for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, closing and monitoring our investments. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Investment Adviser (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), Company expenses borne by us in the ordinary course on an annual basis (excluding Management Fees, Incentive Fees, organizational and start-up expenses and leverage-related expenses) will not exceed an amount equal to 0.5% of the aggregate amount of commitments to us by holders of common units of our limited liability company interests (“Units”); provided, however, that expenses incurred outside of the ordinary course, including litigation and similar expenses, are not subject to such cap. We bear all other expenses of our operations and transactions in accordance with our Investment Advisory Agreement and administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”), including:
•
our operational and organizational expenses;
•
fees and expenses, including travel expenses, incurred by our Investment Adviser or payable to third parties related to our investments, including, among others, professional fees (including the fees and expenses of consultants and experts) and fees and expenses from evaluating, monitoring, researching and performing due diligence on investments and prospective investments;
•
interest, fees and other expenses payable on indebtedness for borrowed money (including through the issuance of notes and other evidence of indebtedness), other indebtedness, financings or extensions of credit, if any, incurred by us;
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fees and expenses incurred by us in connection with membership in investment company organizations;
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brokers’ commissions;
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fees and expenses associated with calculating our net asset value (“NAV”) (including expenses of any independent valuation firm);
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legal, auditing or accounting expenses;
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taxes or governmental fees;
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the fees and expenses of our administrator, transfer agent, or sub-transfer agent;
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the cost of preparing unit certificates or any other expenses, including clerical expenses of issue or repurchase of our Units;
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the expenses of and fees for registering or qualifying our Units for sale and of maintaining our registration or qualifying and registering us as a broker or a dealer;
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the fees and expenses of our directors who are not affiliated with our Investment Adviser;
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the cost of preparing and distributing reports, proxy statements and notices to our Unitholders, the SEC and other regulatory authorities;
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costs of holding Unitholder meetings;
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the fees or disbursements of custodians of our assets, including expenses incurred in the performance of any obligations enumerated by limited liability company agreement or other organizational documents insofar as they govern agreements with any such custodian;
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insurance premiums; and
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costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or dispute in connection with our business and the amount of any judgment or settlement paid in connection therewith, or the enforcement of our rights against any person and indemnification or contribution expenses payable by us to any person and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of our business.
Our Investment Adviser will not be required to pay expenses of activities which are primarily intended to result in sales of Units.
We expect our general and administrative expenses to be relatively stable or decline as a percentage of total assets during periods of asset growth and to increase during periods of asset declines.
Leverage
The JPM Revolving Credit Facility allows us to borrow money and lever our investment portfolio, subject to the limitations of the Investment Company Act, with the objective of increasing our yield. This is known as “leverage” and could increase or decrease returns to our Unitholders. The use of leverage involves significant risks. As a BDC, with certain limited exceptions, we are only permitted to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the Investment Company Act, equals at least 200% after such borrowing (or 150% if certain requirements are met). As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, our asset coverage ratio based on the aggregate amount outstanding of our senior securities (which includes the JPM Revolving Credit Facility and the revolving credit facility with Bank of America, N.A., the “BoA Revolving Credit Facility” and together with the JPM Revolving Credit Facility, the “Revolving Credit Facilities”)
was 271% and 270%. The Small Business Credit Availability Act modified the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act to reduce the required asset coverage ratio applicable to BDCs to 150%, subject to certain approval and disclosure requirements and, in the case of BDCs without common equity listed on a national securities exchange, such as the Company, an offer to repurchase shares held by the BDC’s stockholders as of the date the requisite approval is obtained. As a result, BDCs are able to increase their leverage capacity if shareholders approve a proposal to do so. If a BDC receives shareholder approval, it would be allowed to increase its leverage capacity on the first day after such approval. Alternatively, the legislation allows the majority of the directors who are not “interested persons,” as defined in the Investment Company Act, of the BDC to approve an increase in its leverage capacity, and such approval would become effective after one year. Certain trading practices and investments, such as reverse repurchase agreements, may be considered borrowings or involve leverage and thus may be subject to Investment Company Act restrictions. In accordance with applicable SEC staff guidance and interpretations, when we engage in such transactions, instead of maintaining an asset coverage ratio of at least 200% (or 150% if the above referenced requirements are met), we may segregate or earmark liquid assets, or enter into an offsetting position, in an amount at least equal to our exposure, on a mark-to-market basis, to such transactions (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the SEC). Short-term credits necessary for the settlement of securities transactions and arrangements with respect to securities lending will not be considered borrowings for these purposes. Practices and investments that may involve leverage but are not considered borrowings are not subject to the Investment Company Act’s asset coverage requirement, and we will not otherwise segregate or earmark liquid assets or enter into offsetting positions for such transactions. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our Investment Adviser’s and our Board of Directors’ assessment of market conditions and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing.
PORTFOLIO AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY
Our portfolio (excluding our investment in a money market fund, if any, managed by an affiliate of Group Inc.) consisted of the following:
The weighted average yield of our portfolio by asset type (excluding our investment in a money market fund, if any, managed by an affiliate of Group Inc.), at amortized cost and fair value, was as follows:
(1)
The weighted average yield of our portfolio does not represent the total return to our Unitholders.
(2)
Computed based on (a) the annual actual interest rate or yield earned plus amortization of fees and discounts on the performing debt and other income producing investments as of the reporting date, divided by (b) the total investments (including investments on non-accrual and non-income producing investments) at amortized cost or fair value.
(3)
The calculation includes incremental yield earned on the “last-out” portion of the unitranche loan investments.
(4)
Computed based on (a) the stated coupon rate, if any, for each income-producing investment, divided by (b) the total investments (including investments on non-accrual and non-income producing investments) at amortized cost or fair value.
As of December, 2020, the total portfolio weighted average yield measured at amortized cost and fair value was 8.4% and 9.2%, as compared to 9.2% and 9.6%, at December 31, 2019. Within First Lien/Last-Out Unitranche, the decrease in weighted average yield at amortized cost was primarily driven by the decline in the London InterBank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). Within Second Lien/Senior Secured Debt, the decrease in weighted average yield at amortized cost was primarily driven by one investment placed on non-accrual status. Within Unsecured Debt, the increase in weighted average yield at fair value was primarily driven by the increased market volatility, economic disruption, and
wider credit spreads resulting from the recent COVID-19 pandemic. For further discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our portfolio, please see “-Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic.”
The following table presents certain selected information regarding our investment portfolio (excluding our investment in a money market fund, if any, managed by an affiliate of Group Inc.):
(1)
Measured on a fair value basis. Excludes investments, if any, placed on non-accrual.
(2)
Includes income producing preferred stock investments, if applicable.
(3)
For a particular portfolio company, we calculate the level of contractual indebtedness net of cash (“net debt”) owed by the portfolio company and compare that amount to measures of cash flow available to service the net debt. To calculate net debt, we include debt that is both senior and pari passu to the tranche of debt owned by us but exclude debt that is legally and contractually subordinated in ranking to the debt owned by us. We believe this calculation method assists in describing the risk of our portfolio investments, as it takes into consideration contractual rights of repayment of the tranche of debt owned by us relative to other senior and junior creditors of a portfolio company. We typically calculate cash flow available for debt service at a portfolio company by taking EBITDA for the trailing twelve month period. Weighted average net debt to EBITDA is weighted based on the fair value of our debt investments, excluding investments where net debt to EBITDA may not be the appropriate measure of credit risk, such as cash collateralized loans and investments that are underwritten and covenanted based on recurring revenue.
For a particular portfolio company, we also calculate the level of contractual interest expense owed by the portfolio company, and compare that amount to EBITDA (“interest coverage ratio”). We believe this calculation method assists in describing the risk of our portfolio investments, as it takes into consideration contractual interest obligations of the portfolio company. Weighted average interest coverage is weighted based on the fair value of our performing debt investments, excluding investments where interest coverage may not be the appropriate measure of credit risk, such as cash collateralized loans and investments that are underwritten and covenanted based on recurring revenue.
Median EBITDA is based on our debt investments, excluding investments where net debt to EBITDA may not be the appropriate measure of credit risk, such as cash collateralized loans and investments that are underwritten and covenanted based on recurring revenue.
Portfolio company statistics are derived from the most recently available financial statements of each portfolio company as of the reported end date. Statistics of the portfolio companies have not been independently verified by us and may reflect a normalized or adjusted amount.
As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, investments where net debt to EBITDA may not be the appropriate measure of credit risk represented 30.3% and 20.7%, of total debt investments at fair value. Portfolio company statistics are derived from the most recently available financial statements of each portfolio company as of the respective reported end date. Portfolio company statistics have not been independently verified by us and may reflect a normalized or adjusted amount.
Our Investment Adviser monitors on an ongoing basis, the financial trends of each portfolio company to determine if it is meeting its respective business plan and to assess the appropriate course of action for each company. Our Investment Adviser has several methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance and fair value of our investments, which may include (i) assessment of success in adhering to the portfolio company’s business plan and compliance with covenants; (ii) periodic or regular contact with portfolio company management and, if appropriate, the financial or strategic sponsor to discuss financial position, requirements and accomplishments; (iii) comparisons to our other portfolio companies in the industry, if any; (iv) attendance at and participation in board meetings or presentations by portfolio companies; and (v) review of monthly and quarterly financial statements and financial projections of portfolio companies.
As part of the monitoring process, our Investment Adviser also employs an investment rating system to categorize our investments. In addition to various risk management and monitoring tools, our Investment Adviser grades the credit risk of all investments on a scale of 1 to 4 no less frequently than quarterly. This system is intended primarily to reflect the underlying risk of a portfolio investment relative to our initial cost basis in respect of such portfolio investment (i.e., at the time of origination or acquisition), although it may also take into account in certain circumstances the performance of the portfolio company’s business, the collateral coverage of the investment and other relevant factors. The grading system for our investments is as follows:
•
Grade 1 investments involve the least amount of risk to our initial cost basis. The trends and risk factors for this investment since origination or acquisition are generally favorable, which may include the performance of the portfolio company or a potential exit;
•
Grade 2 investments involve a level of risk to our initial cost basis that is similar to the risk to our initial cost basis at the time of origination or acquisition. This portfolio company is generally performing as expected and the risk factors to our ability to ultimately recoup the cost of our investment are neutral to favorable. All investments or acquired investments in new portfolio companies are initially assessed a grade of 2;
•
Grade 3 investments indicate that the risk to our ability to recoup the initial cost basis of such investment has increased materially since origination or acquisition, including as a result of factors such as declining performance and non-compliance with debt covenants; however, payments are generally not more than 120 days past due; and
•
Grade 4 investments indicate that the risk to our ability to recoup the initial cost basis of such investment has substantially increased since origination or acquisition, and the portfolio company likely has materially declining performance. For debt
investments with an investment grade of 4, in most cases, most or all of the debt covenants are out of compliance and payments are substantially delinquent. For investments graded 4, it is anticipated that we will not recoup our initial cost basis and may realize a substantial loss of our initial cost basis upon exit.
Our Investment Adviser grades the investments in our portfolio at least each quarter and it is possible that the grade of a portfolio investment may be reduced or increased over time. For investments with a grade of 3 or 4, the Investment Adviser enhances its level of scrutiny over the monitoring of such portfolio company. The following table shows the composition of our portfolio (excluding our investment in a money market fund, if any, managed by an affiliate of Group Inc.) on the 1 to 4 grading scale:
The increase in investments with a grade 3 investment performance rating as of December 31, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019 was primarily driven by increased market volatility, economic disruption, and wider credit spreads resulting from the recent COVID-19 pandemic, however economic indicators generally continued to improve upon the rebound experienced during the second quarter, following significant declines in the first quarter, as businesses continued to navigate governmental mandates and the government continued to maintain liquidity in the capital markets and provide fiscal stimulus to support the economy. Given the unprecedented nature of COVID-19, the operating environment of our portfolio companies is evolving rapidly. For further discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our portfolio, please see “Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic.”
The following table shows the amortized cost of our performing and non-accrual investments (excluding our investment in a money market fund, if any, managed by an affiliate of Group Inc.):
Investments are placed on non-accrual status when it is probable that principal, interest or dividends will not be collected according to the contractual terms. Accrued interest or dividends generally are reversed when an investment is placed on non-accrual status. Interest or dividend payments received on non-accrual investments may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment. Non-accrual investments are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest or dividends are paid and, in management’s judgment, principal and interest or dividend payments are likely to remain current. We may make exceptions to this treatment if the loan has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection.
The following table shows our investment activity by investment type(1):
(1)
Figures for new investment commitments are shown net of capitalized fees, expenses and original issue discount (“OID”) that occurred at the initial close. Figures for new investment commitments and may also include positions originated during the period but not held at the reporting date. Figures for investments sold or repaid, excludes unfunded commitments that may have expired or otherwise been terminated without receipt of cash proceeds or other consideration.
(2)
Calculated as of the end of the relevant period and the maturity date of the individual investments.
(3)
Computed based on (a) the annual actual interest rate on new debt and income producing investment commitments, divided by (b) the total new debt and income producing investment commitments. The calculation includes incremental yield earned on the “last-out” portion of the unitranche loan investments and excludes investments that are non-accrual. The annual actual interest rate used is as of the respective quarter end date when the investment activity occurred.
(4)
Computed based on (a) the annual actual interest rate on new investment commitments, divided by (b) the total new investment commitments (including investments on non-accrual and non-income producing investments). The calculation includes incremental yield earned on the “last-out” portion of the unitranche loan investments. The annual actual interest rate used is as of the respective quarter end date when the investment activity occurred.
(5)
Computed based on (a) the annual actual interest rate on debt and income producing investments sold or paid down, divided by (b) the total debt and income producing investments sold or paid down. The calculation includes incremental yield earned on the “last-out” portion of the unitranche loan investments and excludes prepayment premiums earned on exited investments and investments that are non-accrual.
(6)
Computed based on (a) the annual actual interest rate on investments sold or paid down, divided by (b) the total investments sold or paid down (including investments on non-accrual and non-income producing investments). The calculation includes incremental yield earned on the “last-out” portion of the unitranche loan investments and excludes prepayment premiums earned on exited investments.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Our operating results were as follows:
Net increase in Members’ Capital from operations can vary from period to period as a result of various factors, including acquisitions, the level of new investment commitments, the recognition of realized gains and losses and changes in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on the investment portfolio.
Investment Income
Interest
Interest from investments, which includes prepayment premiums and accelerated accretion of upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts, decreased from $152.23 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $125.32 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to a decrease in the size of our portfolio. The amortized cost of the portfolio decreased from $1,427.33 million as of December 31, 2019 to $1,291.51 million as of December 31, 2020. Included in interest for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 is $1.43 million and $2.66 million, in prepayment premiums and $1.82 million and $4.66 million, in accelerated accretion of upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts.
Dividend and other income
Dividend and other income for the year ended December 31, 2020 remained relatively consistent as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Expenses
Interest and other debt expenses
Interest and other debt expenses decreased from $34.34 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $24.28 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This was primarily due to a decrease in the average aggregate daily borrowings from $551.24 million to $489.24 million, which was driven by a decrease in the size of our portfolio.
Management Fees and Incentive Fees
Management Fees for the year ended December 31, 2020 remained relatively consistent as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
The accrual for Incentive Fees increased from $9.57 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $11.59 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Professional fees and other general and administrative expenses
Professional fees and other general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 remained relatively consistent as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.
Net Realized Gains (Losses) and Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments
The realized gains and losses on fully exited and partially exited investments in portfolio companies consisted of the following:
For the year ended December 31, 2020, net realized gains were primarily driven by our investments in one portfolio company. In October 2020, we sold our preferred stock in Accuity Delivery Systems, LLC, which resulted in a realized gain of $4.80 million.
For the year ended December 31, 2019, net realized losses were primarily driven by our investments in two portfolio companies. In May 2019, we exchanged our first lien/last-out unitranche debt in Vantage Mobility International, LLC for first lien/last-out unitranche debt, preferred stock and common stock, which resulted in a realized loss of $10.24 million. In addition, in April 2019, we exchanged our second lien debt in Country Fresh Holding Company Inc. for common stock, which resulted in a realized loss of $12.34 million.
Any changes in fair value are recorded in change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments. For further details on the valuation process, refer to “Note 2 “Significant Accounting Policies-Investments” in our consolidated financial statements. Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments were as follows:
The change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments consisted of the following:
(1)
For the year ended December 31, 2020, other, net includes gross unrealized appreciation of $2.93 million and gross unrealized depreciation of $(14.36) million.
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in our investments for the year ended December 31, 2020 continued to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, however economic indicators generally continued to improve upon the rebound experienced during the second quarter, following significant declines in the first quarter, as businesses continued to navigate governmental mandates and the government continued to maintain liquidity in the capital markets and provide fiscal stimulus to support the economy. Given the unprecedented nature of COVID-19, the operating environment of our portfolio companies is evolving rapidly. For further discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our portfolio, please see “-Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic.” In addition, the net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) was primarily driven by the unrealized depreciation in Chase Industries, Inc. (dba Senneca Holdings), which was placed on non-accrual status during the three months ended June 30, 2020 due to financial underperformance and the unrealized depreciation in Vantage Mobility International, LLC, which was due to financial underperformance, partially offset by the unrealized appreciation in Zep Inc., which was due to financial improvement.
(1)
For the year ended December 31, 2019, other, net includes gross unrealized appreciation of $3.43 million and gross unrealized depreciation of $(5.47) million.
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in our investments for the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily driven by the unrealized depreciation in Zep Inc., which was due to financial underperformance.
FINANCIAL CONDITION, LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
The primary use of existing funds and any funds raised in the future is expected to be for our investments in portfolio companies, cash distributions to our Unitholders or for other general corporate purposes, including paying for operating expenses or debt service to the extent we borrow or issue senior securities.
We expect to generate cash primarily from the net proceeds of any future offerings of securities, drawdowns of capital commitments, future borrowings and cash flows from operations. To the extent we determine that additional capital would allow us to take advantage of additional investment opportunities, if the market for debt financing presents attractively priced debt financing opportunities, or if our Board of
Directors otherwise determines that leveraging our portfolio would be in our best interest and the best interests of our Unitholders, we may enter into credit facilities in addition to the JPM Revolving Credit Facility, or issue other senior securities. We would expect any such credit facilities may be secured by certain of our assets and may contain advance rates based upon pledged collateral. The pricing and other terms of any such facilities would depend upon market conditions when we enter into any such facilities as well as the performance of our business, among other factors. As a BDC, with certain limited exceptions, we are only permitted to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the Investment Company Act, is at least 200% after such borrowing (or 150% if certain requirements are met). See “-Key Components of Operations-Leverage.” As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, our asset coverage ratio based on the aggregate amount outstanding of our senior securities (which includes the JPM Revolving Credit Facility and the revolving credit facility with Bank of America, N.A., the “BoA Revolving Credit Facility” and together with the JPM Revolving Credit Facility, the “Revolving Credit Facilities”) was 271% and 270%. We may also refinance or repay any of our indebtedness at any time based on our financial condition and market conditions.
We may enter into investment commitments through signed commitment letters which may ultimately become investment transactions in the future. We regularly evaluate and carefully consider our unfunded commitments using GSAM’s proprietary risk management framework for the purpose of planning our capital resources and ongoing liquidity, including our financial leverage.
As of December 31, 2020, we had cash of approximately $25.38 million, an increase of $7.70 million from December 31, 2019. In addition, as of December 31, 2020, we had an investment in a money market fund managed by an affiliate of Group Inc. of $122.36 million. Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was approximately $92.22 million, primarily driven by net purchases of investments in the affiliated money market fund of $122.36 million, other operating activities of $2.49, offset by an increase in Members’ Capital from operations of $65.69 million and net sales of investments of $151.38 million. Cash used by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was approximately $84.55 million, primarily driven by proceeds from the issuance of common Units of $43.90 million, offset by net repayments on debt of $40.91 million, distributions paid of $85.37 million and other financing activities of $2.17 million.
As of December 31, 2019, we had cash of approximately $17.68 million, a decrease of $7.87 million from December 31, 2018. In addition, as of December 31, 2019, we had an investment in a money market fund managed by an affiliate of Group Inc. of $22.30 million. Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 was approximately $46.69 million, primarily driven by net purchases of investments of $26.65 million, net purchases of investments in the affiliated money market fund of $22.30 million, offset by other operating activities of $38.96 million and an increase in Members’ Capital resulting from operations of $56.66 million. Cash used by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 was approximately $54.56 million, primarily driven by proceeds from the issuance of common Units of $159.13 million, offset by net repayments on debt of $62.47 million, distributions paid of $150.25 million and other financing activities of $0.97 million.
To the extent permissible under the risk retention rules and applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, we may raise capital by securitizing certain of our investments, including through the formation of one or more collateralized loan obligations or asset based facilities, while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. This would involve contributing a pool of assets to a special purpose entity, and selling debt interests in such entity on a non-recourse or limited-recourse basis to purchasers. We may also pursue other forms of debt financing, including potentially from the Small Business Administration through a future small business investment company subsidiary (subject to regulatory approvals).
We had aggregate capital commitments and undrawn capital commitments from investors as follows:
The following table summarizes the total Units issued and proceeds related to capital drawdowns:
Contractual Obligations
We have entered into certain contracts under which we have future commitments. Payments under the Investment Advisory Agreement, pursuant to which GSAM has agreed to serve as our Investment Adviser, are equal to (1) a percentage of our average NAV and (2) an Incentive Fee based on investment performance. Under the Administration Agreement, pursuant to which State Street Bank and Trust Company has agreed to furnish us with the administrative services necessary to conduct our day-to-day operations, we pay our administrator such fees as may be agreed between us and our administrator that we determine are commercially reasonable in our sole discretion. Generally, either party may terminate the Investment Advisory Agreement without penalty on at least 60 days’ written notice to the other party. Either party may terminate the Administration Agreement without penalty upon at least 30 days’ written notice to the other party. The following table shows our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2020:
Euro (“€”)
JPM Revolving Credit Facility
On November 21, 2017, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC (“SPV”), our wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into the JPM Revolving Credit Facility. JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (“JPM”) serves as administrative agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as collateral agent, collateral administrator, bank and securities intermediary and we serve as portfolio manager under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility. State Street Bank and Trust Company also acts as our transfer agent, disbursing agent, custodian and administrator as well as SPV’s custodian. The Company amended the JPM Revolving Credit Facility on August 17, 2018, December 10, 2018, February 22, 2019, April 3, 2020, August 26, 2020 and November 23, 2020.
Borrowings under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility bear interest (at SPV’s election) at a per annum rate equal to either (x) the three-month LIBOR (or other listed offered rate, depending upon the currency of borrowing) in effect or (y) a rate per annum equal to the greater of (i) the prime rate of JPM in effect on such day and (ii) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus 0.50%; and, with respect to advances denominated in a currency other than USD, the annual rate of interest is the reference rate then in effect for determining interest rates on commercial loans made in the applicable jurisdiction of such currency, in all cases, in each case, plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin is 3.25% per annum. SPV initially paid a commitment fee of 1.00% per annum (or 0.50% per annum during the first nine months from the date the JPM Revolving Credit Facility was entered into) on the average daily unused amount of the financing commitments until the third anniversary of the JPM Revolving Credit Facility.
The JPM Revolving Credit Facility is a multicurrency facility. As of December 31, 2020, the total commitments under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility were $468.25 million. The JPM Revolving Credit Facility also has a commitment increase option, subject to the satisfaction of various conditions, which could bring total commitments under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility to $750.00 million. All amounts outstanding under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility must be repaid by the sixth anniversary of the JPM Revolving Credit Facility, subject to a six month extension of the maturity date with the consent of the administrative agent at such time.
SPV’s obligations to the lenders under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility are secured by a first priority security interest in all of SPV’s portfolio of investments and cash. The obligations of SPV under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility are non-recourse to us, and our exposure under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility is limited to the value of our investment in SPV.
In connection with the JPM Revolving Credit Facility, SPV has made certain customary representations and warranties and is required to comply with various covenants, reporting requirements and other customary requirements for similar facilities. The JPM Revolving Credit Facility contains customary events of default for similar financing transactions, including if a change of control of SPV occurs or if we are no longer the portfolio manager of SPV. Upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an event of default, JPM may declare the outstanding advances and all other obligations under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility immediately due and payable.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We may become a party to investment commitments and to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of our business to fund investments and to meet the financial needs of our portfolio companies. These instruments may include commitments to extend credit and involve, to varying degrees, elements of liquidity and credit risk in excess of the amount recognized in the balance sheet. As of December 31, 2020, we believed that we had adequate financial resources to satisfy our unfunded commitments. Our unfunded commitments to provide funds to portfolio companies were as follows:
As of December 31, 2020, we had aggregate Commitments and undrawn Commitments from investors as follows:
HEDGING
Subject to applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act and applicable Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) regulations, we may enter into hedging transactions in a manner consistent with SEC guidance. To the extent that any of our loans are denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars, we may enter into currency hedging contracts to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. We may also enter into interest rate hedging agreements. Such hedging activities, which will be subject to compliance with applicable legal requirements, may include the use of futures, options, swaps and forward contracts. Costs incurred in entering into such contracts or in settling them, if any, will be borne by us. Our Investment Adviser has claimed no-action relief from CFTC registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator pursuant to a CFTC Rule 4.5 with respect to our operations, with the result that we will be limited in our ability to use futures contracts or options on futures contracts or engage in swap transactions. Specifically, CFTC Rule 4.5 imposes strict limitations on using such derivatives other than for hedging purposes, whereby the use of derivatives not used solely for hedging purposes is generally limited to situations where (i) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions does not exceed five percent of the liquidation value of our portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such contracts it has entered into; or (ii) the aggregate net notional value of such derivatives does not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of our portfolio. Moreover, we anticipate entering into transactions involving such derivatives to a very limited extent solely for hedging purposes or otherwise within the limitations of CFTC Rule 4.5.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
On January 26, 2021, Jonathan Lamm notified us of his intention to resign as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer effective March 1, 2021. Mr. Lamm’s decision to resign is not the result of any disagreement with the Company. On February 24, 2021, our Board of Directors appointed Joseph DiMaria as our Interim Chief Financial Officer and Interim Treasurer effective March 1, 2021.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ materially.
For a description of our critical accounting policies, see Note 2 “Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included in this report. We consider the most significant accounting policies to be those related to our Valuation of Portfolio Investments, Revenue Recognition, Non-Accrual Investments, Distribution Policy and Income Taxes.
ITEM 7A.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are subject to financial market risks, most significantly changes in interest rates. Interest rate sensitivity refers to the change in our earnings that may result from changes in the level of interest rates. Because we expect to fund a portion of our investments with borrowings, our net investment income is expected to be affected by the difference between the rate at which we invest and the rate at which we borrow. 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.
Uncertainty with respect to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced significant volatility in the financial markets, and the effect of the volatility could materially impact our market risks, including those listed below.
As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, on a fair value basis, approximately 1.2% and 1.4%, of our performing debt investments bore interest at a fixed rate (including income producing preferred stock investments), and approximately 98.8% and 98.6%, of our performing debt investments bore interest at a floating rate. Our borrowings under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at a floating rate.
We regularly measure our exposure to interest rate risk. We assess interest rate risk and manage our interest rate exposure on an ongoing basis by comparing our interest rate sensitive assets to our interest rate sensitive liabilities.
Based on our December 31, 2020 balance sheet, the following table shows the annual impact on net income of base rate changes in interest rates (considering interest rate floors for variable rate instruments) assuming no changes in our investment and borrowing structure:
We may, in the future, hedge against interest rate fluctuations by using standard hedging instruments such as futures, options and forward contracts subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act, applicable CFTC regulations and in a manner consistent with SEC guidance. While hedging activities may insulate us against adverse changes in interest rates, they may also limit our ability to participate in benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio of investments with fixed interest rates.
ITEM 8.
ITEM 8. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE MIDDLE MARKET CREDIT LLC
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2020 and 2019
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Members’ Capital for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018
Consolidated Schedules of Investments as of December 31, 2020 and 2019
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Unitholders of Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition, including the consolidated schedules of investments, of Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in members’ capital and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations, changes in its members’ capital and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audit. 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 audit of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit 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 audit 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 procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 by correspondence with the agent banks, portfolio company investees, transfer agent and brokers; when replies were not received, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 25, 2021
We have served as the auditor of one or more investment companies
in the following group of business development companies
since 2012 - Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC,
Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc., and
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Members’ Capital
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2020
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2020 (continued)
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2020 (continued)
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2020 (continued)
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
(+)
Represents the actual interest rate for partially or fully funded debt in effect as of the reporting date. Variable rate loans bear interest at a rate that may be determined by the larger of the floor or the reference to either LIBOR ("L") or alternate base rate (commonly based on the Prime Rate ("P")), at the borrower’s option, which reset periodically based on the terms of the credit agreement. L loans are typically indexed to 12 month, 6 month, 3 month, 2 month, 1 month or 1 week L rates. As of December 31, 2020, rates for the 12 month, 6 month, 3 month, 2 month, 1 month and 1 week L are 0.34%, 0.26%, 0.24%, 0.19%, 0.14% and 0.10%, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, P was 3.25%. For investments with multiple reference rates or alternate base rates, the interest rate shown is the weighted average interest rate in effect at December 31, 2020.
(++)
The total par amount is presented for debt investments, while the number of shares or units owned is presented for equity investments. Par amount is denominated in U.S. Dollars ("$") unless otherwise noted, Euro ("€").
#
Percentages are based on net assets.
^
As defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”), the investment is deemed to be an “affiliated person” of the Company because the Company owns, either directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the portfolio company’s outstanding voting securities. See Note 3 “Significant Agreements and Related Party Transactions”.
^^^
The investment is otherwise deemed to be an "affiliated person" of the Company. See Note 3 "Significant Agreements and Related Party Transactions".
(1)
Represent co-investments made with the Company’s affiliates in accordance with the terms of the exemptive relief received from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. See Note 3 “Significant Agreements and Related Party Transactions”.
(2)
All, or a portion of, the assets are pledged as collateral for the revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (the “JPM Revolving Credit Facility”). See Note 6 “Debt”.
(3)
The fair value of the investment was determined using significant unobservable inputs. See Note 5 “Fair Value Measurement”.
(4)
Position or portion thereof is an unfunded loan commitment, and no interest is being earned on the unfunded portion. The unfunded loan commitment may be subject to a commitment termination date that may expire prior to the maturity date stated. The negative cost, if applicable, is the result of the capitalized discount being greater than the principal amount outstanding on the loan. The negative fair value, if applicable, is the result of the capitalized discount on the loan. See Note 8 "Commitments and Contingencies".
(5)
The investment is not a qualifying asset under Section 55(a) of the Investment Company Act. The Company may not acquire any non-qualifying asset unless, at the time of acquisition, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the Company’s total assets. As of December 31, 2020 the aggregate fair value of these securities is $32,927 or 2.28% of the Company’s total assets.
(6)
In exchange for the greater risk of loss, the “last-out” portion of the Company's unitranche loan investment generally earns a higher interest rate than the “first-out” portions. The “first-out” portion would generally receive priority with respect to payment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder over the “last-out” portion.
(7)
The investment is on non-accrual status as of December 31, 2020.
(8)
Non-income producing security.
(9)
Securities exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, and may be deemed to be “restricted securities”. As of December 31, 2020, the aggregate fair value of these securities is $28,446 or 3.51% of the Company's net assets. The initial acquisition dates of the restricted securities were as follows:
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2020 (continued)
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
(10)
The annualized seven-day yield as of December 31, 2020 is 0.02%.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Foreign currency forward contracts
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2019
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2019 (continued)
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2019 (continued)
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2019 (continued)
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
(+)
Represents the actual interest rate for partially or fully funded debt in effect as of the reporting date. Variable rate loans bear interest at a rate that may be determined by reference to either LIBOR ("L") or alternate base rate (commonly based on the Prime Rate ("P")), at the borrower's option, which reset periodically based on the terms of the credit agreement. L loans are typically indexed to 12 month, 6 month, 3 month, 2 month, 1 month or 1 week L rates. As of December 31, 2019, rates for the 12 month, 6 month, 3 month, 2 month, 1 month and 1 week L are 2.00%, 1.91%, 1.91%, 1.83%, 1.76% and 1.63%. As of December 31, 2019, P was 4.75%. For investments with multiple reference rates or alternate base rates, the interest rate shown is the weighted average interest rate in effect at December 31, 2019.
(++)
The total par amount is presented for debt investments, while the number of shares or units owned is presented for equity investments. Par amount is denominated in U.S. Dollars ("$") unless otherwise noted, Euro ("€").
#
Percentages are based on net assets.
^
As defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, the investment is deemed to be an “affiliated person” of the Company because the Company owns, either directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the portfolio company's outstanding voting securities. See Note 3 “Significant Agreements and Related Party Transactions”.
^^^
The portfolio company is otherwise deemed to be an “affiliated person” of the Company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. See Note 3 "Significant Agreements and Related Party Transactions".
(1)
Represent co-investments made with the Company’s affiliates in accordance with the terms of the exemptive relief that the Company received from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. See Note 3 “Significant Agreements and Related Party Transactions”.
(2)
All, or a portion of, the assets are pledged as collateral for the revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (the “JPM Revolving Credit Facility”). See Note 6 “Debt”.
(3)
The fair value of the investment was determined using significant unobservable inputs. See Note 5 “Fair Value Measurement”.
(4)
Position or portion thereof is an unfunded loan commitment, and no interest is being earned on the unfunded portion. The unfunded loan commitment may be subject to a commitment termination date that may expire prior to the maturity date stated. The negative cost, if applicable, is the result of the capitalized discount being greater than the principal amount outstanding on the loan. The negative fair value, if applicable, is the result of the capitalized discount on the loan. See Note 8 "Commitments and Contingencies".
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Consolidated Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2019 (continued)
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
(5)
The investment is not a qualifying asset under Section 55(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Company may not acquire any non-qualifying asset unless, at the time of acquisition, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the Company’s total assets. As of December 31, 2019, the aggregate fair value of these securities is $30,594 or 2.11% of the Company's total assets.
(6)
In exchange for the greater risk of loss, the “last-out” portion of the Company's unitranche loan investment generally earns a higher interest rate than the “first-out” portions. The “first-out” portion of the loan would generally receive priority with respect to payment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder over the “last-out” portion that the Company would continue to hold.
(7)
Non-income producing security.
(8)
Securities exempt from registration under the Securities Act and may be deemed to be “restricted securities” under the Securities Act. As of December 31, 2019, the aggregate fair value of these securities is $28,748 or 3.27% of the Company's net assets. The acquisition dates of the restricted securities are as follows:
(9)
The rate shown is the annualized seven-day yield as of December 31, 2019.
(10)
The investment includes an exit fee that is receivable upon repayment of the loan. See Note 2 “Significant Accounting Policies”.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Foreign currency forward contracts
Currency Abbreviations:
EUR - Euro
USD - U.S. Dollar
The accompanying notes are part of these consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
(in thousands, except unit and per unit amounts)
(Unaudited)
1.
ORGANIZATION
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC (the “Company”, which term refers to either Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC or Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC together with its consolidated subsidiaries, as the context may require), initially established on December 23, 2015 as Private Middle Market Credit LP, a Delaware limited partnership, converted to a Delaware limited liability company on April 4, 2016 and commenced investment operations on July 1, 2016. The Company has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). In addition, 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”), commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2016.
The Company’s investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation primarily through direct originations of secured debt, including first lien debt, unitranche loans, including last out portions of such loans, and second lien debt, and unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt, as well as through select equity investments.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (“GSAM”), a Delaware limited partnership and an affiliate of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (including its predecessors, “GS & Co.”), is the investment adviser (the “Investment Adviser”) of the Company. The term “Goldman Sachs” refers to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (“Group Inc.”), together with GS & Co., GSAM and its other subsidiaries.
On May 6, 2016 (the “Initial Closing Date”), the Company began accepting subscription agreements (“Subscription Agreements”) from investors acquiring common units of the Company’s limited liability company interests (“Units”) in the Company’s private offering. Under the terms of the Subscription Agreements, investors are required to make capital contributions up to the undrawn amount of their capital commitment to purchase Units each time the Company delivers a drawdown notice. On November 1, 2016, the Company’s board of directors (the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) approved an amended and restated limited liability company agreement and approved an extension of the final date on which the Company would accept Subscription Agreements to May 5, 2017.
The investment period commenced on the Initial Closing Date and continued through May 5, 2019. Following the end of the investment period, the Company has the right to issue drawdowns only (i) to pay, and/or establish reserves for, actual or anticipated Company expenses, liabilities, including the payment or repayment of indebtedness for borrowed money (including through the issuance of notes and other evidence of indebtedness), other indebtedness, financings or extensions of credit, or other obligations, contingent or otherwise, including the Management Fee (as defined below), whether incurred before or after the end of the investment period, (ii) to fulfill investment commitments made or approved by the investment committee of GSAM’s Private Credit Group (“the Investment Committee”) prior to the expiration of the investment period, (iii) to engage in hedging transactions or (iv) to make additional investments in existing portfolio companies (including transactions to hedge interest rate or currency risks related to such additional investment).
The term of the Company is until May 5, 2024, subject to the Board of Directors’ right to liquidate the Company at any time and to extend the term of the Company for up to two successive one-year periods. Upon the request of the Board of Directors and the approval of a majority-in-interest of the Unitholders, the term of the Company may be further extended.
The Company has formed certain wholly owned subsidiaries, which are structured as Delaware limited liability companies, to hold certain investments, including equity or equity-like investments in portfolio companies and corporate debt of portfolio companies.
2.
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The Company’s functional currency is U.S. dollars (“USD”) and these consolidated financial statements have been prepared in that currency. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to Regulation S-X. This requires the Company to make certain estimates and assumptions that may affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. These consolidated financial statements reflect normal and recurring adjustments that in the opinion of the Company are necessary for the fair statement of the results for the periods presented. Actual results may differ from the estimates and assumptions included in the consolidated financial statements.
Certain prior period information has been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. The reclassification has no effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position or the consolidated results of operations as previously reported.
As an investment company, the Company applies the accounting and reporting guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies (“ASC 946”) issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).
Basis of Consolidation
As provided under ASC 946, the Company will not consolidate its investment in a company other than an investment company subsidiary or a controlled operating company whose business consists of providing services to the Company. Accordingly, the Company consolidated the financial position and results of operations of its wholly owned subsidiaries, PMMC Blocker I, LLC (formerly known as My-On PMMC Blocker, LLC), PMMC Blocker II, LLC, PMMC Wine I, LLC and Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC (“SPV”). All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Revenue Recognition
The Company records its investment transactions on a trade date basis, which is the date when the Company assumes the risks for gains and losses related to that instrument. Realized gains and losses are based on the specific identification method.
Interest income, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount, is recorded on an accrual basis. Discounts and premiums to par value on investments purchased are accreted and amortized, respectively, into interest income over the life of the respective investment using the effective interest method. Loan origination fees, original issue discount (“OID”) and market discounts or premiums are capitalized and amortized into interest income using the effective interest method or straight-line method, as applicable. Exit fees that are receivable upon repayment of a loan or debt security are amortized into interest income over the life of the respective investment. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment premiums, unamortized upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts are recorded as interest income, for which the Company has earned the following:
Fees received from portfolio companies (directors’ fees, consulting fees, administrative fees, tax advisory fees and other similar compensation) are paid to the Company, unless, to the extent required by applicable law or exemptive relief, if any, therefrom, the Company only receives its allocable portion of such fees when invested in the same portfolio company as another account managed by the Investment Adviser.
Dividend income on preferred equity investments is recorded on an accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity investments is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies and on the ex-dividend date for publicly traded portfolio companies. Interest and dividend income are presented net of withholding tax, if any.
Certain investments may have contractual payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest or dividends. PIK represents accrued interest or accumulated dividends that are added to the principal amount or shares (if equity) of the investment on the respective interest or dividend payment dates rather than being paid in cash and generally becomes due at maturity or upon the investment being called by the issuer. PIK is recorded as interest or dividend income, as applicable. If at any point the Company believes PIK is not expected to be realized, the investment generating PIK will be placed on non-accrual status. When a PIK investment is placed on non-accrual status, the accrued, uncapitalized interest or dividends are generally reversed through interest or dividend income, respectively.
Certain structuring fees, amendment fees, syndication fees and commitment fees are recorded as other income when earned. Administrative agent fees received by the Company are recorded as other income when the services are rendered over time.
Non-Accrual Investments
Investments are placed on non-accrual status when it is probable that principal, interest or dividends will not be collected according to contractual terms. Accrued interest or dividends generally are reversed when an investment is placed on non-accrual status. Interest or dividend payments received on non-accrual investments may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment. Non-accrual investments are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest or dividends are paid and, in management’s judgment, principal and interest or dividend payments are likely to remain current. The Company may make exceptions to this treatment if an investment has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had an investment held in one portfolio company on non-accrual status, which represented 1.0% and 0.0% of the total investments (excluding an investment in a money market fund, if any, managed by an affiliate of Group Inc.) at amortized cost and at fair value, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, the Company did not have any investments on non-accrual status.
Investments
The Company carries its investments in accordance with ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), issued by the FASB, which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and requires disclosures about fair value measurements. Fair value is generally based on quoted market prices provided by independent pricing services, broker or dealer quotations or alternative
price sources. In the absence of quoted market prices, broker or dealer quotations or alternative price sources, investments are measured at fair value as determined by the Board of Directors within the meaning of the Investment Company Act.
Due to the inherent uncertainties of valuation, certain estimated fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been realized had a ready market for these investments existed, and these differences could be material. See Note 5 “Fair Value Measurement.”
The Company generally invests in illiquid securities, including debt and equity investments, of middle-market companies. The Board of Directors has delegated to the Investment Adviser day-to-day responsibility for implementing and maintaining internal controls and procedures related to the valuation of the Company’s portfolio investments. Under valuation procedures adopted by the Board of Directors, market quotations are generally used to assess the value of the investments for which market quotations are readily available. The Investment Adviser obtains these market quotations from independent pricing services or at the bid prices obtained from at least two brokers or dealers, if available; otherwise from a principal market maker or a primary market dealer. To assess the continuing appropriateness of pricing sources and methodologies, the Investment Adviser regularly performs price verification procedures and issues challenges as necessary to independent pricing services or brokers, and any differences are reviewed in accordance with the valuation procedures. If the Board of Directors or Investment Adviser has a bona fide reason to believe any such market quotation does not reflect the fair value of an investment, it may independently value such investment in accordance with valuation procedures for investments for which market quotations are not readily available.
With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which market quotations are deemed not reflective of the fair value, the valuation procedures adopted by the Board of Directors contemplate a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:
(1)
The 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)
The Board of Directors also engages independent valuation firms (the “Independent Valuation Advisors”) to provide independent valuations of the investments for which market quotations are not readily available, or are readily available but deemed not reflective of the fair value of an investment. The Independent Valuation Advisors independently value such investments using quantitative and qualitative information provided by the investment professionals of the Investment Adviser and the portfolio companies as well as any market quotations obtained from independent pricing services, brokers, dealers or market dealers. The Independent Valuation Advisors also provide analyses to support their valuation methodology and calculations. The Independent Valuation Advisors provide an opinion on a final range of values on such investments to the Board of Directors or the Audit Committee. The Independent Valuation Advisors define fair value in accordance with ASC 820 and utilize valuation approaches including the market approach, the income approach or both. A portion of the portfolio is reviewed on a quarterly basis, and all investments in the portfolio for which market quotations are not readily available, or are readily available, but deemed not reflective of the fair value of an investment, are reviewed at least annually by an Independent Valuation Advisor;
(3)
The Independent Valuation Advisors’ preliminary valuations are reviewed by the Investment Adviser and the Valuation Oversight Group (“VOG”), a team that is part of the Controllers Department within the Finance Division of Goldman Sachs. The Independent Valuation Advisors’ valuation ranges are compared to the Investment Adviser’s valuations to ensure the Investment Adviser’s valuations are reasonable. VOG presents the valuations to the Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group of the Investment Management Division Valuation Committee, which is comprised of representatives from GSAM who are independent of the investment decision making process;
(4)
The Investment Management Division Valuation Committee ratifies fair valuations and makes recommendations to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors;
(5)
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors reviews valuation information provided by the Investment Management Division Valuation Committee, the Investment Adviser and the Independent Valuation Advisors. The Audit Committee then assesses such valuation recommendations; and
(6)
The Board of Directors discusses the valuations and, within the meaning of the Investment Company Act, determines the fair value of the investments in good faith, based on the inputs of the Investment Adviser, the Independent Valuation Advisors and the Audit Committee.
Money Market Funds
Investments in money market funds are valued at net asset value (“NAV”) per share. See Note 3 “Significant Agreements and Related Party Transactions.”
Cash
Cash consists of deposits held at a custodian bank. As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company held an aggregate cash balance of $25,384 and $17,681. Foreign currency of $1,168 and $1,184 (acquisition cost of $1,125 and $1,172) is included in cash as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.
Foreign Currency Translation
Amounts denominated in foreign currencies are translated into USD on the following basis: (i) investments and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into USD based upon currency exchange rates effective on the last business day of the
period; and (ii) purchases and sales of investments, borrowings and repayments of such borrowings, income, and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into USD based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the transaction dates.
The Company does not isolate the portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of securities held. Such fluctuations are included within the net realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments. Fluctuations arising from the translation of non-investment assets and liabilities are included with the net change in unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency translations on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Foreign security and currency translations may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies and U.S. government securities. These risks include, but are not limited to, currency fluctuations and revaluations and future adverse political, social and economic developments, which could cause investments in foreign markets to be less liquid and prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or U.S. government securities.
Derivatives
The Company may enter into foreign currency forward contracts to reduce the Company’s exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies. In a foreign currency forward contract, the Company agrees to receive or deliver a fixed quantity of one currency for another, at a pre-determined price at a future date. Forward foreign currency contracts are marked-to-market at the applicable forward rate. Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign currency forward contracts are recorded on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition by counterparty on a net basis, not taking into account collateral posted which is recorded separately, if applicable. Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contract assets and liabilities are presented separately on the Consolidated Schedules of Investments. Purchases and settlements of foreign currency forward contracts having the same settlement date and counterparty are generally settled net and any realized gains or losses are recognized on the settlement date.
The Company does not utilize hedge accounting and as such, the Company recognizes its derivatives at fair value with changes in the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign currency forward contracts recorded on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Income Taxes
The Company recognizes tax positions in its consolidated financial statements only when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority based on the technical merits of the position. A position that meets this standard is measured at the largest amount of benefit that will more likely than not be realized upon settlement. The Company reports any interest expense related to income tax matters in income tax expense, and any income tax penalties under expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company’s tax positions have been reviewed based on applicable statutes of limitation for tax assessments, which may vary by jurisdiction, and based on such review, the Company has concluded that no additional provision for income tax is required in the consolidated financial statements. The Company is subject to potential examination by certain taxing authorities in various jurisdictions. The Company’s tax positions are subject to ongoing interpretation of laws and regulations by taxing authorities.
The Company has elected to be treated as a RIC commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2016. So long as the Company maintains its status as a RIC, it will generally not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its stockholders as dividends. As a result, any U.S. federal income tax liability related to income earned and distributed by the Company represents obligations of the Company’s stockholders and will not be reflected in the consolidated financial statements of the Company.
To maintain its tax treatment as a RIC, the Company must meet specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements and timely distribute to its Unitholders for each taxable year at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, its net ordinary income plus the excess of its realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction). In order for the Company not to be subject to U.S. federal excise taxes, it must distribute annually an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its net ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year and (iii) any net ordinary income and capital gains in excess of capital losses for preceding years that were not distributed during such years. The Company, at its discretion, may carry forward taxable income in excess of calendar year dividends and pay a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on this income. If the Company chooses to do so, this generally would increase expenses and reduce the amount available to be distributed to Unitholders. The Company will accrue excise tax on estimated undistributed taxable income as required.
Certain of the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal and state corporate level income taxes. Income tax expense, if any, is included under the income category for which it applies in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Distributions
Distributions from net investment income and net realized capital gains are determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations, which may differ from those amounts determined in accordance with GAAP. The Company may pay distributions in excess of its taxable net investment income. This excess would be a tax-free return of capital in the period and reduce the Unitholder’s tax basis in its Units. These book/tax differences are either temporary or permanent in nature. To the extent these differences are permanent they are charged or credited to common Units or distributable earnings, as appropriate, in the period that the differences arise. Temporary and permanent
differences are primarily attributable to differences in the tax treatment of certain loans and the tax characterization of income and non-deductible expenses. These differences are generally determined in conjunction with the preparation of the Company’s annual RIC tax return. Distributions to common Unitholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The amount to be paid out as a distribution is determined by the Board of Directors each quarter and is generally based upon the earnings estimated by the Investment Adviser. The Company may pay distributions to its Unitholders in a year in excess of its net ordinary income and capital gains for that year and, accordingly, a portion of such distributions may constitute a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Company intends to timely distribute to its Unitholders substantially all of its annual taxable income for each year, except that the Company may retain certain net capital gains for reinvestment and may carry forward taxable income for distribution in the following year and pay any applicable tax. The specific tax characteristics of the Company’s distributions will be reported to Unitholders after the end of the calendar year. All distributions will be subject to available funds, and no assurance can be given that the Company will be able to declare such distributions in future periods.
Deferred Financing Costs
Deferred financing costs consist of fees and expenses paid in connection with the closing of, and amendments to, the revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (the “JPM Revolving Credit Facility”) and the revolving credit facility between the Company and Bank of America, N.A. (the “BoA Revolving Credit Facility” and together with the JPM Revolving Credit Facility, the “Revolving Credit Facilities”). These costs are amortized using the straight-line method over the respective term of the JPM Revolving Credit Facility. Deferred financing costs related to the Revolving Credit Facilities are presented separately as an asset on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
New Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” This ASU provides optional exceptions for applying GAAP to contract modifications, hedging relationships and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. The Company adopted this ASU in June 2020 and this adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In May 2020, the SEC adopted the final rule under SEC release No. 33-10786, Amendments to Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses, amending certain disclosure requirements applicable to acquisitions and dispositions of businesses, including real estate operations and investment companies. The final rule is effective on January 1, 2021. Voluntary early adoption is permitted immediately, provided that the new rules are applied in their entirety from the date of early adoption. The Company adopted this final rule in December 2020 and this adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
3.
SIGNIFICANT AGREEMENTS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Investment Advisory Agreement
The Company entered into an investment advisory agreement effective as of April 11, 2016 (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) with the Investment Adviser, pursuant to which the Investment Adviser manages the Company’s investment program and related activities.
Management Fee
The Company pays the Investment Adviser a management fee (the “Management Fee”), payable quarterly in arrears, equal to 0.375% (i.e., an annual rate of 1.50%) of the average NAV of the Company (including un-invested cash and cash equivalents) at the end of the then-current quarter and the prior calendar quarter (and, in the case of the Company’s first quarter, the NAV as of such quarter-end). The Management Fee for any partial quarter will be appropriately prorated.
For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, Management Fees amounted to $13,430, $13,598 and $9,604. As of December 31, 2020, $3,244 remained payable.
Incentive Fee
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Company pays to the Investment Adviser an Incentive Fee (the “Incentive Fee”) as follows:
a)
First, no Incentive Fee is payable to the Investment Adviser until the Company has made cumulative distributions pursuant to this clause (a) equal to aggregate Contributed Capital (as defined below);
b)
Second, no Incentive Fee is payable to the Investment Adviser until the Company has made cumulative distributions pursuant to this clause (b) equal to a 7% return per annum, compounded annually, on aggregate unreturned Contributed Capital, from the date each capital contribution is made through the date such capital has been returned;
c)
Third, subject to clauses (a) and (b), the Investment Adviser is entitled to an Incentive Fee equal to 100% of all amounts designated by the Company as proceeds intended for distribution and Incentive Fee payments, until such time as the cumulative Incentive Fee paid to the Investment Adviser pursuant to this clause (c) is equal to 15% of the amount by which the sum of (i) cumulative distributions to Unitholders pursuant to clauses (a) and (b) above and (ii) the cumulative Incentive Fee previously paid to the Investment Adviser pursuant to this clause exceeds Contributed Capital; and
d)
Fourth, at any time that clause (c) has been satisfied, the Investment Adviser is entitled to an Incentive Fee equal to 15% of all amounts designated by the Company as proceeds intended for distribution and Incentive Fee payments.
The Incentive Fee is calculated on a cumulative basis and the amount of the Incentive Fee payable prior to a proposed distribution will be determined and, if applicable, paid in accordance with the foregoing formula each time amounts are to be distributed to the Unitholders. The Incentive Fee is a fee owed by the Company to the Investment Adviser and is not paid out of distributions made to Unitholders.
In no event will an amount be paid with respect to the Incentive Fee to the extent it would cause the aggregate amount of the Company’s capital gains paid in respect of the Incentive Fee to exceed 20% of the Company’s realized capital gains computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation, in each case determined on a cumulative basis from inception of the Company through the date of the proposed payment (the “Incentive Fee Cap”).
“Contributed Capital” is the aggregate amount of capital contributions that have been made by all Unitholders in respect of their Units to the Company. All distributions (or deemed distributions), including investment income (i.e. proceeds received in respect of interest payments, dividends and fees) and proceeds attributable to the repayment or disposition of any Investment, to Unitholders will be considered a return of Contributed Capital. Unreturned Contributed Capital equals aggregate Contributed Capital minus cumulative distributions, but is never less than zero.
The term “proceeds intended for distribution and Incentive Fee payments” includes proceeds from the full or partial realization of the Company’s Investments and income from investing activities and may include return of capital, ordinary income and capital gains.
If, at the termination of the Company, the Investment Adviser has received aggregate payments of Incentive Fees in excess of the amount the Investment Adviser would have received had the Incentive Fees been determined upon such termination, then the Investment Adviser will reimburse the Company for the difference between the amount of Incentive Fees actually received and the amount determined at termination (the “Investment Adviser Reimbursement Obligation”). However, the Investment Adviser will not be required to reimburse the Company an amount greater than the aggregate Incentive Fees paid to the Investment Adviser, reduced by the excess (if any) of (a) the aggregate federal, state and local income tax liability the Investment Adviser incurred in connection with the payment of such Incentive Fees (assuming the highest marginal applicable federal and New York city and state income tax rates applied to such payments), over (b) an amount equal to the U.S. federal and state tax benefits available to the Investment Adviser by virtue of the payment made by the Investment Adviser pursuant to its Investment Adviser Reimbursement Obligation (assuming that, to the extent such payments are deductible by the Investment Adviser, the benefit of such deductions will be computed using the then highest marginal applicable federal and New York city and state income tax rates).
If the Investment Advisory Agreement is terminated prior to the termination of the Company (other than the Investment Adviser voluntarily terminating the agreement), the Company will pay to the Investment Adviser a final Incentive Fee payment (the “Final Incentive Fee Payment”). The Final Incentive Fee Payment will be calculated as of the date the Investment Advisory Agreement is terminated and will equal the amount of Incentive Fee that would be payable to the Investment Adviser if (a) all Investments were liquidated for their current value (but without taking into account any unrealized appreciation of any Investment), and any unamortized deferred Investment-related fees would be deemed accelerated, (b) the proceeds from such liquidation were used to pay all of the Company’s outstanding liabilities, and (c) the remainder was distributed to Unitholders and paid as Incentive Fee in accordance with the Incentive Fee waterfall described above for determining the amount of the Incentive Fee, subject to the Incentive Fee Cap. The Company will make the Final Incentive Fee Payment in cash on or immediately following the date the Investment Advisory Agreement is so terminated. The Investment Adviser Reimbursement Obligation will be determined as of the date of the termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement for purposes of the Final Incentive Fee Payment.
For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company accrued unvested Incentive Fees of $11,592, $9,567 and $11,316. As of December 31, 2020, $38,339 was payable in accordance with the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement.
Expense Limitation
Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, Company expenses borne by the Company in the ordinary course on an annual basis (excluding Management Fee, Incentive Fee, organizational and start-up expenses and leverage-related expenses) will not exceed an amount equal to 0.5% of the aggregate amount of commitments to the Company by holders of its common Units; provided, however, that expenses incurred outside of the ordinary course, including litigation and similar expenses, are not subject to such cap. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, there have been no reimbursements from the Investment Adviser pursuant to this provision.
Administration and Custodian Fees
The Company has entered into an administration agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Administrator”) under which the Administrator provides various accounting and administrative services to the Company. The Company pays the Administrator fees for its services as it determines are commercially reasonable in its sole discretion. The Company also reimburses the Administrator for all reasonable expenses. To the extent that the Administrator outsources any of its functions, the Administrator pays any compensation associated with such functions. The Administrator also serves as the Company’s custodian (the “Custodian”).
For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company incurred expenses for services provided by the Administrator and the Custodian of $1,057, $1,170 and $846. As of December 31, 2020, $263 remained payable.
Transfer Agent Fees
State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as the Company’s transfer agent (“Transfer Agent”), registrar and disbursing agent. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company incurred expenses for services provided by the Transfer Agent of $78, $144 and $125. As of December 31, 2020, $29 remained payable.
Affiliates
The table below presents the Company’s affiliated investments:
(1)
Fund advised by an affiliate of Goldman Sachs.
(2)
Gross additions may include increases in the cost basis of investments resulting from new portfolio investments, PIK interest or dividends, the accretion of discounts, the exchange of one or more existing securities for one or more new securities and the movement of an existing portfolio company into this category from a different category.
(3)
Gross reductions may include decreases in the cost basis of investments resulting from principal collections related to investment repayments or sales, the exchange of one or more existing securities for one or more new securities and the movement of an existing portfolio company out of this category into a different category.
Due To Affiliates
The Investment Adviser pays certain general and administrative expenses on behalf of the Company in the ordinary course of business. As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, there were $95 and $168, included within Accrued expenses and other liabilities paid by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates on behalf of the Company.
Co-investment Activity
In certain circumstances, negotiated co-investments by the Company and other funds managed by the Investment Adviser may be made only pursuant to an order from the SEC permitting the Company to do so. On January 4, 2017, the SEC granted exemptive relief (“Exemptive Relief”) that permits the Company to co-invest with Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. (“GS BDC”), Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corp. (“GS MMLC,” which merged with GS BDC on October 12, 2020), Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC (“GS PMMC II”) and certain other funds that may be managed by GSAM, including the GSAM Credit Alternatives Team, after the date of the exemptive order, subject to certain conditions including that co-investments are made in a manner consistent with the Company’s investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions, as well as regulatory requirements and pursuant to the conditions required by the Exemptive Relief, and are allocated fairly among participants. The GSAM Credit Alternatives Team is comprised of investment professionals dedicated to the Company’s investment strategy and other funds that share a similar investment strategy with the Company, who are responsible for identifying investment opportunities, conducting research and due diligence on prospective investments, negotiating and structuring the Company’s investments and monitoring and servicing the Company’s investments, together with investment professionals who are primarily focused on investment strategies in syndicated, liquid credit. Under the terms of our Exemptive Relief, a “required
majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the Investment Company Act) of the Company’s independent directors must make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the proposed transaction are reasonable and fair to the Company and the Company’s stockholders and do not involve overreaching in respect of the Company or its stockholders on the part of any person concerned, and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of the Company’s stockholders and is consistent with the then-current investment objectives and strategies of the Company. As a result of our Exemptive Relief, there could be significant overlap in the Company’s investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of GS BDC, GS PMMC II and/or other funds established by the GSAM Credit Alternatives Team that could avail themselves of the Exemptive Relief.
4.
INVESTMENTS
The Company’s investments (excluding an investment in a money market fund, if any, managed by an affiliate of Group Inc.) consisted of the following:
The industry composition of the Company’s investments at fair value and net assets was as follows:
The geographic composition of the Company’s investments at fair value was as follows:
5.
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT
The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount that would be received to sell an asset or would be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (i.e., the exit price).
The fair value hierarchy under ASC 820 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 levels used for classifying investments are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in these securities. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Basis of Fair Value Measurement
Level 1 - Inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices available in active markets for identical instruments as of the reporting date. The types of financial instruments included in Level 1 include unrestricted securities, including equities and derivatives, listed in active markets.
Level 2 - Inputs to the valuation methodology are other than quoted prices in active markets, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date. The types of financial instruments in this category include less liquid and restricted securities listed in active markets, securities traded in other than active markets, government and agency securities and certain over-the-counter derivatives where the fair value is based on observable inputs.
Level 3 - Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to overall fair value measurement. The inputs into the determination of fair value require significant management judgment or estimation. Financial instruments that are included in this category include investments in privately held entities and certain over-the-counter derivatives where the fair value is based on unobservable inputs.
A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Note 2 “Significant Accounting Policies” should be read in conjunction with the information outlined below.
The table below presents the valuation techniques and the nature of significant inputs generally used in determining the fair value of Level 2 and Level 3 Instruments.
Level 2 Instruments
Valuation Techniques and Significant Inputs
Equity and Fixed Income
The types of instruments that trade in markets that are not considered to be active but are valued based on quoted market prices, broker or dealer quotations or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency include commercial paper, most government agency obligations, most corporate debt securities, certain mortgage-backed securities, certain bank loans, less liquid publicly listed equities, certain state and municipal obligations, certain money market instruments and certain loan commitments.
Valuations of Level 2 Equity and Fixed Income instruments can be verified to quoted prices, broker or dealer quotations or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency. Consideration is given to the nature of the quotations (e.g. indicative or firm) and the relationship of recent market activity to the prices provided from alternative pricing sources.
Derivative Contracts
OTC derivatives (both centrally cleared and bilateral) are valued using market transactions and other market evidence whenever possible, including market-based inputs to models, calibration to market-clearing transactions, broker or dealer quotations, or other alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency. Where models are used, the selection of a particular model to value an OTC derivative depends upon the contractual terms of, and specific risks inherent in, the instrument, as well as the availability of pricing information in the market. The Company generally uses similar models to value similar instruments. Valuation models require a variety of inputs, including contractual terms, market prices, yield curves, credit curves, measures of volatility, voluntary and involuntary prepayment rates, loss severity rates and correlations of such inputs. For OTC derivatives that trade in liquid markets, model inputs can generally be verified and model selection does not involve significant management judgment. OTC derivatives are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when significant inputs are corroborated by market evidence.
Level 3 Instruments
Valuation Techniques and Significant Inputs
Bank Loans, Corporate Debt, and Other Debt Obligations
Valuations are generally based on discounted cash flow techniques, for which the significant inputs are the amount and timing of expected future cash flows, market yields and recovery assumptions. The significant inputs are generally determined based on relative value analyses, which incorporate comparisons both to credit default swaps that reference the same underlying credit risk and to other debt instruments for the same issuer for which observable prices or broker quotes are available. Other valuation methodologies are used as appropriate including market comparables, transactions in similar instruments and recovery/liquidation analysis.
Equity
Recent third-party investments or pending transactions are considered to be the best evidence for any change in fair value. When these are not available, the following valuation methodologies are used, as appropriate and available (i) Transactions in similar instruments; (ii) Discounted cash flow techniques; (iii) Third party appraisals; and (iv) Industry multiples and public comparables.
Evidence includes recent or pending reorganizations (for example, merger proposals, tender offers and debt restructurings) and significant changes in financial metrics, including (i) Current financial performance as compared to projected performance; (ii) Capitalization rates and multiples; and (iii) Market yields implied by transactions of similar or related assets.
The tables below present the ranges of significant unobservable inputs used to value the Company’s Level 3 assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. These ranges represent the significant unobservable inputs that were used in the valuation of each type of instrument, but they do not represent a range of values for any one instrument. For example, the lowest yield in 1st Lien/Senior Secured Debt is appropriate for valuing that specific debt investment, but may not be appropriate for valuing any other debt investments in this asset class. Accordingly, the ranges of inputs presented below do not represent uncertainty in, or possible ranges of, fair value measurements of the Company’s Level 3 assets and liabilities.
(1)
Included within Level 3 assets of $1,201,371 is an amount of $126,809 for which the Investment Adviser did not develop the unobservable inputs (examples include single source broker quotations, third party pricing, and prior transactions). The income approach was used in the determination of fair value for $1,036,350 or 88.4% of Level 3 bank loans, corporate debt, and other debt obligations.
(2)
Included within Level 3 assets of $1,287,719 is an amount of $55,629 for which the Investment Adviser did not develop the unobservable inputs (examples include single source broker quotations, third party pricing, and prior transactions). The income approach was used in the determination of fair value for $1,203,342 or 95.6% of Level 3 bank loans, corporate debt, and other debt obligations.
(3)
The fair value of any one instrument may be determined using multiple valuation techniques. For example, market comparable and discounted cash flows may be used together to determine fair value. Therefore, the Level 3 balance encompasses both of these techniques.
(4)
The range for an asset category consisting of a single investment represents the relevant market data considered in determining the fair value of the investment.
(5)
Weighted average for an asset category consisting of multiple investments is calculated by weighting the significant unobservable input by the relative fair value of the investment. Weighted average for an asset category consisting of a single investment represents the significant unobservable input used in the fair value of the investment.
(6)
Enterprise value of portfolio company as a multiple of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”).
As noted above, the income and market approaches were used in the determination of fair value of certain Level 3 assets as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The significant unobservable inputs used in the income approach are the discount rate or market yield used to discount the estimated future cash flows expected to be received from the underlying investment, which include both future principal and interest payments. An increase in the discount rate or market yield would result in a decrease in the fair value. Included in the consideration and selection of discount rates or market yields is risk of default, rating of the investment, call provisions and comparable company investments. The significant unobservable inputs used in the market approach are based on market comparable transactions and market multiples of publicly traded comparable companies. Increases or decreases in market comparable transactions or market multiples would result in an increase or decrease, in the fair value.
The following is a summary of the Company’s assets categorized within the fair value hierarchy:
The below table presents a summary of changes in fair value of Level 3 assets by investment type:
(1)
Purchases may include PIK and securities received in corporate actions and restructurings. Sales and Settlements may include securities delivered in corporate actions and restructuring of investments.
(2)
Transfers in were primarily due to decreased price transparency.
(3)
Transfers out were primarily due to increased price transparency.
Debt Not Carried at Fair Value
The fair value of the Company’s debt, which would have been categorized as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, approximates its carrying value because the JPM Revolving Credit Facility has variable interest based on selected short term rates.
6.
DEBT
In accordance with the Investment Company Act, with certain exceptions, the Company is currently allowed to borrow amounts such that its asset coverage ratio, as defined in the Investment Company Act, is at least 200% after such borrowing (or 150% if certain requirements are met). As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company’s asset coverage ratio based on the aggregate amount outstanding of senior securities (which includes the Revolving Credit Facilities) was 271% and 270%.
The Company’s outstanding debt was as follows:
(1)
The Company may borrow amounts in USD or certain other permitted currencies. Debt outstanding denominated in currencies other than USD has been converted to USD using the applicable foreign currency exchange rate as of the applicable reporting date. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had outstanding borrowings denominated in USD of $408,893 and in Euros (EUR) of 50,900. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had outstanding borrowings denominated in USD of $454,893 and in EUR of 50,900.
The combined weighted average interest rates of the aggregate borrowings outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the year ended December 31, 2019 were 4.37% and 5.73%. The combined weighted average debt of the aggregate borrowings outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $489,244 and $551,244.
JPM Revolving Credit Facility
On November 21, 2017, SPV entered into the JPM Revolving Credit Facility. JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (“JPM”) serves as administrative agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company serves as collateral agent, collateral administrator, bank and securities intermediary and the Company serves as portfolio manager under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility. State Street Bank and Trust Company also acts as the Company’s transfer agent, disbursing agent, custodian and administrator as well as SPV’s custodian. The Company amended the JPM Revolving Credit Facility on August 17, 2018, December 10, 2018, February 22, 2019, April 3, 2020, August 26, 2020 and November 23, 2020.
Borrowings under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility bear interest (at SPV’s election) at a per annum rate equal to either (x) the three-month LIBOR (or other listed offered rate, depending upon the currency of borrowing) in effect or (y) a rate per annum equal to the greater of (i) the prime rate of JPM in effect on such day and (ii) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus 0.50%; and, with respect to advances denominated in a currency other than USD, the annual rate of interest is the reference rate then in effect for determining interest rates on commercial loans made in the applicable jurisdiction of such currency, in all cases, plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin is 3.25% per annum. SPV initially paid a commitment fee of 1.00% per annum (or 0.50% per annum during the first nine months from the date the JPM Revolving Credit Facility was entered into) on the average daily unused amount of the financing commitments until the third anniversary of the JPM Revolving Credit Facility.
The JPM Revolving Credit Facility is a multicurrency facility. As of December 31, 2020, the total commitments under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility were $468,250. The JPM Revolving Credit Facility also has a commitment increase option, subject to the satisfaction of various conditions, which could bring total commitments under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility to $750,000. All amounts outstanding under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility must be repaid by the sixth anniversary of the JPM Revolving Credit Facility, subject to a six month extension of the maturity date with the consent of the administrative agent at such time.
SPV’s obligations to the lenders under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility are secured by a first priority security interest in all of SPV’s portfolio of investments and cash. The obligations of SPV under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility are non-recourse to the Company, and the Company’s exposure under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility is limited to the value of the Company’s investment in SPV.
In connection with the JPM Revolving Credit Facility, SPV has made certain customary representations and warranties and is required to comply with various covenants, reporting requirements and other customary requirements for similar facilities. The JPM Revolving Credit Facility contains customary events of default for similar financing transactions, including if a change of control of SPV occurs or if the Company is no longer the portfolio manager of SPV. Upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an event of default, JPM may declare the outstanding advances and all other obligations under the JPM Revolving Credit Facility immediately due and payable.
Costs of $8,175 were incurred in connection with obtaining and amending the JPM Revolving Credit Facility, which have been recorded as deferred financing costs on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and are being amortized over the life of the JPM Revolving Credit Facility using the straight-line method. As of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, outstanding deferred financing costs were $3,788 and $3,113.
The below table presents the summary information of the JPM Revolving Credit Facility:
BoA Revolving Credit Facility
The Company entered into the BoA Revolving Credit Facility on July 18, 2016 with Bank of America, N.A. as administrative agent, lead arranger, letter of credit issuer and lender. The Company amended the BoA Revolving Credit Facility on March 3, 2017, July 16, 2018 and August 1, 2018.
On May 31, 2019, the BoA Revolving Credit Facility matured and the Company has repaid in full all indebtedness, liabilities and other obligations thereof. In connection with the maturity of the BoA Revolving Credit Facility, all liens on collateral were released.
Costs of $2,383 were incurred in connection with obtaining and amending the BoA Revolving Credit Facility, which were recorded as deferred financing costs on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and were amortized over the life of the BoA Revolving Credit Facility using the straight-line method until maturity.
The below table presents the summary information of the BoA Revolving Credit Facility:
7.
DERIVATIVES
The Company enters into foreign currency forward contracts from time to time to help mitigate the impact that an adverse change in foreign exchange rates would have on the value of the Company’s investments denominated in foreign currencies.
In order to better define its contractual rights and to secure rights that will help the Company mitigate its counterparty risk, the Company may enter into an International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. Master Agreement (“ISDA Master Agreement”) or a similar agreement with its derivative counterparties. An ISDA Master Agreement is a bilateral agreement between the Company and a counterparty that governs OTC derivatives, including foreign currency forward contracts, and typically contains, among other things, collateral posting terms and netting provisions in the event of a default and/or termination event. The provisions of the ISDA Master Agreement typically permit a single net payment in the event of a default (close-out netting) or similar event, including the bankruptcy or insolvency of the counterparty.
For financial reporting purposes, cash collateral that has been pledged to cover obligations of the Company and cash collateral received from the counterparty, if any, is included in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as due to/due from broker. The Company minimizes counterparty credit risk by only entering into agreements with counterparties that they believe to be in good standing and by monitoring the financial stability of those counterparties.
For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and for the period from August 8, 2018 to December 31, 2018, the Company’s average USD notional exposure to foreign currency forward contracts were $3,155, $3,436 and $3,776.
The Company’s net exposure to foreign currency forward contracts by counterparty that are subject to ISDA Master Agreements or similar agreements presented on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition was as follows:
(1)
Amount excludes excess cash collateral paid.
(2)
Net amount represents the net amount due (to) from counterparty in the event of a default based on the contractual setoff rights under the agreement. Net amount excludes any over-collateralized amounts.
The effect of transactions in derivative instruments to the Consolidated Statements of Operations was as follows:
8.
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Capital Commitments
The Company had aggregate capital commitments and undrawn capital commitments from investors as follows:
Portfolio Company Commitments
The Company may enter into investment commitments to fund investments through signed commitment letters which in certain circumstances may be disclosed by the Company. In many circumstances, borrower acceptance and final terms are subject to transaction-related contingencies. These are disclosed as commitments upon execution of a final agreement. As of December 31, 2020, the Company believed that it had adequate financial resources to satisfy its unfunded commitments. The Company had the following unfunded commitments by investment types:
(1)
Commitments are generally subject to borrowers meeting certain criteria such as compliance with covenants and certain operational metrics. These amounts may remain outstanding until the commitment period of an applicable loan expires, which may be shorter than its maturity.
(2)
Unfunded commitments denominated in currencies other than USD have been converted to USD using the exchange rate as of the applicable reporting date.
(3)
The fair value is reflected as investments, at fair value on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
Contingencies
In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts that provide a variety of general indemnifications. Any exposure to the Company under these arrangements could involve future claims that may be made against the Company. Currently, no such claims exist or are expected to arise and, accordingly, the Company has not accrued any liability in connection with such indemnifications.
9.
MEMBERS’ CAPITAL
Capital Drawdowns
The following table summarizes the total Units issued and proceeds related to capital drawdowns:
Distributions
The following table reflects the distributions declared on the Company’s common Units:
(1)
$0.09 is considered return of capital distribution
10.EARNINGS PER UNIT
The following information sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per unit:
Diluted earnings per unit equal basic earnings per unit because there were no common unit equivalents outstanding during the period presented.
11.
TAX INFORMATION
The below table presents the tax character of distributions:
As of the dates indicated, the components of Accumulated Earnings (Losses) on a tax basis were as follows:
As of the dates indicated, the Company’s aggregate unrealized appreciation and depreciation based on cost for U.S. federal income tax purposes were as follows:
The difference between GAAP-basis and tax basis unrealized gains (losses) is attributable primarily to net mark to market gains/(losses) on foreign currency contracts and differences in the tax treatment of material modification of debt securities.
In order to present certain components of the Company’s capital accounts on a tax-basis, certain reclassifications have been recorded to the Company’s accounts. These reclassifications have no impact on the net asset value of the Company and result primarily from return of capital distributions, and differences in the tax treatment of underlying fund investments. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company reclassified $180,506, $19,944 and $1,736, respectively, from total distributable earnings to common units.
The following table reconciles net increase in net assets resulting from operations to taxable income:
(1)
Taxable income is an estimate and is not fully determined until the Company’s tax return is filed.
ASC Topic 740 Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (“ASC 740”) provides guidance on the accounting for and disclosure of uncertainty in tax position. ASC 740 requires the evaluation of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Company’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold are recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. Based on its analysis of its tax position for all open tax years (the current and prior years, as applicable), the Company has concluded that it does not have any uncertain tax positions that met the recognition or measurement criteria of ASC 740. Such open tax years remain subject to examination and adjustment by tax authorities.
12.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The below table presents the schedule of financial highlights of the Company:
(1)
The per unit data was derived by using the weighted average units outstanding during the applicable period, except for distributions declared, which reflects the actual amount of distributions declared per unit for the applicable period.
(2)
The amount shown may not correspond with the aggregate amount for the period as it includes the effect of the timing of the distribution.
(3)
Calculated as the change in NAV per unit during the period plus dividends declared per unit, divided by the beginning NAV per unit.
(4)
Annualized, except for, as applicable, unvested Incentive Fees and certain operating expenses.
13.SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Subsequent events after the date of the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition have been evaluated through the date the unaudited consolidated financial statements were issued. Other than the items discussed below, the Company has concluded that there is no impact requiring adjustment or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements.
Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC-Tax Information (unaudited)
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC designated 97.62% of its distributions from net investment income as interest-related dividends pursuant to Section 871(k) of the Internal Revenue Code.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC designated 97.44% of the dividends paid from net investment company taxable income as section 163(j) Interest Dividends.
OTHER INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)
Effective from April 12, 2016 and solely for the purpose of marketing the Company in the United Kingdom (“UK”), the Investment Adviser identified itself as the alternative investment fund manager (“AIFM”) of the Company. As AIFM, the Investment Adviser is responsible for complying with the UK marketing rules implementing the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (Directive 2011/61/EU) (the “Directive”).
In accordance with these rules, the AIFM is required to make available an Annual Report for the financial year of the Company, containing certain disclosures as set out in Article 22 and 23 of the Directive. The disclosures set out below are included to satisfy these requirements as they have not been disclosed elsewhere in this Annual Report.
I. Remuneration
The following disclosures are made in accordance with Article 107 of the EU Commission Delegated Regulation C (2012) 8370 in respect of the AIFM, which is part of the Group Inc. Group Inc.’s global remuneration philosophy, structure and process for setting remuneration generally applies to employees of the AIFM in the same manner as other employees globally. References to the “firm” and “we” throughout this disclosure include Group Inc. and the AIFM and any subsidiaries and affiliates.
a. Remuneration Program Philosophy
The remuneration philosophy and the objectives of the remuneration program for the firm, including the AIFM are reflected in Group Inc.’s Compensation principles as posted on the Goldman Sachs public website (http://www.goldmansachs.com/investor relations/corporate governance/corporate governance-documents/compensation-principles.pdf) which includes the following:
1.
We pay for performance - this is an absolute requirement under our compensation program and inherent in our culture.
2.
We structure compensation, especially at senior levels, to align with Group Inc.’s shareholders’ long-term interests.
3.
We use compensation as an important tool to attract, retain and motivate talent.
4.
We align total compensation with corporate performance over the period.
The AIFM’s remuneration program is intended to be flexible enough to allow responses to changes in market conditions, but grounded in a framework that maintains effective remuneration practices.
b. Remuneration Governance
Group Inc.’s global process for setting variable remuneration (including the requirement to consider risk and compliance issues) applies to employees of the AIFM in the same way as to employees of other entities and in other regions and is subject to oversight by the senior management of the firm in the region.
c. Link Between Pay and Performance
Annual remuneration for employees is generally comprised of salary and variable remuneration. The AIFM’s remuneration practices provide for variable remuneration determinations to be made on a discretionary basis. Variable remuneration is based on multiple factors and is not set as a fixed percentage of revenue or by reference to any other formula. Firmwide performance is a key factor in determining variable remuneration.
d. Performance Measurement
Year-end variable remuneration is determined through a discretionary process that relies on certain qualitative and quantitative metrics against which we assess performance at year-end. We do not set specific goals, targets or other objectives for purposes of determining year-end variable remuneration nor do we set an initial remuneration pool that is adjusted for any such goals, targets or other objectives. Such metrics are not formulaic nor given any specific weight. In addition, employees are evaluated annually as part of the “360 degree” feedback process.
e. Risk Adjustment
Prudent risk management is a hallmark of both the firm’s and AIFM’s culture and sensitivity to risk and risk management are key elements in assessing employee performance, including as part of the “360 degree” feedback process noted above.
We take risk into account in setting the amount and form of variable remuneration for employees. We provide guidelines to assist compensation managers when applying discretion during the remuneration process to promote consistent consideration of the different risks presented. Further, to ensure the independence of control function employees, remuneration for those employees is not determined by individuals in revenue-producing positions but rather by the management of the relevant control function.
f. Structure of Remuneration
1.
Fixed Remuneration
2.
Variable Remuneration: For employees with total remuneration above a specific threshold, variable remuneration is generally paid in a combination of cash and equity-based remuneration. In general, the portion paid in the form of an equity-based award increases as variable remuneration increases and, for AIFM Remuneration Code Staff, is set to ensure compliance with Principle 5 (e) and (f) of the AIFM Remuneration Code.
g. Total Remuneration
Staff remuneration for the financial period ending December 31, 2020:
The remuneration figures above:
1.
relate to the proportion of time spent by those staff on the management of the assets of the Company;
2.
relate to the portion of the year for which the Company was subject to the Directive; and
3.
do not include figures for those staff whose activities may impact the Company but who provide services through other affiliates of the AIFM.
II. Swiss Disclosure
The Company’s offering memorandum or equivalent document, constitutional documents, the annual reports and, where produced by the Company, the semi-annual reports, may be obtained free of charge from the Swiss Representative. In respect of the shares or interests distributed in Switzerland to Qualified Investors, the place of performance and the place of jurisdiction is at the registered office of the Swiss Representative.
Swiss Representative: FIRST INDEPENDENT FUND SERVICES LTD, Klausstrasse 33, CH - 8008 Zurich.
Paying Agent: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK LTD, Claridenstrasse 25, CH-8002 Zurich.
III. Risk Management
The current risk profile of the Company and the risk management framework employed by the AIFM to manage those risks are outlined in the Partnership Agreement and private placement memorandum. The Investment Manager’s risk management function will seek to ensure that the risk profile disclosed to investors is consistent with applicable risk limits, monitor compliance with those risk limits, promptly notify the risk management component of the portfolio management team managing the portfolio of any inconsistency, or risk or inconsistency, between the risk profile and risk limits.
IV. Material Changes
Article 22 of the Directive requires disclosure of any material changes in the information listed in Article 23 of the Directive.
In respect of the period ended December 31, 2020, there have been no material changes to the information listed in Article 23 of the Directive.
V. Service Provider Not Previously Disclosed
Legal Counsel
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
1 New York Plaza
New York, NY 10004
USA
ITEM 9.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
None.
ITEM 9A.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. As of the end of the period covered by this report, our management carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2020. In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives, and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our most recently completed fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act). Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020.
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.
ITEM 9B.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
On January 26, 2021, Jonathan Lamm notified us of his intention to resign as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer effective March 1, 2021. Mr. Lamm’s decision to resign is not the result of any disagreement with us. On February 24, 2021, our Board of Directors approved Joseph DiMaria as our Interim Chief Financial Officer and Interim Treasurer effective March 1, 2021.
PART III.
ITEM 10.
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board of Directors. The Board of Directors consists of five directors, four of whom are Independent Directors. “Independent Directors” are directors who (1) are not deemed to be “interested persons,” of the Company (as defined in the Investment Company Act), (2) meet the definition of “independent directors” under the corporate governance standards of the New York Stock Exchange and (3) meet the independence requirements of Section 10A(m)(3) of the Exchange Act. The Board of Directors elects our officers, who serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The responsibilities of the Board of Directors include quarterly valuation of our assets, corporate governance activities, oversight of our financing arrangements and oversight of our investment activities.
The Board of Directors’ role in our management is one of oversight. Oversight of our investment activities extends to oversight of the risk management processes employed by our Investment Adviser as part of its day-to-day management of our investment activities. The Board of Directors reviews risk management processes at both regular and special Board meetings throughout the year, consulting with appropriate representatives of our Investment Adviser as necessary and periodically requesting the production of risk management reports or presentations. The goal of the Board of Directors’ risk oversight function is to ensure that the risks associated with our investment activities are accurately identified, thoroughly investigated and responsibly addressed. The Board’s oversight function cannot, however, eliminate all risks or ensure that particular events do not adversely affect the value of the Investments. The Board of Directors also has primary responsibility for the valuation of our assets.
The Board of Directors has established an Audit Committee, Governance and Nominating Committee, Compliance Committee and Contract Review Committee. The scope of each committee’s responsibilities is discussed in greater detail below.
Jaime Ardila, an Independent Director, serves as Chair (“Chair”) of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors believes that it is in the best interests of Unitholders for Mr. Ardila to lead the Board of Directors because of his broad corporate background and experience with financial and investment matters, as described below. The Chair will generally act as a liaison between our management, officers and attorneys between meetings of the Board of Directors and preside over all executive sessions of the Independent Directors without management. The Board of Directors believes that its leadership structure is appropriate because the structure allocates areas of responsibility among the individual directors and the committees in a manner that enhances effective oversight. The Board of Directors also believes that its size creates an efficient corporate governance structure that provides opportunity for direct communication and interaction between management and the Board of Directors.
Board of Directors and Executive Officers
The current directors were appointed to their positions in April 2016, except for Susan McGee, who was appointed to the Board of Directors in June 2018, and each director will hold office until his or her death, resignation, removal or disqualification. In addition, our Board of Directors has adopted polices which provide that (a) no director shall hold office for more than 15 years and (b) a director shall retire as of December 31st of the calendar year in which he or she reaches his or her 74th birthday, unless a waiver of such requirement has been adopted by a majority of the other directors. These policies may be changed by the directors without a Unitholder vote.
Directors
Information regarding the members of the Board of Directors is as follows:
*
Ms. Uniacke is considered to be an “Interested Director” because she holds positions with Goldman Sachs and owns securities issued by Group Inc. Ms. Uniacke holds comparable positions with certain other companies of which Goldman Sachs, GSAM or an affiliate thereof is the investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor.
(1)
Each director may be contacted by writing the director, c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282.
Executive Officers
Information regarding our executive officers who are not directors is as follows:
The address for each director and executive officer is c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board until the next election of officers or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies.
Biographical Information
Directors
Independent Directors:
Jaime Ardila. Mr. Ardila is retired. Mr. Ardila has served on the Board of Directors of the Company since April 2016 and as Chairman of the Board of Directors since January 2018. He also serves as a member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of GS BDC and GS PMMC II. Mr. Ardila is a member of the Board of Directors of Accenture plc, a management consulting services company, where he serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Nexa Resources S.A., an oil and gas company. Previously, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Ecopetrol, an integrated oil company, where he served as Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Business Committee and the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee, from 2016 to 2019. Mr. Ardila also worked for 29 years at General Motors Company, an automobile manufacturer, where he held several senior management positions, most recently as Executive Vice President of the company and President of General Motors’ South America region. Mr. Ardila joined General Motors in 1984. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Ardila served as the managing director, Colombian Operations, of N M Rothschild & Sons Ltd, before rejoining General Motors in 1998. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Ardila is experienced with financial and investment matters.
Ross J. Kari. Mr. Kari is retired. Mr. Kari has served on the Board of Directors of the Company since April 2016. He also serves on the Board of Directors of GS BDC and GS PMMC II. Previously, Mr. Kari was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), where he worked for four years. Previously, he held senior management positions at SAFECO Corporation, a personal insurance company, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and Wells Fargo & Company, where he began his career and worked for 19 years. Mr. Kari also serves as a Director and a member of the Audit Committee and ALCO Chairman of Summit Bank. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Kari is experienced with financial and investment matters.
Ann B. Lane. Ms. Lane is retired. Ms. Lane has served on the Board of Directors of the Company since April 2016. She also serves on the Board of Directors of GS BDC and GS PMMC II. Ms. Lane was a Director of Dealertrack Technologies,Inc., an automotive software solutions and services company, from 2007 to 2015. Previously, she worked for five years at JPMorgan Chase & Co., a financial services company, as a Managing Director and Co-Head of Syndicated & Leveraged Finance and Head of Loan Syndications Capital Markets. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase & Co., Ms. Lane held several senior management positions at Citigroup, Inc., a financial services company, where she worked for 18 years. Based on the foregoing, Ms. Lane is experienced with financial and investment matters.
Susan B. McGee. Ms. McGee is retired. Ms. McGee has served on the Board of Directors of the Company since June 2018. She also serves on the Board of Directors of GS BDC and GS PMMC II. Ms. McGee worked for 26 years at U.S. Global Investors, Inc., an investment management firm, until June 2018, during which time she held several senior management positions, including President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. She has also been involved in the governance of the U.S. Global Investors Funds, serving as Vice President until June 2018. In addition, Ms. McGee serves on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and as Chairperson of the Investment Company Institute Small Funds Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Sports Foundation, a not-for-profit organization. Ms. McGee also serves as a member of the Asset Management Advisory Committee (2019-Present). Based on the foregoing, Ms. McGee is experienced with financial and investment matters.
Interested Directors:
Kaysie Uniacke. Ms. Uniacke is the chair of the board of Goldman Sachs Asset Management International; serves on the boards of the Goldman Sachs Luxembourg and Dublin family of funds, several GSAM-managed pooled vehicles organized in the Cayman Islands, and GS BDC and GS PMMC II; and is an advisory director to Group Inc. Previously, she was global chief operating officer of GSAM’s portfolio management business until 2012 and served on the Investment Management Division Client and Business Standards Committee. Prior to this, she was president of Goldman Sachs Trust, the GS mutual fund family, and was head of the Fiduciary Management business within Global Manager Strategies, responsible for business development and client service globally. Earlier in her career, Ms. Uniacke managed GSAM’s U.S. and Canadian Distribution groups. In that capacity, she was responsible for overseeing all North American institutional and third-party sales channels, marketing and client service functions, for which client assets exceeded $200 billion. Before that, Ms. Uniacke was head of GSAM’s Global Cash Services business, where she was responsible for overseeing the management of assets exceeding $100 billion. Ms. Uniacke worked at Goldman Sachs from 1983 to 2012 where she was named managing director in 1997 and partner in 2002. Ms. Uniacke serves on the board of Person-to-Person, a non-profit organization that supports the working poor in lower Fairfield County, CT. Based on the foregoing, Ms. Uniacke is experienced with financial and investment matters.
Executive Officers who are not Directors:
Brendan McGovern. Mr. McGovern has served as our chief executive officer and president since April 2016. Mr. McGovern heads GSAM’s Private Credit Group, is chief executive officer and president of GS BDC and GS PMMC II and also serves as co-head and senior portfolio manager of the GSAM Credit Alternatives portfolio management team. He is also the Chair and a voting member of the Private Credit Group’s Investment Committee, which is responsible for evaluating and approving all of the Company’s investments. Mr. McGovern joined the firm in 2006. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. McGovern served as a managing director in the Global Investment Group at Amaranth Advisors, where he co-headed the fund’s private placement efforts for both debt and equity linked products in the United States. He is also on the board of directors for the Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation.
Jon Yoder. Mr. Yoder has served as our chief operating officer since April 2016. Mr. Yoder is chief operating officer of GS BDC and GS PMMC II and a member of GSAM’s Private Credit Group with a focus on sourcing, structuring and executing privately negotiated debt financings. He is also a voting member of the Private Credit Group’s Investment Committee, which is responsible for evaluating and approving all of the Company’s investments. Mr. Yoder joined the firm in 2005. Prior to joining the firm, he was a member of the mergers and acquisitions and private equity groups at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP.
Jonathan Lamm. Mr. Lamm has served as our chief financial officer and treasurer since April 2016. Mr. Lamm is also chief financial officer and treasurer of GS BDC and GS PMMC II and chief operating officer of the GSAM Credit Alternatives portfolio management team, responsible for the operations of the business, including business financials, infrastructure support, and IT project management, as well as the continuous improvement of the control environment. Mr. Lamm is secretary and a non-voting member of the Private Credit Group’s Investment Committee, which is responsible for evaluating and approving all of the Company’s investments. He joined the firm in 1999. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Lamm worked in the securities audit practice at Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
Julien Yoo. Ms. Yoo is the chief compliance officer of the Company and has served in such capacity since June 2019. Ms. Yoo is the Managing Director of GSAM Compliance, Head of the U.S. Regulatory Committee Compliance team within GSAM Compliance, and Chief Compliance Officer of Goldman Sachs Trust, Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust, Goldman Sachs Trust II, Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund, Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund, Goldman Sachs ETF Trust, Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund, GS BDC and GS PMMC II. Ms. Yoo joined Goldman Sachs in 2013. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Ms. Yoo was a Vice President in the legal department of Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, she was an associate at Shearman & Sterling, LLP and at Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman, LLP.
David Yu. Mr. Yu has served as an executive vice president and Head of Research of the Company since April 2016. Mr. Yu is executive vice president of GS BDC and PMMC II and a member of the GSAM Private Credit Group with a focus on sourcing, structuring and executing privately negotiated debt financings and serves as its Head of Research. Mr. Yu is a voting member of the Private Credit Group’s Investment Committee, which is responsible for evaluating and approving all of the Company’s investments. Mr. Yu joined the firm in 2006. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Yu was an associate in the Global Investments Group at Amaranth Advisors, where he similarly worked with public and private issuers to structure and execute debt and equity financings. Prior to joining Amaranth, he worked in the Leveraged Finance and Sponsor Coverage Group at CIBC World Markets.
David Pessah. Mr. Pessah has served as our principal accounting officer since March 2020. Mr. Pessah is principal accounting officer of GS BDC and GS PMMC II. Mr. Pessah is a Vice President in the BDC Fund Controllers team of GSAM. Mr. Pessah is responsible for fund accounting and financial reporting oversight as well as the continuous improvement of the control environment. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in September 2010, he worked in the audit practice at Ernst & Young LLP.
Jordan Walter. Mr. Walter was appointed as an executive vice president of the Company in February 2018. Mr. Walter is executive vice president of GS BDC and GS PMMC II and a member of the GSAM Credit Alternatives team with a focus on sourcing, structuring and executing privately negotiated debt financings. He is also a voting member of the Private Credit Group’s Investment Committee, which is responsible for evaluating and approving all of the Company’s investments. Mr. Walter joined Goldman Sachs in 2014. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Walter was a vice president at MCG Capital where he originated and managed middle market debt and equity investments. Prior to joining MCG Capital, Mr. Walter was in the Financial Management Program at GE Capital.
Michael Mastropaolo. Mr. Mastropaolo has served as an executive vice president of the Company since January 2019. Mr. Mastropaolo is also an executive vice president of GS BDC and GS PMMC II and a member of the GSAM Credit Alternatives team with a focus on sourcing, structuring and executing privately negotiated debt financings. He is also a voting member of the Private Credit Group’s Investment Committee, which is responsible for evaluating and approving all of the Company’s investments. Mr. Mastropaolo joined the firm in 2016. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Mastropaolo was a Director at Golub Capital where he originated and managed middle market debt and equity investments. Mr. Mastropaolo has been investing in middle market credit for his entire career which started at General Electric in the Investment Analyst training program at GE Capital.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Audit Committee
The members of the Audit Committee are Mr. Ardila, Mr. Kari and Ms. Lane, each of whom is an Independent Director. Mr. Kari is Chair of the Audit Committee. The Board of Directors and the Audit Committee have determined that Mr. Kari is an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing matters relating to the appointment and activities of our auditors, audit plans and procedures, various accounting and financial reporting issues and changes in accounting policies, and reviewing the results and scope of the audit and other services provided by our independent public accountants. The Audit Committee is also responsible for aiding the Board of Directors in fair value pricing debt and equity securities that are not publicly traded or for which current market values are not readily available.
The Audit Committee held five formal meetings in 2020.
Governance and Nominating Committee
The members of the Governance and Nominating Committee are Mr. Ardila, Mr. Kari and Ms. Lane, each of whom is an Independent Director. Mr. Ardila serves as the Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee. The Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying, researching and nominating Independent Directors for selection by the Board (and election by the Preferred Unitholders, if applicable), when necessary, selecting nominees to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors developing and recommending to the Board of Directors a set of corporate governance principles and overseeing the evaluation of the Board of Directors and our management.
All candidates nominated for an Independent Director position must meet applicable independence requirements and have the capacity to address financial and legal issues and exercise reasonable business judgment. The Governance and Nominating Committee considers a variety of criteria in evaluating candidates (including candidates nominated by a Unitholder), including (1) experience in business, financial or investment matters or in other fields of endeavor; (2) financial literacy and/or whether he or she is an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K; (3) reputation; (4) ability to attend scheduled Board of Directors and committee meetings; (5) general availability to attend to Board of Directors business on short notice; (6) actual or potential business, family or other conflicts bearing on either the candidate’s independence or the business of the Company; (7) length of potential service; (8) commitment to the representation of the interests of the Company and the Unitholders; (9) commitment to maintaining and improving his or her skills and education; (10) experience in corporate governance and best business practices; and (11) the diversity that he or she would bring to the Board of Directors’ composition.
The Governance and Nominating Committee held four formal meetings in 2020.
Compliance Committee
The members of the Compliance Committee are Mr. Ardila, Mr. Kari and Ms. Lane, each of whom is an Independent Director. Mr. Ardila serves as Chair of the Compliance Committee. The Compliance Committee is responsible for overseeing our compliance processes, and insofar as they relate to services provided to the Company, the compliance processes of our Investment Adviser, the Placement Agents, the Administrator and the transfer agent, except that compliance processes relating to the accounting and financial reporting processes and certain related matters are overseen by the Audit Committee. In addition, the Compliance Committee provides assistance to the full Board of Directors with respect to compliance matters.
The Compliance Committee held four formal meetings in 2020.
Contract Review Committee
The members of the Contract Review Committee are Mr. Ardila, Mr. Kari and Ms. Lane, each of whom is an Independent Director. Mr. Ardila serves as Chair of the Contract Review Committee. The Contract Review Committee is responsible for overseeing the processes of the Board of Directors for reviewing and monitoring performance under the Investment Advisory Agreement and our placement agency (if any) and certain other agreements with our Investment Adviser and its affiliates. The Contract Review Committee also provides appropriate assistance to the Board of Directors in connection with the Board of Directors’ approval, oversight and review of our other service providers, including its custodian/accounting agent, transfer agents, printing firms and professional firms (other than the Company’s independent auditor, which is the responsibility of the Audit Committee).
The Contract Review Committee had one formal meeting in 2020.
Code of Ethics
We have a code of ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. Our Code of Ethics is discussed under “Business-Code of Ethics” and a copy of our Code of Ethics filed by reference as an exhibit to this annual report on Form 10-K.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics which applies to, among others, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. We intend to disclose any material amendment to or waivers of required provisions of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics on a current report on Form 8-K. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is filed as an exhibit to this annual report on Form 10-K.
Director Charter
We have adopted a Director Charter which applies to, among other things, the authority and duties of our directors, composition of our Board of Directors and the election and role of the Chairman of our Board of Directors.
ITEM 11.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
Compensation of Executive Officers
None of our executive officers are currently compensated by us. We do not currently have any employees. Our day-to-day operations are managed by the Investment Adviser.
Compensation of Directors
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, each Independent Director was compensated with an $50,000 annual fee for his or her services as a director. In addition, the Chair earned an annual fee of $25,000 and the director designated as “audit committee financial expert” received an additional $10,000 for their additional services in such capacities. The Independent Directors are also reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred in connection with attending meetings.
In addition, we purchase liability insurance on behalf of our directors. We may also pay the incidental costs of a director to attend training or other types of conferences relating to the BDC industry.
(1)
Kaysie Uniacke is an interested director and, as such, does not receive compensation from the Company or the Goldman Sachs Fund Complex for her service as director or trustee.
(2)
Includes compensation as Chair of the Board.
(3)
Includes compensation as audit committee financial expert.
(4)
The Company does not have a profit-sharing plan, and directors do not receive any pension or retirement benefits from the Company.
No Compensation will be paid to directors who are “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act.
ITEM 12.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The following table sets forth, as of February 25, 2021, certain ownership information with respect to our Units for those persons who directly or indirectly own, control or hold with the power to vote, five percent or more of our outstanding Units and all executive officers and directors, on an individual and group basis. Unless otherwise indicated, the Company believes that each beneficial owner set forth in the table has sole voting and investment power over such Units.
*
Amount rounds to less than 1%.
(1)
The business address for each of our officers and directors is c/o Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, 200 West Street New York, New York 10282.
ITEM 13.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
(a)
Transactions with Related Persons; Review, Approval or Ratification of Transaction with Related Persons
Investment Management and Advisory Agreement
GSAM serves as our investment adviser. Our Investment Adviser has been registered as an investment adviser with the SEC since 1990 and is a subsidiary of Group Inc., a bank holding company. GS & Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Group Inc., acted as our placement agent in connection with the offering of Units to U.S. persons and Goldman Sachs International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Group Inc., acted as our placement agent in connection with the offering of Units to non-U.S. persons.
Subject to the supervision of the Board of Directors, the Investment Adviser provides day-to-day advice regarding the Company’s portfolio transactions and is responsible for the Company’s business affairs and other administrative matters.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, we paid GSAM a total of $13.58 million in fees pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement.
License Agreement
The Company has entered into the License Agreement with GS & Co. pursuant to which it has been granted a personal, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free right and license to use the “Goldman Sachs” name. Under the License Agreement, the Company does not have the right to use the Goldman Sachs name if GSAM or another affiliate of Goldman Sachs is not the Company’s investment adviser or if the Company’s continued use of such license results in a violation of applicable law, results in a regulatory burden or has adverse regulatory consequences. Other than with respect to this limited license, the Company has no legal right to the “Goldman Sachs” name.
Co-Investment Opportunities
The Company may co-invest, on a concurrent basis with other funds managed by GSAM and its affiliates, but not if such co-investment is impermissible under existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations or GSAM’s allocation procedures. Certain types of negotiated co-investments by us and other funds managed by GSAM and its affiliates may be made only pursuant to an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. In January 2017, we received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits us to participate in negotiated co-investment transactions
with certain affiliates (including GS BDC and GS PMMC II), each of whose investment adviser is GSAM, in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions, as well as regulatory requirements and pursuant to the conditions required by the exemptive relief.
Related Party Transaction Review Policy
The Audit Committee will conduct quarterly reviews of any potential related party transactions brought to its attention and, during these reviews, it will consider any conflicts of interest brought to its attention pursuant to the Company’s Code of Ethics. Each of the Company’s directors and executive officers is instructed and periodically reminded to inform GSAM Compliance of any potential related party transactions. In addition, each such director and executive officer completes a questionnaire on an annual basis designed to elicit information about any potential related party transactions.
Director Independence
For information regarding the independence of our directors, see “Item 10. Directors Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.”
ITEM 14.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Audit Fees
The aggregate audit fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $408,500 and $370,000, respectively.
Fees included in the audit fees category are those associated with the annual audits of financial statements, review of the financial statements included in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings.
Audit-Related Fees
No audit-related fees were billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Audit-related fees are for any services rendered to the Company that are reasonably related to the performance of the audits or reviews of the Company’s consolidated financial statements (but not reported as audit fees above). These services include attestation services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards.
The aggregate audit-related fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to GSAM, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, GSAM, that provides ongoing services to the Company, for engagements directly related to the Company’s operations and financial reporting, for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $1,126,432 and $1,200,400, respectively. These amounts represent fees PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP billed to GSAM for services related to the SSAE 18 report.
Tax Fees
The aggregate fees billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for services rendered to the Company for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $0 and $0, respectively.
Fees included in the tax fees category comprise all services performed by professional staff in the independent registered public accountant’s tax division except those services related to the audits. This category comprises fees for tax compliance services provided in connection with the preparation and review of the Company’s tax returns.
No tax fees were billed by the Company’s independent registered public accountant to GSAM, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, GSAM, that provides ongoing services to the Company, for engagements directly related to the Company’s operations and financial reporting, for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
All Other Fees
No fees were billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for products and services provided to the Company, other than the services reported in “Audit Fees,” and “Tax Fees” above, for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Other than services reported under “Audit-Related Fees,” no other fees were billed by the Company’s independent registered public accountant to GSAM, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, GSAM, that provides ongoing services to the Company, for engagements directly related to the Company’s operations and financial reporting, for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Aggregate Non-Audit Fees
No non-audit fees were billed to the Company’s investment adviser and service affiliates by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for non-audit services for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. This includes any non-audit services required to be pre-approved or non-audit services that did not require pre-approval since they did not directly relate to the Company’s operations or financial reporting.
Pre-Approval of Audit and Non-Audit Services Provided to the Company
The Audit and Non-Audit Services Pre-Approval Policy (the “Policy”) adopted by the Audit Committee sets forth the procedures and the conditions pursuant to which services performed by an independent auditor for the Company may be pre-approved. Services may be pre-approved specifically by the Audit Committee as a whole or, in certain circumstances, by the Audit Committee Chairman or the person designated as the audit committee financial expert. In addition, subject to specified cost limitations, certain services may be pre-approved under the provisions of the Policy. The Policy provides that the Audit Committee will consider whether the services provided by an independent auditor are consistent with the SEC’s rules on auditor independence. The Policy provides for periodic review and pre-approval by the Audit Committee of the services that may be provided by the independent auditor.
De Minimis Waiver. The pre-approval requirements of the Policy may be waived with respect to the provision of non-audit services that are permissible for an independent auditor to perform, provided (1) the aggregate amount of all such services provided constitutes no more than five percent of the total amount of revenues subject to pre-approval that was paid to the independent auditors during the fiscal year in which the services are provided; (2) such services were not recognized by the Company at the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and (3) such services are promptly brought to the attention of the Audit Committee and approved prior to the completion of the audit by the Audit Committee or by one or more members of the Audit Committee to whom authority to grant such approvals has been delegated by the Audit Committee, pursuant to the pre-approval provisions of the Policy.
Pre-Approval of Non-Audit Services Provided to GSAM. The Policy provides that, in addition to requiring pre-approval of audit and non-audit services provided to the Company, the Audit Committee will pre-approve those non-audit services provided to the Company’s investment adviser (and entities controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment adviser that provide ongoing services to the Company) where the engagement relates directly to the operations or financial reporting of the Company.
The Audit Committee has considered these fees and the nature of the services rendered, and has concluded that they are compatible with maintaining the independence of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The Audit Committee did not approve any of the audit-related, tax, or other non-audit fees described above pursuant to the “de minimis exceptions” set forth in Rule 2-01(c)(7)(i)(C) and Rule 2-01(c)(7)(ii) of Regulation S-X. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP did not provide any audit-related services, tax services or other non-audit services to GSAM or any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with GSAM that provides ongoing services to the Company that the Audit Committee was required to approve pursuant to Rule 2-01(c)(7)(ii) of Regulation S-X. The Audit Committee considered whether the provision of non-audit services rendered to GSAM and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with GSAM that provides ongoing services to the Company that were not pre-approved by the Audit Committee because the engagement did not relate directly to the operations and financial reporting of the Company is compatible with maintaining PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s independence.
PART IV.
ITEM 15.
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS,
FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
The following documents are filed as part of this annual report on Form 10-K:
(1)
Financial Statements-Financial statements are included in Item 8. See the Index to the Consolidated Financial Statements on page 69 of this annual report on Form 10-K.
(2)
Financial Statement Schedules-None. We have omitted financial statements schedules because they are not required or are not applicable, or the required information is shown in the consolidated financial statements or notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this annual report on Form 10-K.
(3)
Exhibits-The following is a list of all exhibits filed as a part of this annual report on Form 10-K, including those incorporated by reference.
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT NO.
EXHIBIT
3.1
Certificate of Formation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55660), filed on July 13, 2016).
3.2
Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement dated November 1, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 000-55660), filed on November 3, 2016).
4.1
Description of Securities (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 000-55660) filed on February 20, 2020).
10.1
Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of July 18, 2016, between the Company, as Borrower, and Bank of America, N.A., as the Administrative Agent, Lead Arranger, Letter of Credit Issuer and a Lender (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to our Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55660), filed on September 2, 2016).
10.1.1
First Amendment, dated as of March 3, 2017, between the Company, as Borrower, and Bank of America, N.A., as the Administrative Agent, Lead Arranger, Letter of Credit Issuer and a Lender (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on March 8, 2017).
10.1.2
Second Amendment, dated as of July 16, 2018, between the Company, as Borrower, and Bank of America, N.A., as the Administrative Agent, Lead Arranger. Letter of Credit Issuer and a Lender (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on July 16, 2018).
10.1.3
Third Amendment, dated as of August 1, 2018, between the Company, as Borrower, and Bank of America, N.A., as the Administrative Agent, Lead Arranger. Letter of Credit Issuer and a Lender (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 000-55660), filed on August 2, 2018).
10.2
Administration Agreement, dated as of May 31, 2016, between the Company and State Street Bank and Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Pre-effective Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55660), filed on September 2, 2016).
10.3
License Agreement, dated as of April 11, 2016, between the Company and Goldman, Sachs & Co. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Pre-effective Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55660), filed on September 2, 2016).
10.4
Custodian Contract, dated as of May 31, 2016, between the Company and State Street Bank and Trust Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to Pre-effective Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55660), filed on September 2, 2016).
10.5
Investment Management and Advisory Agreement, dated as of April 11, 2016, between the Company and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55660), filed on July 13, 2016).
10.6
Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of November 21, 2017, among Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC, as borrower, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, as portfolio manager, the lenders party thereto, State Street Bank and Trust Company, in its capacities as collateral agent, collateral administrator, securities intermediary and bank, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent for the lenders thereunder (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on November 28, 2017).
10.6.1
First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of August 17, 2018, among Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC, as borrower, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, as portfolio manager, State Street Bank and Trust Company, in its capacities as collateral agent, collateral administrator, securities intermediary and bank, the lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on August 22, 2018).
EXHIBIT NO.
EXHIBIT
10.6.2
Letter Agreement, dated as of October 22, 2018, among Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC, as borrower, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, the lenders party thereto, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as collateral agent, collateral administrator and securities intermediary and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on October 25, 2018).
10.6.3
Letter Agreement, dated as of November 13, 2018, among Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC, as borrower, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, the lenders party thereto, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as collateral agent, collateral administrator and securities intermediary and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7.3 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on February 28, 2019).
10.6.4
Letter Agreement, dated as of January 25, 2019, among Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC, as borrower, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as collateral agent, collateral administrator and securities intermediary and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent and lender (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on January 30, 2019).
10.6.5
Commitment Increase Request and Amendment, dated as of February 22, 2019, among Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC, as borrower, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, as portfolio manager, State Street Bank and Trust Company, in its capacities as collateral agent, collateral administrator, securities intermediary and bank, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7.5 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on February 28, 2019).
10.6.6
Third Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of April 3, 2020, among Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC, as borrower, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, as portfolio manager, State Street Bank and Trust Company, in its capacities as collateral agent, collateral administrator, securities intermediary and bank, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on April 8, 2020).
10.6.7
Fourth Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of August 26, 2020, among Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC, as borrower, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, as portfolio manager, State Street Bank and Trust Company, in its capacities as collateral agent, collateral administrator, securities intermediary and bank, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-55660), filed on August 28, 2020).
10.6.8*
Fifth Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of November 23, 2020, among Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit SPV LLC, as borrower, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC, as portfolio manager, State Street Bank and Trust Company, in its capacities as collateral agent, collateral administrator, securities intermediary and bank, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent.
14.2*
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
21.1*
Subsidiaries of Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC.
24.1*
Power of attorney (included on the signature page hereto).
31.1*
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2*
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1*
Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
*
Filed herewith.
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Brendan McGovern, Jonathan Lamm and Caroline Kraus, and each of them, such person’s true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and revocation, for such person and in such person’s name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign one or more Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and any and all amendments thereto, and to file same with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents and each of them, or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
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 capacities indicated on February 25, 2021.
Signature
Title
/s/ Brendan McGovern
Brendan McGovern
Chief Executive Officer and President (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Jonathan Lamm
Jonathan Lamm
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ David Pessah
David Pessah
Principal Accounting Officer
/s/ Jaime Ardila
Jaime Ardila
Chairman of the Board of Directors
/s/ Ann B. Lane
Ann B. Lane
Director
/s/ Katherine Uniacke
Katherine Uniacke
Director
/s/ Ross J. Kari
Ross J. Kari
Director
/s/ Susan B. McGee
Susan B. McGee
Director