Agreements and Related Party Transactions

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Agreements and Related Party Transactions

3. Agreements and Related Party Transactions

Administration Agreement

On March 15, 2011, the Company entered into the Administration Agreement with the Adviser. Under the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Adviser provides administrative services to the Company. These services include providing office space, equipment and office services, maintaining financial records, preparing reports to stockholders and reports filed with the SEC, and managing the payment of expenses and the oversight of the performance of administrative and professional services rendered by others. Certain of these services are reimbursable to the Adviser under the terms of the Administration Agreement. In addition, the Adviser is permitted to delegate its duties under the Administration Agreement to affiliates or third parties and the Company pays or reimburses the Adviser for certain expenses incurred by any such affiliates or third parties for work done on its behalf.

In February 2017, the Board of Directors of the Company and the Adviser entered into an amended and restated administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”) reflecting certain clarifications to the agreement to provide greater detail regarding the scope of the reimbursable costs and expenses of the Administrator’s services.

In November 2023, the Board renewed the Administration Agreement. Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Administration Agreement will remain in effect until November 2024, and may be extended subject to required approvals. The Administration Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty on 60 days’ written notice to the other party.

No person who is an officer, director or employee of the Adviser or its affiliates and who serves as a director of the Company receives any compensation from the Company for his or her services as a director. However, the Company reimburses the Adviser (or its affiliates) for the allocable portion of the costs of compensation, benefits, and related administrative expenses of the Company’s officers who provide operational and administrative services to the Company pursuant to the Administration Agreement, their respective staffs and other professionals who provide services to the Company (including, in each case, employees of the Adviser or an affiliate). Such reimbursable amounts include the allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Adviser or its affiliates to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and other professionals who provide operational and administrative services to the Company pursuant to the Administration Agreement, including individuals who provide “back office” or “middle office” financial, operational, legal and/or compliance services to the Company. The Company reimburses the Adviser (or its affiliates) for the allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Adviser (or its affiliates) to such individuals based on the percentage of time those individuals devote, on an estimated basis, to the business and affairs of the Company and in acting on behalf of the Company. The Company may also reimburse the Adviser or its affiliates for the allocable portion of overhead expenses (including rent, office equipment and utilities) attributable thereto. Directors who are not affiliated with the Adviser receive compensation for their services and reimbursement of expenses incurred to attend meetings.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 the Company incurred expenses of $0.9 million and $2.1 million, respectively, for administrative services payable to the Adviser under the terms of the Administration Agreement, which is included in Other general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company incurred expenses of $0.8 million and $2.2 million, respectively, for administrative services payable to the Adviser under the terms of the Administration Agreement.

Investment Advisory Agreement

On April 15, 2011, the Company entered into the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser. The Investment Advisory Agreement was subsequently amended on December 12, 2011. Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Company. The Adviser’s services under the Investment Advisory Agreement are not exclusive, and the Adviser is free to furnish similar or other services to others so long as its services to the Company are not impaired. Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Company will pay the Adviser the Management Fee and may also pay certain Incentive Fees.

The Management Fee is calculated at an annual rate of 1.5% based on the average value of the Company’s gross assets calculated using the values at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters, adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the period. The Management Fee is payable quarterly in arrears.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 Management Fees (gross of waivers) were $11.9 million and $34.1 million, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, Management Fees (gross of waivers) were $10.3 million and $29.1 million, respectively.

Any waived Management Fees are not subject to recoupment by the Adviser.

The Adviser intends to waive a portion of the Management Fee payable under the Investment Advisory Agreement by reducing the Management Fee on assets financed using leverage over 200% asset coverage (in other words, over 1.0x debt to equity) (the

“Leverage Waiver”). Pursuant to the Leverage Waiver, the Adviser intends to waive the portion of the Management Fee in excess of an annual rate of 1.0% (0.250% per quarter) on the average value of the Company's gross assets as of the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters that exceeds the product of (i) 200% and (ii) the average value of our net asset value at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Adviser waived Management Fees of $0.3 million and $0.8 million, respectively, pursuant to the Leverage Waiver. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Advisor waived Management Fees of $0.2 million pursuant to the Leverage Waiver.

The Incentive Fee consists of two parts, as follows:

1.The first component, payable at the end of each quarter in arrears, equals 100% of the pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of a 1.5% quarterly “hurdle rate,” the calculation of which is further explained below, until the Adviser has received 17.5% of the total pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for that quarter and, for pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of 1.82% quarterly, 17.5% of all remaining pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for that quarter. The 100% “catch-up” provision for pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of the 1.5% “hurdle rate” is intended to provide the Adviser with an Incentive Fee of 17.5% on all pre-Incentive Fee net investment income when that amount equals 1.82% in a quarter (7.28% annualized), which is the rate at which catch-up is achieved. Once the “hurdle rate” is reached and catch-up is achieved, 17.5% of any pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of 1.82% in any quarter is payable to the Adviser.

Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income means dividends, interest and fee income accrued by the Company during the calendar quarter, minus the Company’s operating expenses for the quarter (including the Management Fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement to the Administrator, and any interest expense and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the Incentive Fee). Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with pay-in-kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that the Company may not have received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital gains or losses.

2.The second component, payable at the end of each fiscal year in arrears, equaled 15% through March 31, 2014 and, beginning April 1, 2014, equals a weighted percentage of cumulative realized capital gains from the Company’s inception to the end of that fiscal year, less cumulative realized capital losses and unrealized capital losses. This component of the Incentive Fee is referred to as the Capital Gains Fee. Each year, the fee paid for this component of the Incentive Fee is net of the aggregate amount of any previously paid Capital Gains Fee for prior periods. For capital gains that accrue following March 31, 2014, the Incentive Fee rate is 17.5%. The Company accrues, but does not pay, a capital gains Incentive Fee with respect to unrealized capital gains because a capital gains Incentive Fee would be owed to the Adviser if the Company were to sell the relevant investment and realize a capital gain. The weighted percentage is intended to ensure that for each fiscal year following the completion of the IPO, the portion of the Company’s realized capital gains that accrued prior to March 31, 2014, is subject to an Incentive Fee rate of 15% and the portion of the Company’s realized capital gains that accrued beginning April 1, 2014 is subject to an Incentive Fee rate of 17.5%. As of March 31, 2020, there were no remaining investments that were made prior to April 1, 2014, and as a result, the Incentive Fee rate of 17.5% is applicable to any future realized capital gains.

For purposes of determining whether pre-Incentive Fee net investment income exceeds the hurdle rate, pre-Incentive Fee net investment income is expressed as a rate of return on the value of the Company’s net assets at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter.

Section 205(b)(3) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or the Advisers Act, prohibits the Adviser from receiving the payment of fees on unrealized gains until those gains are realized, if ever. There can be no assurance that such unrealized gains will be realized in the future.

For three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, Incentive Fees were $13.7 million and $36.2 million, respectively, of which $11.2 million and $31.1 million, respectively, were realized and payable to the Adviser. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, Incentive Fees were $7.9 million and $14.8 million, respectively, of which $7.9 million and $22.5 million, respectively, were realized and payable to the Adviser. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, $2.6 million and $5.1 million, respectively, of Incentive Fees was accrued related to Capital Gains Fees. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, less than ($0.1) million and ($7.7) million, respectively, of Incentive Fees was accrued related to the reversal of Capital Gains Fees. As of September 30, 2023, the Capital Gains Fees accrued are not contractually payable to the Adviser.

Any waived Incentive Fees are not subject to recoupment by the Adviser.

Since the Company’s IPO, with the exception of its waiver of Management Fees and certain Incentive Fees attributable to the Company’s ownership of certain investments and the Leverage Waiver, the Adviser has not waived its right to receive any Management Fees or Incentive Fees payable pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement.

In November 2023, the Board renewed the Investment Advisory Agreement. Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Investment Advisory Agreement will remain in effect until November 2024, and may be extended subject to required approvals. The Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of an assignment and may be terminated by either party without penalty on 60 days’ written notice to the other party.

From time to time, the Adviser may pay amounts owed by the Company to third-party providers of goods or services, including the Board, and the Company will subsequently reimburse the Adviser for such amounts paid on its behalf. Amounts payable to the Adviser are settled in the normal course of business without formal payment terms.