N-2 - $ / shares |
12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2025 |
Feb. 12, 2025 |
Dec. 31, 2024 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cover [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Central Index Key | 0002017636 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amendment Flag | false | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Securities Act File Number | 000-56718 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Document Type | 10-K | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Registrant Name | CCS IX Portfolio Holdings, LLC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Address, Address Line One | 11100 Santa Monica Blvd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Address, Address Line Two | Suite 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Address, City or Town | Los Angeles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Address, State or Province | CA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Address, Postal Zip Code | 90025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| City Area Code | 310 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Local Phone Number | 235-5900 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Emerging Growth Company | true | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entity Ex Transition Period | true | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk Factors [Table Text Block] | Item 1A. Risk Factors Investing in our Common Units involves a number of significant risks. Before you invest in our Common Units, you should be aware of various risks, including those described below. The risks set out below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us may also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. The risk factors described below are the principal risk factors associated with an investment in us as well as those factors generally associated with an investment company with investment objectives, investment policies, capital structure or trading markets similar to ours. Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure We have a limited operating history.
We were formed on March 12, 2024 and commenced operations in the first calendar quarter of 2025. We are subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business, including the risks that we will not achieve our investment objectives, that we will not qualify or maintain our qualification to be treated as a RIC, and that the value of your investment could decline substantially. In order to comply with the RIC diversification requirements during the startup period, we may invest proceeds in temporary investments, such as 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, which we expect will earn yields substantially lower than the interest, distribution or other income that we seek to receive in respect of suitable portfolio investments. We may not be able to pay any significant distributions during this period, and any such distributions may be substantially lower than the distributions we expect to pay when our portfolio is fully invested. Our Board may change our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or unitholder approval. Our Board has the authority, except as otherwise provided in the 1940 Act or state law, as described below, to modify or waive certain of our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without unitholder approval. Additionally, 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 operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and the market price of our Common Units. Nevertheless, any such changes could adversely affect our business and impair our ability to make distributions to our common unitholders. We and the Adviser are subject to regulations and SEC oversight. If we or the Adviser fail to comply with applicable requirements, it may adversely impact our results relative to companies that are not subject to such regulations. As a BDC, we are subject to a portion of the 1940 Act. In addition, we intend to elect to be treated, and intend to operate in a manner so as to continuously qualify, as a RIC in accordance with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. The 1940 Act and the Code impose various restrictions on the management of a BDC, including related to portfolio construction, asset selection, and tax. These restrictions may reduce the chances that we will achieve the same results as other vehicles managed by Crescent and/or the Adviser. However, if we do not maintain our status as a BDC, we would be subject to regulation as a registered closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act. As a registered closed-end investment company, we would be subject to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act which would significantly decrease our operating flexibility. In addition to these and other requirements applicable to us, the Adviser is subject to regulatory oversight by the SEC. To the extent the SEC raises concerns or has negative findings concerning the manner in which we or the Adviser operates, it could adversely affect our business.
Changes in interest rates may adversely affect the value of our portfolio investments which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We currently expect our debt investments to be generally based on floating rates, such as Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), EURIBOR, 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 Common Units and our rate of return on invested capital. In December 2025, the Federal Reserve voted to pause interest rate hikes. The Federal Reserve has made recent cuts to benchmark interest rates, and it is currently anticipated that it will make additional cuts, though there is no guarantee that the Federal Reserve will reduce rates in 2026, especially if inflation increases again. If the Federal Reserve increases interest rates, the cost of borrowing for the companies in which we invest will increase and may make them less profitable, which generally would decrease the value of our investments in them. In addition, although we generally expect to invest a limited percentage of our assets in instruments with a fixed interest rate, including subordinated loans, senior and junior secured and unsecured debt securities and loans in high yield bonds, an increase in interest rates could decrease the value of those fixed rate investments. Rising interest rates may also increase the cost of debt for our underlying portfolio companies, which could adversely impact their financial performance and ability to meet ongoing obligations to the Company. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make investment in our Common Units less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our Common Units. Because we may borrow money to finance investments, our net investment income may depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay dividends on Preferred Units 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. In this period of high interest rates, our cost of funds may increase except to the extent we have issued fixed rate debt or Preferred Units, which could reduce our net investment income. We are dependent upon key personnel of Crescent. We do not have any internal management capacity or employees. Our ability to achieve our investment objectives will depend on our ability to manage our business and to grow our investments and earnings. This will depend, in turn, on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of Crescent’s senior professionals. We expect that these senior professionals will evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor our investments in accordance with the terms of our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. We can offer no assurance, however, that Crescent’s senior professionals will continue to provide investment advice to us. If these individuals do not maintain their employment or other relationships with Crescent and do not develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities available to us, we may not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom Crescent’s investment professionals have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities. Therefore, we can offer no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for us. The departure or misconduct of any of these individuals, or of a significant number of the investment professionals of Crescent, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Crescent’s investment professionals have substantial responsibilities in connection with the management of other Crescent clients. Crescent’s personnel may be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These demands on their time, which may increase as the number of investments grow, may distract them or slow our rate of investment. Our investment committee, which provides oversight over our investment activities, is provided to us by our investment adviser under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. The loss of any member of our investment committee or of Crescent’s other senior professionals would limit our ability to achieve our investment objectives and operate as we anticipate. This could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We will not provide key person life insurance for any of our key personnel. Further, we depend upon Crescent to maintain its relationships with private equity sponsors, placement agents, investment banks, management groups and other financial institutions, and we expect to rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If Crescent fails to maintain such relationships, or to develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities, we will not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom Crescent’s senior professionals have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and we can offer no assurance that these relationships will generate investment opportunities in the future. We may not replicate the historical performance achieved by Crescent. Our primary focus in making investments may differ from those of existing investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles that are or have been managed by members of our investment adviser’s investment committee or by Crescent. Past performance should not be relied upon as an indication of future results. There can be no guarantee that we will replicate the historical performance of Crescent or the historical performance of investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles that are or have been managed by members of our investment adviser’s investment committee or by Crescent or its employees, and we caution investors that our investment returns could be substantially lower than the returns achieved by them in prior periods. We cannot assure you that we will be profitable in the future or that our investment adviser will be able to continue to implement our investment objectives with the same degree of success that it has had in the past. Additionally, all or a portion of the prior results may have been achieved in particular market conditions which may never be repeated. Moreover, current or future market volatility and regulatory uncertainty may have an adverse impact on our future performance. We depend on Crescent to manage our business effectively. Our ability to achieve our investment objectives depends on our ability to manage our business and to grow our investments and earnings. This depends, in turn, on Crescent’s ability to identify, invest in and monitor portfolio companies that meet our investment criteria. The achievement of our investment objectives on a cost-effective basis will depend upon Crescent’s execution of our investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services to us and, to a lesser extent, our access to financing on acceptable terms. Crescent’s investment professionals will have substantial responsibilities in connection with the management of other investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles. Crescent’s personnel may be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These activities may distract them from servicing new investment opportunities for us or slow our rate of investment. Any failure to manage our business and our future growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The Adviser, the investment committee of the Company, and the Adviser’s affiliates, officers, directors and employees may face certain conflicts of interest. As a result of our arrangements with the Adviser and our investment committee, there may be times when the Adviser or such persons have interests that differ from those of our unitholders, giving rise to a conflict of interest. The members of our investment committee serve, or may serve, as officers, directors, members, or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment funds, accounts, or investment vehicles managed by Crescent and/or its affiliates. Similarly, Crescent and its affiliates may have other clients with similar, different or competing investment objectives. In serving in these multiple capacities, they may have obligations to other clients or investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which may not be in the best interests of, or which may be adverse to the interests of, us or our unitholders. For example, Crescent has, and will continue to have, management responsibilities for other investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles. There is a potential that we will compete with these funds, and other entities managed by Crescent and its affiliates, for capital and investment opportunities. As a result, members of our investment committee will face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities among us, and other investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent and its affiliates and may make certain investments that are appropriate for us but for which we receive a relatively small allocation or no allocation at all. Crescent intends to allocate investment opportunities among eligible investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles in a manner that is fair and equitable over time and consistent with its allocation policy. However, we can offer no assurance that such opportunities will be allocated to us fairly or equitably in the short-term or over time and we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by investment funds managed by Crescent or its affiliates and there can be no assurance that we will be able to participate in all investment opportunities that are suitable to us. Further, to the extent permitted by applicable law, we and our affiliates may own investments at different levels of a portfolio company’s capital structure or otherwise own different classes of a portfolio company’s securities, which may give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest. Conflicts may also arise because decisions regarding our portfolio may benefit our affiliates. Our affiliates may pursue or enforce rights with respect to one of its portfolio companies, and those activities may have an adverse effect on us. We have entered into a license agreement with the Adviser under which the Adviser will agree to grant us a royalty-free license to use the name “Crescent.” This arrangement creates potential conflicts of interest, including in the enforcement of the agreement, that our board of directors must monitor. Conflicts may arise related to other arrangements with Crescent and our investment adviser and other affiliates. We have entered into a license agreement with Crescent under which Crescent has agreed to grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “Crescent Capital.” In addition, the Administration Agreement with our administrator, an affiliate of Crescent, requires we pay to our administrator our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by our administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, such as our allocable portion of the cost of our chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, general counsel and secretary, their respective staffs and operations personnel who provide services to us. These agreements create conflicts of interest that the independent directors of our Board will monitor. For example, under the terms of the license agreement, we will be unable to preclude Crescent from licensing or transferring the ownership of the “Crescent Capital” name to third parties, some of whom may compete against us. Consequently, it will be unable to prevent any damage to goodwill that may occur as a result of the activities of Crescent or others. Furthermore, in the event the license agreement is terminated, we will be required to change our name and cease using “Crescent Capital” as part of our name. Any of these events could disrupt our recognition in the marketplace, damage any goodwill it may have generated and otherwise harm our business. The Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, and the Administration Agreement were negotiated between related parties. Consequently, their terms, including fees payable to our investment adviser, may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated exclusively with an unaffiliated third party. In addition, we may desire not to enforce, or to enforce less vigorously, its rights and remedies under these agreements because of our desire to maintain our ongoing relationship with our investment adviser, our administrator and their respective affiliates. Any such decision, however, could breach our directors’ duties to us. Crescent’s principals and employees, or its affiliates may, from time to time, possess material non-public information, limiting our investment discretion. Crescent’s executive officers and directors, principals and other employees, including members of our investment committee, may serve as directors of, or in a similar capacity with, portfolio companies in which we invest, the securities of which are purchased or sold on our behalf and may come into possession of material non-public information with respect to issuers in which we may be considering making an investment. In the event that material non-public information is obtained with respect to such companies, or we become subject to trading restrictions under the internal trading policies of those companies, Crescent’s policies or as a result of applicable law or regulations, we could be prohibited for a period of time or indefinitely from purchasing or selling the securities of such companies, or we may be precluded from providing such information or other ideas to other funds affiliated with Crescent that might benefit from such information, and this prohibition may have an adverse effect on us. The Adviser has limited liability and is entitled to indemnification under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement.
Under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, the Adviser has not assumed any responsibility to us other than to render the services called for under that agreement. The Adviser will not be responsible for any action of our Board in following or declining to follow the Adviser’s advice or recommendations. Under the Investment Advisory and Mangement Agreement, the Adviser, its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including, without limitation, its general partner and the Administrator, and any person controlling or controlled by the Adviser will not be liable to us, any of our subsidiaries, our directors, our unitholders or any subsidiary’s unitholders or partners for acts or omissions performed in accordance with and pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, except those resulting from acts constituting gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of the duties that the Adviser owes to us under the Investment Advisory and Management and Management Agreement. In addition, as part of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, we have agreed to indemnify the Adviser and each of its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including, without limitation, its general partner and the Administrator, and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by such party in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of us or our security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Adviser’s duties or obligations under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of us, except in respect of any liability to us or our security holders to which such party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Adviser’s duties and obligations under the Investment Advisory and Management and Management Agreement. These protections may lead the Adviser to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than the Adviser would when acting for its own account.
Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.
We are prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, the SEC. In addition, any person that is an affiliate of ours for purposes of the 1940 Act generally is prohibited from participating in certain transactions such as with, or buying or selling any security from or to us, absent the prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. We consider Crescent and its affiliates to be our affiliates for such purposes. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company, without prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. We are prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any person who owns more than 25% of our voting securities or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. If we are prohibited by applicable law from investing alongside Crescent’s investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles with respect to an investment opportunity, we may not be able to participate in such investment opportunity. We may, however, invest alongside Crescent’s investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with our investment strategy as well as applicable law and SEC staff interpretations or exemptive orders. For example, we may invest alongside such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that Crescent, acting on our behalf and on behalf of such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles, negotiates no term other than price. In situations where co-investment with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent is not permitted or appropriate, such as when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer or where the different investments could be expected to result in a conflict between our interests and those of Crescent’s clients, subject to the limitations described in the preceding paragraph, Crescent will need to decide which client will proceed with the investment. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates. These restrictions will limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us. Crescent has been granted exemptive relief from the SEC, upon which we may rely, which permits greater flexibility to negotiate the terms of co-investments if our Board determines that it would be advantageous for us to co-invest with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. We believe that co-investment by us and investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent may afford us additional investment opportunities and an ability to achieve a more varied portfolio. Accordingly, our exemptive order permits us to invest with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent in the same portfolio companies under circumstances in which such investments would otherwise not be permitted by the 1940 Act. The exemptive relief permitting co-investment transactions generally applies only if our independent directors and directors who have no financial interest in such transaction review and approve in advance each co-investment transaction. The exemptive relief provides that, if the size of a co-investment opportunity is insufficient to meet our and the other Crescent funds’ desired level of participation in full, allocations will generally be made pro rata based on capital available for investment, as determined, in our case, by our Board as well as the terms of our governing documents and those of such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles. It is our policy to base our determinations on such factors as: the amount of cash on-hand, existing commitments and reserves, if any, our targeted leverage level, our targeted asset mix and diversification requirements and other investment policies and restrictions set by our Board or imposed by applicable laws, rules, regulations or interpretations. We expect that these determinations will be made similarly for investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent. However, we can offer no assurance that investment opportunities will be allocated to us fairly or equitably in the short-term or over time. Conflicts of interest may be created by the valuation process for certain portfolio holdings. We make many of our portfolio investments in the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded and for which no market-based price quotation is available. As a result, our investment adviser, as the Board’s valuation designee, will determine the fair value of these loans and securities as described elsewhere herein. Each of the interested members of our Board has an indirect pecuniary interest in our investment adviser. The participation of our investment adviser’s investment professionals in our valuation process, and the pecuniary interest in our investment adviser by certain members of our Board, could result in a conflict of interest as our investment adviser’s management fee is based on the value of our net asset. Our Common Units are illiquid investments for which there is not a secondary market. We do not know at this time what circumstances will exist in the future, and therefore we do not know what factors our Board will consider in contemplating a liquidity event in the future. We currently do not expect to complete a liquidity event within any specific time period, if at all, and we do not intend to undertake an Exchange Listing. If we choose to pursue some form of liquidity event, such event will be undertaken at the approval of our unitholders. Furthermore, even if we were to complete an initial public offering or listing on a national securities exchange to establish a secondary market for our Common Units or otherwise complete a liquidity event, investors may not receive a return of all of their invested capital as shares of closed-end investment companies and BDCs frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies and BDCs is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per Common Unit may decline. We cannot predict whether our Common Units, if listed on a national securities exchange, would trade at, above or below net asset value. We operate in an increasingly competitive market for investment opportunities, which could make it difficult for us to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives.
A number of entities compete with us to make the types of investments that we make and plan to make. We compete with other BDCs, public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, we believe some of our competitors may have access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or the source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements we must satisfy to maintain our RIC qualification. The competitive pressures we face may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. As a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time, and we may not be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives. With respect to the investments we make, we will not seek to compete based primarily on the interest rates we will offer, and we believe that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that will be lower than the rates we offer. In the secondary market for acquiring existing loans, we expect to compete generally on the basis of pricing terms. With respect to all investments, we may lose some investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. However, if we match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may experience decreased net interest income, lower yields and increased risk of credit loss. We may also compete for investment opportunities with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent. Although Crescent will allocate opportunities in accordance with its policies and procedures, allocations to such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles will reduce the amount and frequency of opportunities available to us and may not be in the best interests of us and our unitholders. Moreover, the performance of investments will not be known at the time of allocation.
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 seeking to: • increase or maintain in whole or in part our position as a creditor or equity ownership percentage in a portfolio company; • exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or • preserve or enhance the value of our investment. We have discretion to make follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. Failure on our part to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase its level of risk, because we prefer other opportunities or because we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements of the Investment Company Act or the desire to qualify and maintain our qualification as a RIC. Additionally, certain loans that we may make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by 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 sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds were 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. We may also make unsecured loans to portfolio companies, meaning that such loans will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such 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 our unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors’ claims against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any. Additionally, we invest in unitranche loans (loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position), which may provide for a waterfall of cash flow priority between different lenders in the unitranche loan. In certain 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 repayment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder over the “last out” portion of the loan that we would continue to hold. The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the loans we make to our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of such senior debt. Under a typical intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens: • the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral; • the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings; • the approval of amendments to collateral documents; • releases of liens on the collateral; and • waivers of past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if its rights are adversely affected.
Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we may, raise additional capital. We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we will be permitted as a BDC to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, as amended, equals at least 150% of our gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior securities. If we issue senior securities, we will be exposed to typical risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of loss. We will be subject to corporate level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC. We intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code and intend to operate in a manner so as to qualify for the U.S. federal income tax treatment applicable to RICs. As a RIC, we generally will not pay U.S. federal corporate-level income taxes on our income and net capital gains that we distribute (or are deemed to distribute) to our common unitholders as dividends on a timely basis. We will be subject to U.S. federal corporate-level income tax on any undistributed income and/or gains. To maintain our status as a RIC, we must meet certain source of income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. We may also be subject to certain U.S. federal excise taxes, as well as state, local and foreign taxes. To qualify as a RIC under the Code, we must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements. The distribution requirement for a RIC is satisfied if we timely distribute an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (as defined by the Code, which generally includes net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any) to our common unitholders on an annual basis (the “Annual Distribution Requirement”). We will be subject, to the extent we use debt financing, to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to qualify as a RIC. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify as a RIC and, thus, may be subject to corporate-level income tax. The Annual Distribution Requirement will be satisfied if we distribute dividends to our common unitholders in respect of each taxable year of an amount generally at least equal to 90% of its investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for distributions paid. In this regard, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement by distributing dividends relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the “spillback dividend” provisions of Subchapter M of the Code. We will be subject to tax, at regular corporate rates, on any retained income and/or gains, including any short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains. We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income for the current one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in preceding years (to the extent that U.S. federal income tax was not imposed on such amounts) less certain over-distributions in the prior year (collectively, the “Excise Tax”). Because we use debt financing, we are subject to (i) an asset coverage ratio requirement under the Investment Company Act and are subject to (ii) certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, or chose or be required to retain a portion of our taxable income or gains, we could (i) be required to pay the Excise Tax and (ii) fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment, and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax on our taxable income (including gains). To qualify as a RIC, in addition to the Annual Distribution Requirement, we must also meet certain annual source of income requirements at the end of each taxable year (the “90% Income Test”) and asset diversification requirements at the end of each calendar quarter (the “Diversification Tests”). Failure to meet these tests may result in our having to (a) dispose of certain investments quickly or (b) raise additional capital in order to prevent the loss of our qualifications as a RIC. Because most of our investments will be in private or thinly traded public companies and are generally illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and may result in substantial losses. If we fail to qualify as a RIC for any reason and become subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distributions to our common unitholders and the amount of funds available for new investments. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on us and our common unitholders. The 90% Income Test will be satisfied if we earn at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from dividends, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities, or other income derived from the business of investing in stock or securities. The Diversification Tests will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. To satisfy the Diversification Tests, at least 50% of the value of our assets at the close of each quarter of each taxable year must consist of cash, cash equivalents (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other acceptable securities, and no more than 25% of the value of its assets can be 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 us having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses. We may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the net taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. We also may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments that could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding, and value added taxes). If we fail to maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution, and the amount of our distributions. We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before, or without, receiving cash representing such income. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we generally are required to include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as the accretion of OID. This may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the making of a loan and in other circumstances, or through contracted PIK interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan principal balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such OID, which could be significant relative to our overall investment activities or increases in loan balances as a result of contracted PIK arrangements, will be included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash, including, for example, amounts attributable to hedging and foreign currency transactions. Since in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash in respect of such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to qualify and maintain our qualification as a RIC. In such a case, we may have to sell some of our investments at times we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investment originations to meet these distribution requirements. If we are not able to obtain such cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify as a RIC and thus be subject to corporate-level income tax. Such a failure could have a material adverse effect on us and on any investment in us. Our investments in OID and PIK interest income may expose us to risks associated with such income being required to be included in accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash. Our investments may include OID and PIK instruments. To the extent OID and PIK interest income constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to risks associated with such income being required to be included in an accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash, including the following: • OID instruments and PIK securities may have unreliable valuations because the accretion of OID as interest income and the continuing accruals of PIK securities require judgments about their collectability and the collectability of deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral; • OID income may also create uncertainty about the source of our cash distributions; • OID instruments may create heightened credit risks because the inducement to the borrower to accept higher interest rates in exchange for the deferral of cash payments typically represents, to some extent, speculation on the part of the borrower; • for accounting purposes, cash distributions to unitholders that include a component of accreted OID income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of accreted OID income may come from the cash invested by the unitholders, the 1940 Act does not require that unitholders be given notice of this fact; • generally, we must recognize income for income tax purposes no later than when it recognizes such income for accounting purposes; • the higher interest rates on PIK securities reflects the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with such instruments and PIK securities generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans; • even if accounting conditions are met, borrowers on such securities could still default when our actual collection is expected to occur at the maturity of the obligation; In addition, the deferral of PIK interest also reduces the loan-to-value ratio at a compounding rate. Our business could be adversely affected in the event we default under our existing credit facility or any future credit or other borrowing facility. We have entered, and in the future may enter, into one or more credit facilities. The closing of any credit facility is contingent on a number of conditions including, without limitation, the negotiation and execution of definitive documents relating to such credit facility. If we obtain any additional credit facilities, we intend to use borrowings under such credit facilities to make additional investments and for other general corporate purposes. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to close such additional credit facilities or obtain other financing. In the event we default under our current credit facility or any other future borrowing facility, our business could be adversely affected as we may be forced to sell a portion of our investments quickly and prematurely at what may be disadvantageous prices to us in order to meet our outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements under the relevant credit facility or such future borrowing facility, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under the relevant credit facility or any future borrowing facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of our assets, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, ability to pay dividends, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. If we were unable to obtain a waiver of a default from the lenders or holders of that indebtedness, as applicable, those lenders or holders could accelerate repayment under that indebtedness, which might result in cross-acceleration of other indebtedness. An acceleration could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under the relevant credit facility or such future credit or other borrowing facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of our assets, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Lastly, as a result of any such default, we may be unable to obtain additional leverage, which could, in turn, affect our return on capital. We are subject to a 150% asset coverage requirement. Under the Investment Company Act, a BDC is allowed to increase the maximum amount of leverage it may incur from an asset coverage ratio of 200% to an asset coverage ratio of 150% if certain requirements are met. The reduced asset coverage requirement permits a BDC to borrow up to two dollars for every dollar it has in assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities issued by it. In accordance with applicable SEC staff guidance and interpretations,with the unitholder approval, we, as a BDC, are now permitted to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage ratio is at least 150% The amount of leverage that we employ depends on our Adviser’s and our Board’s assessment of market conditions and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. Leverage magnifies the potential for loss on investments in our indebtedness and on invested equity capital. As we may use leverage to partially finance our investments, you will experience increased risks of investing in our securities. If the value of our assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our Common Units to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged our business. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net investment income to increase more than it would have without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net investment income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make distributions or pay dividends on our Common Units, make scheduled debt payments or other payments related to our securities. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Our strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increase the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions.” We are and may be subject to restrictions under our credit facility and any future credit or other borrowing facility that could adversely impact our business. Our current credit facility, and any future borrowing facility, may be backed by all or a portion of our loans and securities on which the lenders may have a security interest. We may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instrument we enter into with lenders. Like with our current credit facility, we expect that any future security interests we grant will be set forth in a pledge and security agreement and evidenced by the filing of financing statements by the agent for the lenders, and we expect that the custodian for our securities serving as collateral for such loan would include in the custodian’s electronic systems notices indicating the existence of such security interests and, following notice of occurrence of an event of default, if any, and during its continuance, will only accept transfer instructions with respect to any such securities from the lender or its designee. Under our current credit facility, we are subject to customary events of default. If we were to default under the terms of our current credit facility or any future borrowing facility, the agent for the applicable lenders would be able to assume control of the timing of disposition of the assets pledged under the facility, which could include any or all of our assets securing such debt. Such remedial action would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the security interests as well as negative covenants under our current credit facility or any other future borrowing facility may limit our ability to create liens on assets to secure additional debt and may make it difficult for us to restructure or refinance indebtedness at or prior to maturity or obtain additional debt or equity financing. In addition, if our borrowing base under our current credit facility or any other borrowing facility were to decrease, we would be required to secure additional assets in an amount equal to any borrowing base deficiency. In the event that all of our assets are secured at the time of such a borrowing base deficiency, we could be required to repay advances under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility or make deposits to a collection account, either of which could have a material adverse impact on our ability to fund future investments and to pay dividends. In addition, under our current credit facility, or any other future borrowing facility, we may be limited as to how borrowed funds may be used, which may include restrictions on geographic and industry concentrations, loan size, payment frequency and status, average life, collateral interests and investment ratings, as well as regulatory restrictions on leverage which may affect the amount of funding that may be obtained. There may also be certain requirements relating to portfolio performance, including required minimum portfolio yield and limitations on delinquencies and charge-offs, a violation of which could limit further advances and, in some cases, result in an event of default. An event of default under our current credit facility or any other borrowing facility could result in an accelerated maturity date for all amounts outstanding thereunder, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. This could reduce our revenues and, by delaying any cash payment allowed to us under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility until the lenders have been paid in full, reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair our ability to grow our business and maintain our qualification as a RIC. In addition to regulatory or existing credit facility requirements that restrict our ability to raise capital, any future debt facilities may contain various covenants that, if not complied with, could accelerate repayment under such debt facilities, thereby materially and adversely affecting our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Agreements covering our current credit facility require and future agreements governing any debt facilities may require us to comply with certain financial and operational covenants. These covenants may include, among other things: • restrictions on the level of indebtedness that we are permitted to incur in relation to the value of our assets; • restrictions on our ability to incur liens; and • maintenance of a minimum level of unitholders’ equity. Our compliance with these covenants depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control. For example, depending on the condition of the public debt and equity markets and pricing levels, unrealized depreciation in our portfolio may increase in the future. Any such increase could result in our inability to comply with an obligation to restrict the level of indebtedness that we are able to incur in relation to the value of our assets or to maintain a minimum level of unitholders’ equity. Accordingly, there are no assurances that we will be able to comply with the covenants in our current credit facility or future agreements governing any debt facilities we enter into. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in a default under these debt facilities, that, if we were unable to obtain a waiver from the lenders or holders of such indebtedness, as applicable, such lenders or holders could accelerate repayment under such indebtedness and thereby have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We intend to finance our investments with borrowed money, which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increase the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions. The use of leverage magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested. The use of leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique and increases the risks associated with investing in our securities. However, we have borrowed from, and may in the future issue debt securities to, banks, insurance companies and other lenders. Lenders of these funds have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of the holders of our Common Units, and we would expect such lenders to seek recovery against our assets in the event of a default. We have and may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instruments we may enter into with lenders. In addition, under the terms of our current credit facility and any borrowing facility or other debt instrument we may enter into, we are likely to be required to use the net proceeds of any investments that we sell to repay a portion of the amount borrowed under such facility or instrument before applying such net proceeds to any other uses. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged, thereby magnifying losses or eliminating our stake in a leveraged investment. Similarly, any decrease in our revenue or income will cause our net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline would also negatively affect our ability to make dividend payments on our Common Units or preferred units. Our ability to service any debt will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. In addition, holders of our Common units will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses as a result of our use of leverage, including interest expenses and any increase in the base management fee payable to our investment adviser. There can be no assurance that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available to us under our current credit facility or otherwise in an amount sufficient to enable us to repay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before it matures. There can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets or seeking additional equity. There can be no assurance that any such actions, if necessary, could be effected on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or on terms that would not be disadvantageous to unitholders or on terms that would not require us to breach the terms and conditions of our future debt agreements. As a BDC, we are generally required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings and other senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred units that we may issue in the future, of at least 150%. If this ratio declines below 150%, we will not be able to incur additional debt and could be required to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is otherwise disadvantageous for us to do so. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations, and we may not be able to make distributions. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our investment adviser’s assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. We cannot assure unitholders that we will be able to obtain credit at all or on terms acceptable to it. Investors in our Common Units may not receive dividends, or our dividends may not grow over time. We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our unitholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions. Any future credit or other borrowing facilities into which we enter may also limit our ability to declare dividends if we default under certain provisions. Further, if we invest a greater amount of assets in equity securities that do not pay current dividends, it could reduce the amount available for distribution. The majority of our portfolio investments are recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser as Valuation Designee subject to the oversight of our Board and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments. Many of our portfolio investments will take the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded. The fair value of loans, securities and other investments that are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable, and we will value these investments at fair value as determined by the Adviser as Valuation Designee in good faith in accordance with Rule 2a-5 and subject to oversight of our Board, including to reflect significant events affecting the value of our investments. Most, if not all, of our investments (other than cash and cash equivalents) will be classified as Level 3 under the FASB Accounting Standards Codification, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC Topic 820). This means that our portfolio valuations will be based on unobservable inputs and our own assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability in question. We expect that inputs into the determination of fair value of our portfolio investments will require significant management judgment or estimation. Even if observable market data are available, such information may be the result of consensus pricing information or broker quotes, which include a disclaimer that the broker would not be held to such a price in an actual transaction. The non-binding nature of consensus pricing and/or quotes accompanied by disclaimers materially reduces the reliability of such information. We intend to retain the services of one or more independent service providers to review the valuation of these loans and securities. However, the ultimate determination of fair value will be made by the Adviser as Valuation Designee subject to the oversight of our Board and not by such third-party valuation firm. The types of factors that the Valuation Designee may take into account in determining the fair value of our investments generally include, as appropriate, comparison to publicly-traded securities including such factors as yield, maturity and measures of credit quality, the enterprise value of a portfolio company, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets generally that may affect the price at which similar investments may be made in the future, comparisons to publicly traded companies, relevant credit market indices and other relevant factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these loans and securities existed. Also, since these valuations are, to a large extent, based on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information, our fair valuation process could make it more difficult for investors to accurately value our investments and could lead to undervaluation or overvaluation of our securities. In addition, the valuation of these types of securities may result in substantial write-downs and earnings volatility. Also, privately held companies frequently have less diverse product lines and smaller market presence than larger public competitors. Our NAV could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of our investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such loans and securities. Further, 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 the NAV. We will adjust quarterly the valuation of our portfolio to reflect the fair value of each investment in our portfolio. Any changes in fair value are recorded in our statement of operations as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation. Legislative or other actions relating to taxes could have a negative effect on us. The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department. We cannot predict with certainty how any changes in the tax laws might affect us, our common unitholders, or our portfolio companies. New legislation and any U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions interpreting such legislation could significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to us and our common unitholders of such qualification or could have other adverse consequences. Unitholders are urged to consult with their tax advisor regarding tax legislative, regulatory, or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our securities. Changes to United States tariff and import/export regulations may have a negative effect on our portfolio companies and, in turn, harm us. There have recently been significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs, and there is ongoing discussion and commentary regarding further potential changes. There continues to exist significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S. and other countries with respect to such trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the U.S. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our portfolio companies’ access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on their business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn would negatively impact us. The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business. All of our assets may be invested in illiquid loans and securities, and a substantial portion of our investments in leveraged companies will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than more broadly traded public securities. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need arises. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of its portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which it has previously recorded its investments. Some of our debt investments may contain interest rate reset provisions that may make it more difficult for the borrowers to make periodic interest payments to us. In addition, some of our debt investments may not pay down principal until the end of their lifetimes, which could result in a substantial loss to us if the portfolio companies are unable to refinance or repay their debts at maturity.
Our Adviser and Administrator each have the ability to resign on 120 days’ and 60 days’ notice, respectively, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.
Our Adviser has the right under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement to resign as our investment adviser at any time upon not less than 120 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. Similarly, our administrator has the right under the Administration Agreement to resign at any time upon not less than 60 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If the Adviser or administrator were to resign, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or administrator, as applicable, or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 120 days or 60 days, respectively, 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 to our common unitholders are likely to be adversely affected and the market price of our shares may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment or administrative activities, as applicable, is likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by our investment adviser and administrator, as applicable. Even if we are able to retain a comparable service provider or individuals performing such services are retained, whether internal or external, their integration and lack of familiarity with our investment objectives may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We may not be able to obtain all required state licenses. We may be required to obtain various state licenses in order to, among other things, originate commercial loans. Applying for and obtaining required licenses can be costly and take several months. There is no assurance that we will obtain all of the licenses that we need on a timely basis. Furthermore, we will be subject to various information and other requirements in order to obtain and maintain these licenses, and there is no assurance that we will satisfy those requirements. Our failure to obtain or maintain licenses might restrict investment options and have other adverse consequences.
We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates. General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments and investment opportunities and, accordingly, may have a material adverse effect on our investment objectives and our net investment income. Because we borrow money and may issue debt securities or preferred units to make investments, our net investment income is dependent upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay interest or dividends on such debt securities or preferred stock and the rate at which we invest these funds. If market rates decrease we may earn less interest income from investments made during such lower rate environment. From time to time, we may also enter into certain hedging transactions, such as futures, options, currency options, forward contracts, interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to mitigate our exposure to changes in interest rates. In addition, we may increase our floating rate investments to position the portfolio for rate increases. However, we cannot assure you that such transactions will be successful in mitigating our exposure to interest rate risk. There can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. We may be the target of litigation. Our investment activities subject us to litigation relating to the bankruptcy process and the normal risks of becoming involved in litigation by third parties. This risk is somewhat greater where we exercise control or significant influence over a portfolio company’s direction. Any litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business and cause a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Relating to Our Investments Price declines and illiquidity in the corporate debt markets may adversely affect the fair value of our portfolio investments, reducing NAV through increased net unrealized depreciation. As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board, as described elsewhere herein. 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. We record decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments as unrealized depreciation. Declines in prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets may result in significant net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. The effect of all of these factors on our portfolio may reduce our NAV by increasing net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may suffer additional unrealized losses in future periods, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity, and rising interests rates may make it more difficult for portfolio companies to make periodic payments on their loans. Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity. This risk and the risk of default is increased to the extent that the loan documents do not require the portfolio companies to pay down the outstanding principal of such debt prior to maturity. In addition, if general interest rates rise, there is a risk that our portfolio companies will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Any failure of one or more portfolio companies to repay or refinance its debt at or prior to maturity or the inability of one or more portfolio companies to make ongoing payments following an increase in contractual interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Inflation may adversely affect the business, results of operations and financial condition of our portfolio companies. Certain of our portfolio companies may be in industries that have been, or are expected to be, impacted by inflation. U.S. inflation rates have fluctuated in recent periods, and remain well above historical levels over the past several decades. Inflationary pressures have increased the costs of labor, energy and raw materials and have adversely affected consumer spending, economic growth and our portfolio companies’ operations. If these portfolio companies are unable to pass any increases in their costs of operations along to their customers, it could adversely affect their operating results and impact their ability to pay interest and principal on our loans, particularly if interest rates rise in response to inflation. In addition, any projected future decreases in our portfolio companies’ operating results due to inflation could adversely impact the fair value of those investments. Any decreases in the fair value of our investments could result in future realized or unrealized losses and therefore reduce our net assets resulting from operations. We typically invest in middle-market companies, which involves higher risk than investments in large companies.
Investment in private and middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks. Generally, limited public information exists about these companies, and we will rely on the ability of Crescent’s investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision and may lose money on its investments. Middle-market companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their loans and debt securities that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees that it may have obtained in connection with its investment. In addition, 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. Additionally, middle-market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons. Therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on one or more of the portfolio companies we invest in and, in turn, on us. Middle-market companies also may be parties to litigation and may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence. In addition, our executive officers, directors and the Adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in portfolio companies. In addition, investment in middle-market companies involves a number of other significant risks, including: • they typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns; • they 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; • changes in laws and regulations, as well as their interpretations, may adversely affect their business, financial structure or prospects; and • they may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding indebtedness upon maturity. Our investments may be risky and we could lose all or part of our investment. The debt that we invest in is typically not initially rated by any rating agency, but we believe that if such investments were rated, they would be below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investors Service, lower than “BBB-” by Fitch Ratings or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services). Below investment grade securities have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Bonds that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as “high yield bonds” or “junk bonds.” Therefore, our investments may result in an above average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal. While the debt we invest in is often secured, such security does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the terms of the loan, or that the value of any collateral will be sufficient to allow us to recover all or a portion of the outstanding amount of the loan should we be forced to enforce our remedies. Some of the loans in which we may invest directly or indirectly through investments in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) or other types of structured entities may be “covenant-lite” loans, which means the loans contain fewer covenants than other loans (in some cases, none) and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. An investment by us in a covenant-lite loan may potentially hinder the ability to reprice credit risk associated with the issuer and reduce the ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. We may also experience delays in enforcing our rights under covenant-lite loans. Furthermore, we will generally not have direct rights against the underlying borrowers or entities that sponsor CLOs, which means we will not be able to directly enforce any rights and remedies in the event of a default of a loan held by a CLO vehicle. As a result of these risks, our exposure to losses may be increased, which could result in an adverse impact on our net income and net asset value. We also may invest in assets other than first and second lien and subordinated debt investments, including high-yield securities, U.S. government securities, credit derivatives and other structured securities and certain direct equity investments. These investments entail additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns. Investments in equity securities, many of which are illiquid with no readily available market, involve a substantial degree of risk. We may purchase common and other equity securities. 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. The equity securities we acquire may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless and our ability to recover our investment will depend on the underlying portfolio company’s success. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including: • 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; • to the extent that the portfolio company requires additional capital and is unable to obtain it, we may not recover our investment; and • 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: • 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; • 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; • preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stock or U.S. government securities; and • generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, subject to limited exceptions. Additionally, when we invest in first lien senior secured loans (including “unitranche” loans, which are loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position), junior debt, senior secured loans or subordinated debt, 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 be subject to risks associated with syndicated loans. From time to time, our investments may consist of syndicated loans that were not originated by us or our investment adviser. Under the documentation for such loans, a financial institution or other entity typically is designated as the administrative agent and/or collateral agent. This agent is granted a lien on any collateral on behalf of the other lenders and distributed payments on the indebtedness as they are received. The agent is the party responsible for administering and enforcing the loan and generally may take actions only in accordance with the instructions of a majority or two-thirds in commitments and/or principal amount of the associated indebtedness. Accordingly, we may be precluded from directing such actions unless we or our investment adviser is the designated administrative agent or collateral agent or we act together with other holders of the indebtedness. If we are unable to direct such actions, we cannot assure you that the actions taken will be in our best interests. There is a risk that a loan agent may become bankrupt or insolvent. Such an event would delay, and possibly impair, any enforcement actions undertaken by holders of the associated indebtedness, including attempts to realize upon the collateral securing the associated indebtedness and/or direct the agent to take actions against the related obligor or the collateral securing the associated indebtedness and actions to realize on proceeds of payments made by obligors that are in the possession or control of any other financial institution. In addition, we may be unable to remove the agent in circumstances in which removal would be in our best interests. Moreover, agented loans typically allow for the agent to resign with certain advance notice. The disposition of our investments may result in contingent liabilities. We currently expect that substantially all of our investments will involve loans and private securities. In connection with the disposition of an investment in loans and private securities, we may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the portfolio company typical of those made in connection with the sale of a business. We may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations turn out to be inaccurate or with respect to potential liabilities. These arrangements may result in contingent liabilities that ultimately result in funding obligations that we must satisfy through its return of distributions previously made to us. Our subordinated investments may be subject to greater risk than investments that are not similarly subordinated. We may make subordinated investments that rank below other obligations of the borrower in right of payment. Subordinated investments are subject to greater risk of default than senior obligations as a result of adverse changes in the financial condition of the borrower or in general economic conditions. If we make a subordinated investment in a portfolio company, the portfolio company may be highly leveraged, and its relatively high debt-to-equity ratio may create increased risks that its operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service all of its debt obligations. There may be circumstances in which our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims. If one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, even though we may have structured our interest as senior debt, depending on the facts and circumstances, a bankruptcy court might recharacterize our debt holding as an equity investment and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. 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, we actually render significant managerial assistance. We may hold the debt securities of leveraged companies. Investment in leveraged companies involves a number of significant risks. Leveraged companies in which we invest may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their loans and debt securities that we hold. Such developments may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees that it may have obtained in connection with our investment. Smaller leveraged companies also may have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance their expansion or maintain their competitive position. Leveraged companies may experience bankruptcy or similar financial distress. The bankruptcy process has a number of significant inherent risks. Many events in a bankruptcy proceeding are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings and are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy filing by a portfolio company may adversely and permanently affect the portfolio company. If the proceeding is converted to a liquidation, the value of the portfolio company may not equal the liquidation value that was believed to exist at the time of the investment. The duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is also difficult to predict, and a creditor’s return on investment can be adversely affected by delays until the plan of reorganization or liquidation ultimately becomes effective. The administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and would be paid out of the debtor’s estate prior to any return to creditors. Because the standards for classification of claims under bankruptcy law are vague, our influence with respect to the class of securities or other obligations that we own may be lost by increases in the number and amount of claims in the same class or by different classification and treatment. In the early stages of the bankruptcy process, it is often difficult to estimate the extent of, or even to identify, any contingent claims that might be made. In addition, certain claims that have priority by law (for example, claims for taxes) may be substantial. Our portfolio companies may incur debt or issue equity securities that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies. 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 investments 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. 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 (including agreements governing “first out” and “last out” structures) 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 as a result our rights as junior lenders are adversely affected. When we are a debt or minority equity investor in a portfolio company, we are often not in a position to exert influence on the entity, and other equity holders and management of the company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our investment in such portfolio company. When we make debt or minority equity investments, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree and the other equity holders and management of such company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our investment. Our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged. Some of our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, which may have adverse consequences to these companies and to us as an investor. These companies may be subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants and the leverage may impair these companies’ ability to finance their future operations and capital needs. As a result, these 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 foreign companies may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments. Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in foreign companies. Investing in foreign companies may expose us to additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes (potentially at confiscatory levels), less liquid markets, less available information than is generally the case in the U.S., higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. Although we expect most of our investments will be U.S. dollar denominated, our investments that are denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to one or more other currencies. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure you that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us. The due diligence process that the Adviser undertakes in connection with our investments may not reveal all the facts that may be relevant in connection with an investment. The Adviser’s due diligence may not reveal all of a company’s liabilities and may not reveal other weaknesses in its business. There can be no assurance that our due diligence process will uncover all relevant facts that would be material to an investment decision. Before making an investment in, or a loan to, a company, the Adviser will assess the strength and skills of the company’s management team and other factors that it believes are material to the performance of the investment. In making the assessment and otherwise conducting customary due diligence, the Adviser will rely on the resources available to it and, in some cases, an investigation by third parties. This process is particularly important and highly subjective with respect to newly organized entities because there may be little or no information publicly available about the entities. We may make investments in, or loans to, companies, including middle market companies, which are not subject to public company reporting requirements, including requirements regarding preparation of financial statements, and will, therefore, depend upon the compliance by investment companies with their contractual reporting obligations and the ability of the Adviser’ investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we and the Adviser are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision and may lose money on our investments. As a result, the evaluation of potential investments and the ability to perform due diligence on and effective monitoring of investments may be impeded, and we may not realize the returns that it expects on any particular investment. In the event of fraud by any company in which we invest or with respect to which we make a loan, we may suffer a partial or total loss of the amounts invested in that company. We may be subject to additional risks from investing in non-U.S. securities. The 1940 Act generally requires that 70% of our investments be in issuers each of whom is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands or any other possession of the United States. However, our portfolio may include debt securities of non-U.S. companies, including emerging market issuers, to the limited extent such transactions and investments would not cause us to violate the 1940 Act. We expect that these investments would focus on the same secured debt, unsecured debt and related equity security investments that we make in U.S. middle-market companies and, accordingly, would be complementary to our overall strategy and enhance the diversity of our holdings. Investing in loans and securities of emerging market issuers involves many risks including economic, social, political, financial, tax and security conditions in the emerging market, potential inflationary economic environments, regulation by foreign governments, different accounting standards and political uncertainties. Economic, social, political, financial, tax and security conditions also could negatively affect the value of emerging market companies. These factors could include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets and less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations or judgments or foreclosing on collateral, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. Engaging in either hedging transactions or investing in foreign loans and securities would entail additional risks to our unitholders. We could, for example, use instruments such as interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors and, if we were to invest in foreign loans and securities, we could use instruments such as forward contracts or currency options and borrow under a credit facility in currencies selected to minimize our foreign currency exposure. In each such case, we generally would seek to hedge against fluctuations of the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in market interest rates or currency exchange rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions would not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of the positions declined. However, such hedging could establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions could also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions increased. Moreover, it might not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that was so generally anticipated that we would not be able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price. 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 could 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 could vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we might not seek to establish a perfect correlation between the hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation could prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it might not be possible for us to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those loans and securities would likely fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations. We may not realize anticipated gains on the equity interests in which we invest. When we invest in loans and debt securities, we may acquire warrants or other equity securities of portfolio companies as well. We may also invest in equity securities directly. To the extent we hold equity investments, we will attempt to dispose of them and realize gains upon such disposition. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, may decline in value. As a result, 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. Changes in healthcare laws and other regulations applicable to some of our portfolio companies businesses may constrain their ability to offer their products and services. Changes in healthcare or other laws and regulations applicable to the businesses of some of our portfolio companies may occur that could increase their compliance and other costs of doing business, require significant systems enhancements, or render their products or services less profitable or obsolete, any of which could have a material adverse effect on their results of operations. There has also been an increased political and regulatory focus on healthcare laws in recent years, and new legislation could have a material effect on the business and operations of some of our portfolio companies. Our investments in the consumer products and services sector are subject to various risks including cyclical risks associated with the overall economy. General risks of companies in the consumer products and services sector include cyclicality of revenues and earnings, economic recession, currency fluctuations, changing consumer tastes, extensive competition, product liability litigation and increased government regulation. Generally, spending on consumer products and services is affected by the health of consumers. Companies in the consumer products and services sectors are subject to government regulation affecting the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods, which regulations could affect company profitability. A weak economy and its effect on consumer spending would adversely affect companies in the consumer products and services sector. Our investments in technology companies are subject to many risks, including volatility, intense competition, shortened product life cycles, litigation risk and periodic downturn. We have invested and will continue investing in technology companies, many of which may have narrow product lines and small market shares, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as to general economic downturns. The revenues, income (or losses), and valuations of technology-related companies can and often do fluctuate suddenly and dramatically. In addition, technology related markets are generally characterized by abrupt business cycles and intense competition, where the leading companies in any particular category may hold a highly concentrated percentage of the overall market share. Therefore, our portfolio companies may face considerably more risk of loss than do companies in other industry sectors.
The effect of global climate change may impact the operations of our portfolio companies.
Climate change creates physical and financial risk and some of our portfolio companies may be adversely affected by climate change. For example, the needs of customers of energy companies vary with weather conditions, primarily temperature and humidity. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change, energy use could increase or decrease depending on the duration and magnitude of any changes. Increases in the cost of energy could adversely affect the cost of operations of our portfolio companies if the use of energy products or services is material to their business. A decrease in energy use due to weather changes may affect some of our portfolio companies' financial condition, through decreased revenues. Extreme weather conditions or events (including wildfires, droughts, hurricanes and floods), which may become more severe and frequent as a result of climate change, in general require more system backup, adding to costs, and can contribute to increased system stresses, including service interruptions. Other risks associated with climate change include transition risks, such as risks related to the impact of climate-related legislation and regulation (both domestically and internationally), political and policy risks, as well as risks related to climate-related business trends, including changes in technology and consumer preferences. General Risk Factors Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies, and defaults by our portfolio companies will harm our operating results.
Many of the portfolio companies in which we expect to make investments are likely to be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay their loans during such periods. Therefore, the number of our assets is likely to increase and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during such periods. Macroeconomic factors such as real GDP growth, consumer confidence, supply chain disruptions, inflation, employment levels, oil prices, interest rates, tax rates, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and other macroeconomic trends can adversely affect customer demand for the products and services that our portfolio companies offer and may adversely impact their businesses or financial results. In addition, although we invest primarily in companies located in the United States, our portfolio companies may rely on parts or supplies manufactured outside the United States. As a result, any event causing a disruption of imports, including natural disasters, public health crises, or the imposition of import or trade restrictions in the form of tariffs or quotas could increase the cost and reduce the supply of products available to our portfolio companies, which may negatively impact their businesses or financial results.
Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and debt securities and the value of our equity investments. If the value of collateral underlying our loan declines during the term of the loan, a portfolio company may not be able to obtain the necessary funds to repay the loan at maturity through refinancing. Decreasing collateral value may hinder a portfolio company’s ability to refinance our loan because the underlying collateral cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new financing. Thus, 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 its access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. We consider a number of factors in making our investment decisions, including, but not limited to, the financial condition and prospects of a portfolio company and its ability to repay our loan. Unfavorable economic conditions could negatively affect the valuations of our portfolio companies and, as a result, make it more difficult for such portfolio companies to repay or refinance our loan. Therefore, these events could prevent us from increasing our 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, termination of the portfolio company’s loans and foreclosure on its assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize its ability to meet its obligations under the loans and debt securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants. Furthermore, if one of our portfolio companies were to file for bankruptcy protection, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provide significant managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might our debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to claims of other creditors, even though we may have structured our investment as senior secured debt.
In addition, the failure of certain financial institutions, namely banks, may increase the possibility of a sustained deterioration of financial market liquidity, or illiquidity at clearing, cash management and/or custodial financial institutions. The failure of a bank (or banks) with which we and/or our portfolio companies have a commercial relationship could adversely affect, among other things, our and/or our portfolio companies’ ability to pursue key strategic initiatives, including by affecting our or our portfolio company’s ability to access deposits or borrow from financial institutions on favorable terms. Additionally, if a portfolio company or its sponsor has a commercial relationship with a bank that has failed or is otherwise distressed, the portfolio company may experience issues receiving financial support from a sponsor to support its operations or consummate transactions, to the detriment of their business, financial condition and/or results of operations. In addition, such bank failure(s) could affect, in certain circumstances, the ability of both affiliated and unaffiliated including syndicate banks or other fund vehicles, to undertake and/or execute transactions with us, which in turn may result in fewer opportunities being made available to us or impact our ability to provide additional support to portfolio companies. Our ability and our portfolio companies to spread banking relationships among multiple institutions may be limited by certain contractual arrangements, including liens placed on our respective assets as a result of a bank agreeing to provide financing.
Downgrades by rating agencies to the U.S. government’s credit rating or concerns about its credit and deficit levels in general, could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact both the perception of credit risk associated with our debt portfolio and our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. In addition, a decreased U.S. government credit rating could create broader financial turmoil and uncertainty, which may weigh heavily on our financial performance and the value of our Common Units.
The current global financial market situation, as well as various social and political circumstances in the U.S. and around the world, including wars and other forms of conflict, terrorist acts, security operations and catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, adverse effects of climate crisis and global health epidemics, may contribute to increased market volatility and economic uncertainties or deterioration in the U.S. and worldwide. Additionally, the U.S. government’s credit and deficit concerns, the European sovereign debt crisis, and the potential trade war with China, could cause interest rates to be volatile, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms.
The impact of events described above on our portfolio companies could impact their ability to make payments on their loans on a timely basis and may impact their ability to continue making their loan payments on a timely basis or meeting their loan covenants. The inability of portfolio companies to make timely payments or meet loan covenants may in the future require us to undertake amendment actions with respect to our investments or to restructure our investments, which may include the need for us to make additional investments in our portfolio companies (including debt or equity investments) beyond any existing commitments, exchange debt for equity, or change the payment terms of our investments to permit a portfolio company to pay a portion of its interest through payment-in-kind, which would defer the cash collection of such interest and add it to the principal balance, which would generally be due upon repayment of the outstanding principal. We are dependent on information systems and systems 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 and third parties’ communications and information systems. Further, in the ordinary course of our business we or our investment adviser may engage certain third party service providers to provide us with services necessary for our business. Any failure or interruption of those systems or services, including as a result of the termination or suspension of an agreement with any third-party service providers, could cause delays or other problems in our business activities. Our financial, accounting, data processing, backup or other operating systems and facilities may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control and adversely affect our business. There could be: • sudden electrical or telecommunications outages; • natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes; • disease pandemics; • events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including terrorist acts; and • cyber-attacks. These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results and negatively affect the NAV of our Common Units and our ability to pay dividends to our common unitholders. Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect our business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information and/or damage to our business relationships. A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information resources. These incidents may be an intentional attack or an unintentional event and could involve gaining unauthorized access to our information systems for purposes of 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 stolen information, misappropriation of assets, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation and damage to our business relationships. This could result in significant losses, reputational damage, litigation, regulatory fines or penalties, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify its protective measures and to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures arising from operational and security risks. We face risks posed to our information systems, both internal and those provided to it by third-party service providers. We, our investment adviser and its affiliates 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, may be ineffective and do not guarantee that a cyber-incident will not occur or that our financial results, operations or confidential information will not be negatively impacted by such an incident. Third parties with which we do business (including those that provide services to us) may also be sources or targets of cybersecurity or other technological risks. We outsource certain functions and these relationships allow for the storage and processing of our information and assets, as well as certain investor, counterparty, employee and borrower information. While we engage in actions to reduce our exposure resulting from outsourcing, ongoing threats may result in unauthorized access, loss, exposure or destruction of data, or other cybersecurity incidents, with increased costs and other consequences, including those described above. Privacy and information security laws and regulation changes, and compliance with those changes, may also result in cost increases due to system changes and the development of new administrative processes. We will face costs associated with our reporting obligations. In connection with our election to be regulated as a BDC, we are required to be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. These requirements include the preparation and filing of annual, quarterly, and current reports, as well as proxy statements and other information. Compliance with these requirements involves significant legal, accounting, and other expenses. These costs may increase over time due to changes in SEC rules and regulations, or as our business grows and becomes more complex. The financial burden of these compliance costs could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. New or modified laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business. We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state and local levels. These laws and
We are subject to risks associated with artificial intelligence and machine learning technology. Recent technological advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning technology pose risks to our Company and our portfolio investments. Our Company and our portfolio investments could be exposed to the risks of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology if third-party service providers or any counterparties, whether or not known to our Company, also use artificial intelligence and machine learning technology in their business activities. We and our portfolio companies may not be in a position to control the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology in third-party products or services. Use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology could include the input of confidential information in contravention of applicable policies, contractual or other obligations or restrictions, resulting in such confidential information becoming part accessible by other third-party artificial intelligence and machine learning technology applications and users. The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology by our competitors may adversely affect our portfolio companies' performance. Independent of its context of use, artificial intelligence and machine learning technology is generally highly reliant on the collection and analysis of large amounts of data, and it is not possible or practicable to incorporate all relevant data into the model that artificial intelligence and machine learning technology utilizes to operate. Certain data in such models will inevitably contain a degree of inaccuracy and error-potentially materially so-and could otherwise be inadequate or flawed, which would be likely to degrade the effectiveness of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology. To the extent that we or our portfolio investments are exposed to the risks of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology use, any such inaccuracies or errors could have adverse impacts on our Company or our investments.Artificial intelligence and machine learning technology and its applications, including in the private investment and financial sectors, continue to develop rapidly, and it is impossible to predict the future risks that may arise from such developments. We are subject to financial market risks, including valuation risk and interest rate risk. Valuation Risk We have invested, and plan to continue to invest, in illiquid debt and equity securities of private companies. These investments will generally not have a readily available market price, and we will value these investments at fair value as determined in good faith by our Adviser, as the Board's valuation designee, in accordance with our valuation policy. There is no single standard for determining fair value in good faith. As a result, determining fair value requires that judgment be applied to the specific facts and circumstances of each portfolio investment while employing a consistently applied valuation process for the types of investments we make. If we were required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, we may realize amounts that are different from the amounts presented and such differences could be material. See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements for more details on estimates and judgments made by us in connection with the valuation of our investments. Interest Rate Risk Interest rate sensitivity refers to the change in earnings that may result from changes in the level of interest rates. We plan to fund a portion of our investments with borrowings and our net investment income will be affected by the difference between the rate at which we invest and the rate at which we borrow. There can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. 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 that review, we determine whether or not any hedging transactions are necessary to mitigate exposure to changes in interest rates. As of December 31, 2025, 100% of the investments at fair value in our portfolio were at variable rates, subject to interest rate floors. Assuming that our Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2025 were to remain constant and that we took no actions to alter our existing interest rate sensitivity, the following table shows the annualized impact of hypothetical base rate changes in interest rates (considering interest rate floors for floating rate instruments): ($ in millions)
Although we believe that this analysis is indicative of our existing sensitivity to interest rate changes, it does not adjust for changes in the credit market, credit quality, the size and composition of the assets in our portfolio and other business developments that could affect our net income. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that actual results would not differ materially from the analysis above. We may in the future hedge against interest rate fluctuations by using hedging instruments such as interest rate swaps, futures, options and forward contracts. While hedging activities may mitigate our exposure to adverse fluctuations in interest rates, certain hedging transactions that we may enter into in the future, such as interest rate swap agreements, may also limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio investments. Currency Risk From time to time, we may make investments that are denominated in a foreign currency. These investments are converted into U.S. dollars at the balance sheet date, exposing us to movements in foreign exchange rates. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure you that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us. We may seek to utilize instruments such as, but not limited to, forward contracts to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates. As of December 31, 2025, we had no foreign currency exposure. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NAV Per Share | $ 36,950,600 | $ 1,000 | $ 1,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risks Relating to Our Business And Structure [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] | Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure We have a limited operating history.
We were formed on March 12, 2024 and commenced operations in the first calendar quarter of 2025. We are subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business, including the risks that we will not achieve our investment objectives, that we will not qualify or maintain our qualification to be treated as a RIC, and that the value of your investment could decline substantially. In order to comply with the RIC diversification requirements during the startup period, we may invest proceeds in temporary investments, such as 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, which we expect will earn yields substantially lower than the interest, distribution or other income that we seek to receive in respect of suitable portfolio investments. We may not be able to pay any significant distributions during this period, and any such distributions may be substantially lower than the distributions we expect to pay when our portfolio is fully invested. Our Board may change our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or unitholder approval. Our Board has the authority, except as otherwise provided in the 1940 Act or state law, as described below, to modify or waive certain of our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without unitholder approval. Additionally, 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 operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and the market price of our Common Units. Nevertheless, any such changes could adversely affect our business and impair our ability to make distributions to our common unitholders. We and the Adviser are subject to regulations and SEC oversight. If we or the Adviser fail to comply with applicable requirements, it may adversely impact our results relative to companies that are not subject to such regulations. As a BDC, we are subject to a portion of the 1940 Act. In addition, we intend to elect to be treated, and intend to operate in a manner so as to continuously qualify, as a RIC in accordance with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. The 1940 Act and the Code impose various restrictions on the management of a BDC, including related to portfolio construction, asset selection, and tax. These restrictions may reduce the chances that we will achieve the same results as other vehicles managed by Crescent and/or the Adviser. However, if we do not maintain our status as a BDC, we would be subject to regulation as a registered closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act. As a registered closed-end investment company, we would be subject to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act which would significantly decrease our operating flexibility. In addition to these and other requirements applicable to us, the Adviser is subject to regulatory oversight by the SEC. To the extent the SEC raises concerns or has negative findings concerning the manner in which we or the Adviser operates, it could adversely affect our business.
Changes in interest rates may adversely affect the value of our portfolio investments which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We currently expect our debt investments to be generally based on floating rates, such as Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), EURIBOR, 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 Common Units and our rate of return on invested capital. In December 2025, the Federal Reserve voted to pause interest rate hikes. The Federal Reserve has made recent cuts to benchmark interest rates, and it is currently anticipated that it will make additional cuts, though there is no guarantee that the Federal Reserve will reduce rates in 2026, especially if inflation increases again. If the Federal Reserve increases interest rates, the cost of borrowing for the companies in which we invest will increase and may make them less profitable, which generally would decrease the value of our investments in them. In addition, although we generally expect to invest a limited percentage of our assets in instruments with a fixed interest rate, including subordinated loans, senior and junior secured and unsecured debt securities and loans in high yield bonds, an increase in interest rates could decrease the value of those fixed rate investments. Rising interest rates may also increase the cost of debt for our underlying portfolio companies, which could adversely impact their financial performance and ability to meet ongoing obligations to the Company. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make investment in our Common Units less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our Common Units. Because we may borrow money to finance investments, our net investment income may depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay dividends on Preferred Units 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. In this period of high interest rates, our cost of funds may increase except to the extent we have issued fixed rate debt or Preferred Units, which could reduce our net investment income. We are dependent upon key personnel of Crescent. We do not have any internal management capacity or employees. Our ability to achieve our investment objectives will depend on our ability to manage our business and to grow our investments and earnings. This will depend, in turn, on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of Crescent’s senior professionals. We expect that these senior professionals will evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor our investments in accordance with the terms of our Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. We can offer no assurance, however, that Crescent’s senior professionals will continue to provide investment advice to us. If these individuals do not maintain their employment or other relationships with Crescent and do not develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities available to us, we may not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom Crescent’s investment professionals have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities. Therefore, we can offer no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for us. The departure or misconduct of any of these individuals, or of a significant number of the investment professionals of Crescent, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Crescent’s investment professionals have substantial responsibilities in connection with the management of other Crescent clients. Crescent’s personnel may be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These demands on their time, which may increase as the number of investments grow, may distract them or slow our rate of investment. Our investment committee, which provides oversight over our investment activities, is provided to us by our investment adviser under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement. The loss of any member of our investment committee or of Crescent’s other senior professionals would limit our ability to achieve our investment objectives and operate as we anticipate. This could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We will not provide key person life insurance for any of our key personnel. Further, we depend upon Crescent to maintain its relationships with private equity sponsors, placement agents, investment banks, management groups and other financial institutions, and we expect to rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If Crescent fails to maintain such relationships, or to develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities, we will not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom Crescent’s senior professionals have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and we can offer no assurance that these relationships will generate investment opportunities in the future. We may not replicate the historical performance achieved by Crescent. Our primary focus in making investments may differ from those of existing investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles that are or have been managed by members of our investment adviser’s investment committee or by Crescent. Past performance should not be relied upon as an indication of future results. There can be no guarantee that we will replicate the historical performance of Crescent or the historical performance of investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles that are or have been managed by members of our investment adviser’s investment committee or by Crescent or its employees, and we caution investors that our investment returns could be substantially lower than the returns achieved by them in prior periods. We cannot assure you that we will be profitable in the future or that our investment adviser will be able to continue to implement our investment objectives with the same degree of success that it has had in the past. Additionally, all or a portion of the prior results may have been achieved in particular market conditions which may never be repeated. Moreover, current or future market volatility and regulatory uncertainty may have an adverse impact on our future performance. We depend on Crescent to manage our business effectively. Our ability to achieve our investment objectives depends on our ability to manage our business and to grow our investments and earnings. This depends, in turn, on Crescent’s ability to identify, invest in and monitor portfolio companies that meet our investment criteria. The achievement of our investment objectives on a cost-effective basis will depend upon Crescent’s execution of our investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services to us and, to a lesser extent, our access to financing on acceptable terms. Crescent’s investment professionals will have substantial responsibilities in connection with the management of other investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles. Crescent’s personnel may be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These activities may distract them from servicing new investment opportunities for us or slow our rate of investment. Any failure to manage our business and our future growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The Adviser, the investment committee of the Company, and the Adviser’s affiliates, officers, directors and employees may face certain conflicts of interest. As a result of our arrangements with the Adviser and our investment committee, there may be times when the Adviser or such persons have interests that differ from those of our unitholders, giving rise to a conflict of interest. The members of our investment committee serve, or may serve, as officers, directors, members, or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment funds, accounts, or investment vehicles managed by Crescent and/or its affiliates. Similarly, Crescent and its affiliates may have other clients with similar, different or competing investment objectives. In serving in these multiple capacities, they may have obligations to other clients or investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which may not be in the best interests of, or which may be adverse to the interests of, us or our unitholders. For example, Crescent has, and will continue to have, management responsibilities for other investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles. There is a potential that we will compete with these funds, and other entities managed by Crescent and its affiliates, for capital and investment opportunities. As a result, members of our investment committee will face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities among us, and other investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent and its affiliates and may make certain investments that are appropriate for us but for which we receive a relatively small allocation or no allocation at all. Crescent intends to allocate investment opportunities among eligible investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles in a manner that is fair and equitable over time and consistent with its allocation policy. However, we can offer no assurance that such opportunities will be allocated to us fairly or equitably in the short-term or over time and we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by investment funds managed by Crescent or its affiliates and there can be no assurance that we will be able to participate in all investment opportunities that are suitable to us. Further, to the extent permitted by applicable law, we and our affiliates may own investments at different levels of a portfolio company’s capital structure or otherwise own different classes of a portfolio company’s securities, which may give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest. Conflicts may also arise because decisions regarding our portfolio may benefit our affiliates. Our affiliates may pursue or enforce rights with respect to one of its portfolio companies, and those activities may have an adverse effect on us. We have entered into a license agreement with the Adviser under which the Adviser will agree to grant us a royalty-free license to use the name “Crescent.” This arrangement creates potential conflicts of interest, including in the enforcement of the agreement, that our board of directors must monitor. Conflicts may arise related to other arrangements with Crescent and our investment adviser and other affiliates. We have entered into a license agreement with Crescent under which Crescent has agreed to grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “Crescent Capital.” In addition, the Administration Agreement with our administrator, an affiliate of Crescent, requires we pay to our administrator our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by our administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, such as our allocable portion of the cost of our chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, general counsel and secretary, their respective staffs and operations personnel who provide services to us. These agreements create conflicts of interest that the independent directors of our Board will monitor. For example, under the terms of the license agreement, we will be unable to preclude Crescent from licensing or transferring the ownership of the “Crescent Capital” name to third parties, some of whom may compete against us. Consequently, it will be unable to prevent any damage to goodwill that may occur as a result of the activities of Crescent or others. Furthermore, in the event the license agreement is terminated, we will be required to change our name and cease using “Crescent Capital” as part of our name. Any of these events could disrupt our recognition in the marketplace, damage any goodwill it may have generated and otherwise harm our business. The Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, and the Administration Agreement were negotiated between related parties. Consequently, their terms, including fees payable to our investment adviser, may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated exclusively with an unaffiliated third party. In addition, we may desire not to enforce, or to enforce less vigorously, its rights and remedies under these agreements because of our desire to maintain our ongoing relationship with our investment adviser, our administrator and their respective affiliates. Any such decision, however, could breach our directors’ duties to us. Crescent’s principals and employees, or its affiliates may, from time to time, possess material non-public information, limiting our investment discretion. Crescent’s executive officers and directors, principals and other employees, including members of our investment committee, may serve as directors of, or in a similar capacity with, portfolio companies in which we invest, the securities of which are purchased or sold on our behalf and may come into possession of material non-public information with respect to issuers in which we may be considering making an investment. In the event that material non-public information is obtained with respect to such companies, or we become subject to trading restrictions under the internal trading policies of those companies, Crescent’s policies or as a result of applicable law or regulations, we could be prohibited for a period of time or indefinitely from purchasing or selling the securities of such companies, or we may be precluded from providing such information or other ideas to other funds affiliated with Crescent that might benefit from such information, and this prohibition may have an adverse effect on us. The Adviser has limited liability and is entitled to indemnification under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement.
Under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, the Adviser has not assumed any responsibility to us other than to render the services called for under that agreement. The Adviser will not be responsible for any action of our Board in following or declining to follow the Adviser’s advice or recommendations. Under the Investment Advisory and Mangement Agreement, the Adviser, its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including, without limitation, its general partner and the Administrator, and any person controlling or controlled by the Adviser will not be liable to us, any of our subsidiaries, our directors, our unitholders or any subsidiary’s unitholders or partners for acts or omissions performed in accordance with and pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, except those resulting from acts constituting gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of the duties that the Adviser owes to us under the Investment Advisory and Management and Management Agreement. In addition, as part of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, we have agreed to indemnify the Adviser and each of its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including, without limitation, its general partner and the Administrator, and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by such party in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of us or our security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Adviser’s duties or obligations under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of us, except in respect of any liability to us or our security holders to which such party would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Adviser’s duties and obligations under the Investment Advisory and Management and Management Agreement. These protections may lead the Adviser to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than the Adviser would when acting for its own account.
Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.
We are prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, the SEC. In addition, any person that is an affiliate of ours for purposes of the 1940 Act generally is prohibited from participating in certain transactions such as with, or buying or selling any security from or to us, absent the prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. We consider Crescent and its affiliates to be our affiliates for such purposes. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company, without prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. We are prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any person who owns more than 25% of our voting securities or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. If we are prohibited by applicable law from investing alongside Crescent’s investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles with respect to an investment opportunity, we may not be able to participate in such investment opportunity. We may, however, invest alongside Crescent’s investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with our investment strategy as well as applicable law and SEC staff interpretations or exemptive orders. For example, we may invest alongside such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that Crescent, acting on our behalf and on behalf of such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles, negotiates no term other than price. In situations where co-investment with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent is not permitted or appropriate, such as when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer or where the different investments could be expected to result in a conflict between our interests and those of Crescent’s clients, subject to the limitations described in the preceding paragraph, Crescent will need to decide which client will proceed with the investment. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates. These restrictions will limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us. Crescent has been granted exemptive relief from the SEC, upon which we may rely, which permits greater flexibility to negotiate the terms of co-investments if our Board determines that it would be advantageous for us to co-invest with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. We believe that co-investment by us and investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent may afford us additional investment opportunities and an ability to achieve a more varied portfolio. Accordingly, our exemptive order permits us to invest with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent in the same portfolio companies under circumstances in which such investments would otherwise not be permitted by the 1940 Act. The exemptive relief permitting co-investment transactions generally applies only if our independent directors and directors who have no financial interest in such transaction review and approve in advance each co-investment transaction. The exemptive relief provides that, if the size of a co-investment opportunity is insufficient to meet our and the other Crescent funds’ desired level of participation in full, allocations will generally be made pro rata based on capital available for investment, as determined, in our case, by our Board as well as the terms of our governing documents and those of such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles. It is our policy to base our determinations on such factors as: the amount of cash on-hand, existing commitments and reserves, if any, our targeted leverage level, our targeted asset mix and diversification requirements and other investment policies and restrictions set by our Board or imposed by applicable laws, rules, regulations or interpretations. We expect that these determinations will be made similarly for investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent. However, we can offer no assurance that investment opportunities will be allocated to us fairly or equitably in the short-term or over time. Conflicts of interest may be created by the valuation process for certain portfolio holdings. We make many of our portfolio investments in the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded and for which no market-based price quotation is available. As a result, our investment adviser, as the Board’s valuation designee, will determine the fair value of these loans and securities as described elsewhere herein. Each of the interested members of our Board has an indirect pecuniary interest in our investment adviser. The participation of our investment adviser’s investment professionals in our valuation process, and the pecuniary interest in our investment adviser by certain members of our Board, could result in a conflict of interest as our investment adviser’s management fee is based on the value of our net asset. Our Common Units are illiquid investments for which there is not a secondary market. We do not know at this time what circumstances will exist in the future, and therefore we do not know what factors our Board will consider in contemplating a liquidity event in the future. We currently do not expect to complete a liquidity event within any specific time period, if at all, and we do not intend to undertake an Exchange Listing. If we choose to pursue some form of liquidity event, such event will be undertaken at the approval of our unitholders. Furthermore, even if we were to complete an initial public offering or listing on a national securities exchange to establish a secondary market for our Common Units or otherwise complete a liquidity event, investors may not receive a return of all of their invested capital as shares of closed-end investment companies and BDCs frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies and BDCs is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per Common Unit may decline. We cannot predict whether our Common Units, if listed on a national securities exchange, would trade at, above or below net asset value. We operate in an increasingly competitive market for investment opportunities, which could make it difficult for us to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives.
A number of entities compete with us to make the types of investments that we make and plan to make. We compete with other BDCs, public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, we believe some of our competitors may have access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or the source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements we must satisfy to maintain our RIC qualification. The competitive pressures we face may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. As a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time, and we may not be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives. With respect to the investments we make, we will not seek to compete based primarily on the interest rates we will offer, and we believe that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that will be lower than the rates we offer. In the secondary market for acquiring existing loans, we expect to compete generally on the basis of pricing terms. With respect to all investments, we may lose some investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. However, if we match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may experience decreased net interest income, lower yields and increased risk of credit loss. We may also compete for investment opportunities with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Crescent. Although Crescent will allocate opportunities in accordance with its policies and procedures, allocations to such investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles will reduce the amount and frequency of opportunities available to us and may not be in the best interests of us and our unitholders. Moreover, the performance of investments will not be known at the time of allocation.
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 seeking to: • increase or maintain in whole or in part our position as a creditor or equity ownership percentage in a portfolio company; • exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or • preserve or enhance the value of our investment. We have discretion to make follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. Failure on our part to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase its level of risk, because we prefer other opportunities or because we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements of the Investment Company Act or the desire to qualify and maintain our qualification as a RIC. Additionally, certain loans that we may make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by 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 sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds were 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. We may also make unsecured loans to portfolio companies, meaning that such loans will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such 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 our unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors’ claims against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any. Additionally, we invest in unitranche loans (loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position), which may provide for a waterfall of cash flow priority between different lenders in the unitranche loan. In certain 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 repayment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder over the “last out” portion of the loan that we would continue to hold. The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the loans we make to our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of such senior debt. Under a typical intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens: • the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral; • the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings; • the approval of amendments to collateral documents; • releases of liens on the collateral; and • waivers of past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if its rights are adversely affected.
Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we may, raise additional capital. We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we will be permitted as a BDC to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, as amended, equals at least 150% of our gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior securities. If we issue senior securities, we will be exposed to typical risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of loss. We will be subject to corporate level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC. We intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code and intend to operate in a manner so as to qualify for the U.S. federal income tax treatment applicable to RICs. As a RIC, we generally will not pay U.S. federal corporate-level income taxes on our income and net capital gains that we distribute (or are deemed to distribute) to our common unitholders as dividends on a timely basis. We will be subject to U.S. federal corporate-level income tax on any undistributed income and/or gains. To maintain our status as a RIC, we must meet certain source of income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. We may also be subject to certain U.S. federal excise taxes, as well as state, local and foreign taxes. To qualify as a RIC under the Code, we must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements. The distribution requirement for a RIC is satisfied if we timely distribute an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (as defined by the Code, which generally includes net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any) to our common unitholders on an annual basis (the “Annual Distribution Requirement”). We will be subject, to the extent we use debt financing, to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to qualify as a RIC. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify as a RIC and, thus, may be subject to corporate-level income tax. The Annual Distribution Requirement will be satisfied if we distribute dividends to our common unitholders in respect of each taxable year of an amount generally at least equal to 90% of its investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for distributions paid. In this regard, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement by distributing dividends relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the “spillback dividend” provisions of Subchapter M of the Code. We will be subject to tax, at regular corporate rates, on any retained income and/or gains, including any short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains. We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income for the current one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in preceding years (to the extent that U.S. federal income tax was not imposed on such amounts) less certain over-distributions in the prior year (collectively, the “Excise Tax”). Because we use debt financing, we are subject to (i) an asset coverage ratio requirement under the Investment Company Act and are subject to (ii) certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, or chose or be required to retain a portion of our taxable income or gains, we could (i) be required to pay the Excise Tax and (ii) fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment, and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax on our taxable income (including gains). To qualify as a RIC, in addition to the Annual Distribution Requirement, we must also meet certain annual source of income requirements at the end of each taxable year (the “90% Income Test”) and asset diversification requirements at the end of each calendar quarter (the “Diversification Tests”). Failure to meet these tests may result in our having to (a) dispose of certain investments quickly or (b) raise additional capital in order to prevent the loss of our qualifications as a RIC. Because most of our investments will be in private or thinly traded public companies and are generally illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and may result in substantial losses. If we fail to qualify as a RIC for any reason and become subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distributions to our common unitholders and the amount of funds available for new investments. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on us and our common unitholders. The 90% Income Test will be satisfied if we earn at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from dividends, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities, or other income derived from the business of investing in stock or securities. The Diversification Tests will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. To satisfy the Diversification Tests, at least 50% of the value of our assets at the close of each quarter of each taxable year must consist of cash, cash equivalents (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other acceptable securities, and no more than 25% of the value of its assets can be 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 us having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses. We may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the net taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. We also may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments that could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding, and value added taxes). If we fail to maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution, and the amount of our distributions. We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before, or without, receiving cash representing such income. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we generally are required to include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as the accretion of OID. This may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the making of a loan and in other circumstances, or through contracted PIK interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan principal balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such OID, which could be significant relative to our overall investment activities or increases in loan balances as a result of contracted PIK arrangements, will be included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash, including, for example, amounts attributable to hedging and foreign currency transactions. Since in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash in respect of such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to qualify and maintain our qualification as a RIC. In such a case, we may have to sell some of our investments at times we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investment originations to meet these distribution requirements. If we are not able to obtain such cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify as a RIC and thus be subject to corporate-level income tax. Such a failure could have a material adverse effect on us and on any investment in us. Our investments in OID and PIK interest income may expose us to risks associated with such income being required to be included in accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash. Our investments may include OID and PIK instruments. To the extent OID and PIK interest income constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to risks associated with such income being required to be included in an accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash, including the following: • OID instruments and PIK securities may have unreliable valuations because the accretion of OID as interest income and the continuing accruals of PIK securities require judgments about their collectability and the collectability of deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral; • OID income may also create uncertainty about the source of our cash distributions; • OID instruments may create heightened credit risks because the inducement to the borrower to accept higher interest rates in exchange for the deferral of cash payments typically represents, to some extent, speculation on the part of the borrower; • for accounting purposes, cash distributions to unitholders that include a component of accreted OID income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of accreted OID income may come from the cash invested by the unitholders, the 1940 Act does not require that unitholders be given notice of this fact; • generally, we must recognize income for income tax purposes no later than when it recognizes such income for accounting purposes; • the higher interest rates on PIK securities reflects the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with such instruments and PIK securities generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans; • even if accounting conditions are met, borrowers on such securities could still default when our actual collection is expected to occur at the maturity of the obligation; In addition, the deferral of PIK interest also reduces the loan-to-value ratio at a compounding rate. Our business could be adversely affected in the event we default under our existing credit facility or any future credit or other borrowing facility. We have entered, and in the future may enter, into one or more credit facilities. The closing of any credit facility is contingent on a number of conditions including, without limitation, the negotiation and execution of definitive documents relating to such credit facility. If we obtain any additional credit facilities, we intend to use borrowings under such credit facilities to make additional investments and for other general corporate purposes. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to close such additional credit facilities or obtain other financing. In the event we default under our current credit facility or any other future borrowing facility, our business could be adversely affected as we may be forced to sell a portion of our investments quickly and prematurely at what may be disadvantageous prices to us in order to meet our outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements under the relevant credit facility or such future borrowing facility, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under the relevant credit facility or any future borrowing facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of our assets, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, ability to pay dividends, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. If we were unable to obtain a waiver of a default from the lenders or holders of that indebtedness, as applicable, those lenders or holders could accelerate repayment under that indebtedness, which might result in cross-acceleration of other indebtedness. An acceleration could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under the relevant credit facility or such future credit or other borrowing facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of our assets, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Lastly, as a result of any such default, we may be unable to obtain additional leverage, which could, in turn, affect our return on capital. We are subject to a 150% asset coverage requirement. Under the Investment Company Act, a BDC is allowed to increase the maximum amount of leverage it may incur from an asset coverage ratio of 200% to an asset coverage ratio of 150% if certain requirements are met. The reduced asset coverage requirement permits a BDC to borrow up to two dollars for every dollar it has in assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities issued by it. In accordance with applicable SEC staff guidance and interpretations,with the unitholder approval, we, as a BDC, are now permitted to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage ratio is at least 150% The amount of leverage that we employ depends on our Adviser’s and our Board’s assessment of market conditions and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. Leverage magnifies the potential for loss on investments in our indebtedness and on invested equity capital. As we may use leverage to partially finance our investments, you will experience increased risks of investing in our securities. If the value of our assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our Common Units to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged our business. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net investment income to increase more than it would have without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net investment income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make distributions or pay dividends on our Common Units, make scheduled debt payments or other payments related to our securities. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. See “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Our strategy involves a high degree of leverage. We intend to continue to finance our investments with borrowed money, which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increase the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions.” We are and may be subject to restrictions under our credit facility and any future credit or other borrowing facility that could adversely impact our business. Our current credit facility, and any future borrowing facility, may be backed by all or a portion of our loans and securities on which the lenders may have a security interest. We may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instrument we enter into with lenders. Like with our current credit facility, we expect that any future security interests we grant will be set forth in a pledge and security agreement and evidenced by the filing of financing statements by the agent for the lenders, and we expect that the custodian for our securities serving as collateral for such loan would include in the custodian’s electronic systems notices indicating the existence of such security interests and, following notice of occurrence of an event of default, if any, and during its continuance, will only accept transfer instructions with respect to any such securities from the lender or its designee. Under our current credit facility, we are subject to customary events of default. If we were to default under the terms of our current credit facility or any future borrowing facility, the agent for the applicable lenders would be able to assume control of the timing of disposition of the assets pledged under the facility, which could include any or all of our assets securing such debt. Such remedial action would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the security interests as well as negative covenants under our current credit facility or any other future borrowing facility may limit our ability to create liens on assets to secure additional debt and may make it difficult for us to restructure or refinance indebtedness at or prior to maturity or obtain additional debt or equity financing. In addition, if our borrowing base under our current credit facility or any other borrowing facility were to decrease, we would be required to secure additional assets in an amount equal to any borrowing base deficiency. In the event that all of our assets are secured at the time of such a borrowing base deficiency, we could be required to repay advances under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility or make deposits to a collection account, either of which could have a material adverse impact on our ability to fund future investments and to pay dividends. In addition, under our current credit facility, or any other future borrowing facility, we may be limited as to how borrowed funds may be used, which may include restrictions on geographic and industry concentrations, loan size, payment frequency and status, average life, collateral interests and investment ratings, as well as regulatory restrictions on leverage which may affect the amount of funding that may be obtained. There may also be certain requirements relating to portfolio performance, including required minimum portfolio yield and limitations on delinquencies and charge-offs, a violation of which could limit further advances and, in some cases, result in an event of default. An event of default under our current credit facility or any other borrowing facility could result in an accelerated maturity date for all amounts outstanding thereunder, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. This could reduce our revenues and, by delaying any cash payment allowed to us under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility until the lenders have been paid in full, reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair our ability to grow our business and maintain our qualification as a RIC. In addition to regulatory or existing credit facility requirements that restrict our ability to raise capital, any future debt facilities may contain various covenants that, if not complied with, could accelerate repayment under such debt facilities, thereby materially and adversely affecting our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Agreements covering our current credit facility require and future agreements governing any debt facilities may require us to comply with certain financial and operational covenants. These covenants may include, among other things: • restrictions on the level of indebtedness that we are permitted to incur in relation to the value of our assets; • restrictions on our ability to incur liens; and • maintenance of a minimum level of unitholders’ equity. Our compliance with these covenants depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control. For example, depending on the condition of the public debt and equity markets and pricing levels, unrealized depreciation in our portfolio may increase in the future. Any such increase could result in our inability to comply with an obligation to restrict the level of indebtedness that we are able to incur in relation to the value of our assets or to maintain a minimum level of unitholders’ equity. Accordingly, there are no assurances that we will be able to comply with the covenants in our current credit facility or future agreements governing any debt facilities we enter into. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in a default under these debt facilities, that, if we were unable to obtain a waiver from the lenders or holders of such indebtedness, as applicable, such lenders or holders could accelerate repayment under such indebtedness and thereby have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We intend to finance our investments with borrowed money, which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and increase the risk of investing in us. The risks of investment in a highly leveraged fund include volatility and possible distribution restrictions. The use of leverage magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested. The use of leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique and increases the risks associated with investing in our securities. However, we have borrowed from, and may in the future issue debt securities to, banks, insurance companies and other lenders. Lenders of these funds have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of the holders of our Common Units, and we would expect such lenders to seek recovery against our assets in the event of a default. We have and may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instruments we may enter into with lenders. In addition, under the terms of our current credit facility and any borrowing facility or other debt instrument we may enter into, we are likely to be required to use the net proceeds of any investments that we sell to repay a portion of the amount borrowed under such facility or instrument before applying such net proceeds to any other uses. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged, thereby magnifying losses or eliminating our stake in a leveraged investment. Similarly, any decrease in our revenue or income will cause our net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline would also negatively affect our ability to make dividend payments on our Common Units or preferred units. Our ability to service any debt will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. In addition, holders of our Common units will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses as a result of our use of leverage, including interest expenses and any increase in the base management fee payable to our investment adviser. There can be no assurance that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available to us under our current credit facility or otherwise in an amount sufficient to enable us to repay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before it matures. There can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets or seeking additional equity. There can be no assurance that any such actions, if necessary, could be effected on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or on terms that would not be disadvantageous to unitholders or on terms that would not require us to breach the terms and conditions of our future debt agreements. As a BDC, we are generally required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings and other senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred units that we may issue in the future, of at least 150%. If this ratio declines below 150%, we will not be able to incur additional debt and could be required to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is otherwise disadvantageous for us to do so. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations, and we may not be able to make distributions. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our investment adviser’s assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. We cannot assure unitholders that we will be able to obtain credit at all or on terms acceptable to it. Investors in our Common Units may not receive dividends, or our dividends may not grow over time. We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our unitholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions. Any future credit or other borrowing facilities into which we enter may also limit our ability to declare dividends if we default under certain provisions. Further, if we invest a greater amount of assets in equity securities that do not pay current dividends, it could reduce the amount available for distribution. The majority of our portfolio investments are recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser as Valuation Designee subject to the oversight of our Board and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments. Many of our portfolio investments will take the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded. The fair value of loans, securities and other investments that are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable, and we will value these investments at fair value as determined by the Adviser as Valuation Designee in good faith in accordance with Rule 2a-5 and subject to oversight of our Board, including to reflect significant events affecting the value of our investments. Most, if not all, of our investments (other than cash and cash equivalents) will be classified as Level 3 under the FASB Accounting Standards Codification, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC Topic 820). This means that our portfolio valuations will be based on unobservable inputs and our own assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability in question. We expect that inputs into the determination of fair value of our portfolio investments will require significant management judgment or estimation. Even if observable market data are available, such information may be the result of consensus pricing information or broker quotes, which include a disclaimer that the broker would not be held to such a price in an actual transaction. The non-binding nature of consensus pricing and/or quotes accompanied by disclaimers materially reduces the reliability of such information. We intend to retain the services of one or more independent service providers to review the valuation of these loans and securities. However, the ultimate determination of fair value will be made by the Adviser as Valuation Designee subject to the oversight of our Board and not by such third-party valuation firm. The types of factors that the Valuation Designee may take into account in determining the fair value of our investments generally include, as appropriate, comparison to publicly-traded securities including such factors as yield, maturity and measures of credit quality, the enterprise value of a portfolio company, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets generally that may affect the price at which similar investments may be made in the future, comparisons to publicly traded companies, relevant credit market indices and other relevant factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these loans and securities existed. Also, since these valuations are, to a large extent, based on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information, our fair valuation process could make it more difficult for investors to accurately value our investments and could lead to undervaluation or overvaluation of our securities. In addition, the valuation of these types of securities may result in substantial write-downs and earnings volatility. Also, privately held companies frequently have less diverse product lines and smaller market presence than larger public competitors. Our NAV could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of our investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such loans and securities. Further, 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 the NAV. We will adjust quarterly the valuation of our portfolio to reflect the fair value of each investment in our portfolio. Any changes in fair value are recorded in our statement of operations as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation. Legislative or other actions relating to taxes could have a negative effect on us. The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department. We cannot predict with certainty how any changes in the tax laws might affect us, our common unitholders, or our portfolio companies. New legislation and any U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions interpreting such legislation could significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to us and our common unitholders of such qualification or could have other adverse consequences. Unitholders are urged to consult with their tax advisor regarding tax legislative, regulatory, or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our securities. Changes to United States tariff and import/export regulations may have a negative effect on our portfolio companies and, in turn, harm us. There have recently been significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs, and there is ongoing discussion and commentary regarding further potential changes. There continues to exist significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S. and other countries with respect to such trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the U.S. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our portfolio companies’ access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on their business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn would negatively impact us. The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business. All of our assets may be invested in illiquid loans and securities, and a substantial portion of our investments in leveraged companies will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than more broadly traded public securities. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need arises. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of its portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which it has previously recorded its investments. Some of our debt investments may contain interest rate reset provisions that may make it more difficult for the borrowers to make periodic interest payments to us. In addition, some of our debt investments may not pay down principal until the end of their lifetimes, which could result in a substantial loss to us if the portfolio companies are unable to refinance or repay their debts at maturity.
Our Adviser and Administrator each have the ability to resign on 120 days’ and 60 days’ notice, respectively, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.
Our Adviser has the right under the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement to resign as our investment adviser at any time upon not less than 120 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. Similarly, our administrator has the right under the Administration Agreement to resign at any time upon not less than 60 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If the Adviser or administrator were to resign, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or administrator, as applicable, or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 120 days or 60 days, respectively, 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 to our common unitholders are likely to be adversely affected and the market price of our shares may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment or administrative activities, as applicable, is likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by our investment adviser and administrator, as applicable. Even if we are able to retain a comparable service provider or individuals performing such services are retained, whether internal or external, their integration and lack of familiarity with our investment objectives may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We may not be able to obtain all required state licenses. We may be required to obtain various state licenses in order to, among other things, originate commercial loans. Applying for and obtaining required licenses can be costly and take several months. There is no assurance that we will obtain all of the licenses that we need on a timely basis. Furthermore, we will be subject to various information and other requirements in order to obtain and maintain these licenses, and there is no assurance that we will satisfy those requirements. Our failure to obtain or maintain licenses might restrict investment options and have other adverse consequences.
We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates. General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments and investment opportunities and, accordingly, may have a material adverse effect on our investment objectives and our net investment income. Because we borrow money and may issue debt securities or preferred units to make investments, our net investment income is dependent upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay interest or dividends on such debt securities or preferred stock and the rate at which we invest these funds. If market rates decrease we may earn less interest income from investments made during such lower rate environment. From time to time, we may also enter into certain hedging transactions, such as futures, options, currency options, forward contracts, interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to mitigate our exposure to changes in interest rates. In addition, we may increase our floating rate investments to position the portfolio for rate increases. However, we cannot assure you that such transactions will be successful in mitigating our exposure to interest rate risk. There can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. We may be the target of litigation. Our investment activities subject us to litigation relating to the bankruptcy process and the normal risks of becoming involved in litigation by third parties. This risk is somewhat greater where we exercise control or significant influence over a portfolio company’s direction. Any litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business and cause a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risks Relating to Our Investments [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] | Risks Relating to Our Investments Price declines and illiquidity in the corporate debt markets may adversely affect the fair value of our portfolio investments, reducing NAV through increased net unrealized depreciation. As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board, as described elsewhere herein. 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. We record decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments as unrealized depreciation. Declines in prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets may result in significant net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. The effect of all of these factors on our portfolio may reduce our NAV by increasing net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may suffer additional unrealized losses in future periods, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity, and rising interests rates may make it more difficult for portfolio companies to make periodic payments on their loans. Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity. This risk and the risk of default is increased to the extent that the loan documents do not require the portfolio companies to pay down the outstanding principal of such debt prior to maturity. In addition, if general interest rates rise, there is a risk that our portfolio companies will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Any failure of one or more portfolio companies to repay or refinance its debt at or prior to maturity or the inability of one or more portfolio companies to make ongoing payments following an increase in contractual interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Inflation may adversely affect the business, results of operations and financial condition of our portfolio companies. Certain of our portfolio companies may be in industries that have been, or are expected to be, impacted by inflation. U.S. inflation rates have fluctuated in recent periods, and remain well above historical levels over the past several decades. Inflationary pressures have increased the costs of labor, energy and raw materials and have adversely affected consumer spending, economic growth and our portfolio companies’ operations. If these portfolio companies are unable to pass any increases in their costs of operations along to their customers, it could adversely affect their operating results and impact their ability to pay interest and principal on our loans, particularly if interest rates rise in response to inflation. In addition, any projected future decreases in our portfolio companies’ operating results due to inflation could adversely impact the fair value of those investments. Any decreases in the fair value of our investments could result in future realized or unrealized losses and therefore reduce our net assets resulting from operations. We typically invest in middle-market companies, which involves higher risk than investments in large companies.
Investment in private and middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks. Generally, limited public information exists about these companies, and we will rely on the ability of Crescent’s investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision and may lose money on its investments. Middle-market companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their loans and debt securities that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees that it may have obtained in connection with its investment. In addition, 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. Additionally, middle-market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons. Therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on one or more of the portfolio companies we invest in and, in turn, on us. Middle-market companies also may be parties to litigation and may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence. In addition, our executive officers, directors and the Adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in portfolio companies. In addition, investment in middle-market companies involves a number of other significant risks, including: • they typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns; • they 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; • changes in laws and regulations, as well as their interpretations, may adversely affect their business, financial structure or prospects; and • they may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding indebtedness upon maturity. Our investments may be risky and we could lose all or part of our investment. The debt that we invest in is typically not initially rated by any rating agency, but we believe that if such investments were rated, they would be below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investors Service, lower than “BBB-” by Fitch Ratings or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services). Below investment grade securities have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Bonds that are rated below investment grade are sometimes referred to as “high yield bonds” or “junk bonds.” Therefore, our investments may result in an above average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal. While the debt we invest in is often secured, such security does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the terms of the loan, or that the value of any collateral will be sufficient to allow us to recover all or a portion of the outstanding amount of the loan should we be forced to enforce our remedies. Some of the loans in which we may invest directly or indirectly through investments in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) or other types of structured entities may be “covenant-lite” loans, which means the loans contain fewer covenants than other loans (in some cases, none) and may not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. An investment by us in a covenant-lite loan may potentially hinder the ability to reprice credit risk associated with the issuer and reduce the ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. We may also experience delays in enforcing our rights under covenant-lite loans. Furthermore, we will generally not have direct rights against the underlying borrowers or entities that sponsor CLOs, which means we will not be able to directly enforce any rights and remedies in the event of a default of a loan held by a CLO vehicle. As a result of these risks, our exposure to losses may be increased, which could result in an adverse impact on our net income and net asset value. We also may invest in assets other than first and second lien and subordinated debt investments, including high-yield securities, U.S. government securities, credit derivatives and other structured securities and certain direct equity investments. These investments entail additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns. Investments in equity securities, many of which are illiquid with no readily available market, involve a substantial degree of risk. We may purchase common and other equity securities. 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. The equity securities we acquire may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless and our ability to recover our investment will depend on the underlying portfolio company’s success. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including: • 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; • to the extent that the portfolio company requires additional capital and is unable to obtain it, we may not recover our investment; and • 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: • 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; • 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; • preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stock or U.S. government securities; and • generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, subject to limited exceptions. Additionally, when we invest in first lien senior secured loans (including “unitranche” loans, which are loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position), junior debt, senior secured loans or subordinated debt, 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 be subject to risks associated with syndicated loans. From time to time, our investments may consist of syndicated loans that were not originated by us or our investment adviser. Under the documentation for such loans, a financial institution or other entity typically is designated as the administrative agent and/or collateral agent. This agent is granted a lien on any collateral on behalf of the other lenders and distributed payments on the indebtedness as they are received. The agent is the party responsible for administering and enforcing the loan and generally may take actions only in accordance with the instructions of a majority or two-thirds in commitments and/or principal amount of the associated indebtedness. Accordingly, we may be precluded from directing such actions unless we or our investment adviser is the designated administrative agent or collateral agent or we act together with other holders of the indebtedness. If we are unable to direct such actions, we cannot assure you that the actions taken will be in our best interests. There is a risk that a loan agent may become bankrupt or insolvent. Such an event would delay, and possibly impair, any enforcement actions undertaken by holders of the associated indebtedness, including attempts to realize upon the collateral securing the associated indebtedness and/or direct the agent to take actions against the related obligor or the collateral securing the associated indebtedness and actions to realize on proceeds of payments made by obligors that are in the possession or control of any other financial institution. In addition, we may be unable to remove the agent in circumstances in which removal would be in our best interests. Moreover, agented loans typically allow for the agent to resign with certain advance notice. The disposition of our investments may result in contingent liabilities. We currently expect that substantially all of our investments will involve loans and private securities. In connection with the disposition of an investment in loans and private securities, we may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the portfolio company typical of those made in connection with the sale of a business. We may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations turn out to be inaccurate or with respect to potential liabilities. These arrangements may result in contingent liabilities that ultimately result in funding obligations that we must satisfy through its return of distributions previously made to us. Our subordinated investments may be subject to greater risk than investments that are not similarly subordinated. We may make subordinated investments that rank below other obligations of the borrower in right of payment. Subordinated investments are subject to greater risk of default than senior obligations as a result of adverse changes in the financial condition of the borrower or in general economic conditions. If we make a subordinated investment in a portfolio company, the portfolio company may be highly leveraged, and its relatively high debt-to-equity ratio may create increased risks that its operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service all of its debt obligations. There may be circumstances in which our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims. If one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, even though we may have structured our interest as senior debt, depending on the facts and circumstances, a bankruptcy court might recharacterize our debt holding as an equity investment and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. 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, we actually render significant managerial assistance. We may hold the debt securities of leveraged companies. Investment in leveraged companies involves a number of significant risks. Leveraged companies in which we invest may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their loans and debt securities that we hold. Such developments may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees that it may have obtained in connection with our investment. Smaller leveraged companies also may have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance their expansion or maintain their competitive position. Leveraged companies may experience bankruptcy or similar financial distress. The bankruptcy process has a number of significant inherent risks. Many events in a bankruptcy proceeding are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings and are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy filing by a portfolio company may adversely and permanently affect the portfolio company. If the proceeding is converted to a liquidation, the value of the portfolio company may not equal the liquidation value that was believed to exist at the time of the investment. The duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is also difficult to predict, and a creditor’s return on investment can be adversely affected by delays until the plan of reorganization or liquidation ultimately becomes effective. The administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and would be paid out of the debtor’s estate prior to any return to creditors. Because the standards for classification of claims under bankruptcy law are vague, our influence with respect to the class of securities or other obligations that we own may be lost by increases in the number and amount of claims in the same class or by different classification and treatment. In the early stages of the bankruptcy process, it is often difficult to estimate the extent of, or even to identify, any contingent claims that might be made. In addition, certain claims that have priority by law (for example, claims for taxes) may be substantial. Our portfolio companies may incur debt or issue equity securities that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies. 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 investments 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. 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 (including agreements governing “first out” and “last out” structures) 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 as a result our rights as junior lenders are adversely affected. When we are a debt or minority equity investor in a portfolio company, we are often not in a position to exert influence on the entity, and other equity holders and management of the company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our investment in such portfolio company. When we make debt or minority equity investments, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree and the other equity holders and management of such company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our investment. Our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged. Some of our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, which may have adverse consequences to these companies and to us as an investor. These companies may be subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants and the leverage may impair these companies’ ability to finance their future operations and capital needs. As a result, these 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 foreign companies may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments. Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in foreign companies. Investing in foreign companies may expose us to additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes (potentially at confiscatory levels), less liquid markets, less available information than is generally the case in the U.S., higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. Although we expect most of our investments will be U.S. dollar denominated, our investments that are denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to one or more other currencies. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure you that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us. The due diligence process that the Adviser undertakes in connection with our investments may not reveal all the facts that may be relevant in connection with an investment. The Adviser’s due diligence may not reveal all of a company’s liabilities and may not reveal other weaknesses in its business. There can be no assurance that our due diligence process will uncover all relevant facts that would be material to an investment decision. Before making an investment in, or a loan to, a company, the Adviser will assess the strength and skills of the company’s management team and other factors that it believes are material to the performance of the investment. In making the assessment and otherwise conducting customary due diligence, the Adviser will rely on the resources available to it and, in some cases, an investigation by third parties. This process is particularly important and highly subjective with respect to newly organized entities because there may be little or no information publicly available about the entities. We may make investments in, or loans to, companies, including middle market companies, which are not subject to public company reporting requirements, including requirements regarding preparation of financial statements, and will, therefore, depend upon the compliance by investment companies with their contractual reporting obligations and the ability of the Adviser’ investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we and the Adviser are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision and may lose money on our investments. As a result, the evaluation of potential investments and the ability to perform due diligence on and effective monitoring of investments may be impeded, and we may not realize the returns that it expects on any particular investment. In the event of fraud by any company in which we invest or with respect to which we make a loan, we may suffer a partial or total loss of the amounts invested in that company. We may be subject to additional risks from investing in non-U.S. securities. The 1940 Act generally requires that 70% of our investments be in issuers each of whom is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands or any other possession of the United States. However, our portfolio may include debt securities of non-U.S. companies, including emerging market issuers, to the limited extent such transactions and investments would not cause us to violate the 1940 Act. We expect that these investments would focus on the same secured debt, unsecured debt and related equity security investments that we make in U.S. middle-market companies and, accordingly, would be complementary to our overall strategy and enhance the diversity of our holdings. Investing in loans and securities of emerging market issuers involves many risks including economic, social, political, financial, tax and security conditions in the emerging market, potential inflationary economic environments, regulation by foreign governments, different accounting standards and political uncertainties. Economic, social, political, financial, tax and security conditions also could negatively affect the value of emerging market companies. These factors could include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets and less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations or judgments or foreclosing on collateral, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. Engaging in either hedging transactions or investing in foreign loans and securities would entail additional risks to our unitholders. We could, for example, use instruments such as interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors and, if we were to invest in foreign loans and securities, we could use instruments such as forward contracts or currency options and borrow under a credit facility in currencies selected to minimize our foreign currency exposure. In each such case, we generally would seek to hedge against fluctuations of the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in market interest rates or currency exchange rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions would not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of the positions declined. However, such hedging could establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions could also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions increased. Moreover, it might not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that was so generally anticipated that we would not be able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price. 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 could 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 could vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we might not seek to establish a perfect correlation between the hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation could prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it might not be possible for us to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those loans and securities would likely fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations. We may not realize anticipated gains on the equity interests in which we invest. When we invest in loans and debt securities, we may acquire warrants or other equity securities of portfolio companies as well. We may also invest in equity securities directly. To the extent we hold equity investments, we will attempt to dispose of them and realize gains upon such disposition. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, may decline in value. As a result, 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. Changes in healthcare laws and other regulations applicable to some of our portfolio companies businesses may constrain their ability to offer their products and services. Changes in healthcare or other laws and regulations applicable to the businesses of some of our portfolio companies may occur that could increase their compliance and other costs of doing business, require significant systems enhancements, or render their products or services less profitable or obsolete, any of which could have a material adverse effect on their results of operations. There has also been an increased political and regulatory focus on healthcare laws in recent years, and new legislation could have a material effect on the business and operations of some of our portfolio companies. Our investments in the consumer products and services sector are subject to various risks including cyclical risks associated with the overall economy. General risks of companies in the consumer products and services sector include cyclicality of revenues and earnings, economic recession, currency fluctuations, changing consumer tastes, extensive competition, product liability litigation and increased government regulation. Generally, spending on consumer products and services is affected by the health of consumers. Companies in the consumer products and services sectors are subject to government regulation affecting the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods, which regulations could affect company profitability. A weak economy and its effect on consumer spending would adversely affect companies in the consumer products and services sector. Our investments in technology companies are subject to many risks, including volatility, intense competition, shortened product life cycles, litigation risk and periodic downturn. We have invested and will continue investing in technology companies, many of which may have narrow product lines and small market shares, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as to general economic downturns. The revenues, income (or losses), and valuations of technology-related companies can and often do fluctuate suddenly and dramatically. In addition, technology related markets are generally characterized by abrupt business cycles and intense competition, where the leading companies in any particular category may hold a highly concentrated percentage of the overall market share. Therefore, our portfolio companies may face considerably more risk of loss than do companies in other industry sectors.
The effect of global climate change may impact the operations of our portfolio companies.
Climate change creates physical and financial risk and some of our portfolio companies may be adversely affected by climate change. For example, the needs of customers of energy companies vary with weather conditions, primarily temperature and humidity. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change, energy use could increase or decrease depending on the duration and magnitude of any changes. Increases in the cost of energy could adversely affect the cost of operations of our portfolio companies if the use of energy products or services is material to their business. A decrease in energy use due to weather changes may affect some of our portfolio companies' financial condition, through decreased revenues. Extreme weather conditions or events (including wildfires, droughts, hurricanes and floods), which may become more severe and frequent as a result of climate change, in general require more system backup, adding to costs, and can contribute to increased system stresses, including service interruptions. Other risks associated with climate change include transition risks, such as risks related to the impact of climate-related legislation and regulation (both domestically and internationally), political and policy risks, as well as risks related to climate-related business trends, including changes in technology and consumer preferences. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Risk Factors [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] | General Risk Factors Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies, and defaults by our portfolio companies will harm our operating results.
Many of the portfolio companies in which we expect to make investments are likely to be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay their loans during such periods. Therefore, the number of our assets is likely to increase and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during such periods. Macroeconomic factors such as real GDP growth, consumer confidence, supply chain disruptions, inflation, employment levels, oil prices, interest rates, tax rates, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and other macroeconomic trends can adversely affect customer demand for the products and services that our portfolio companies offer and may adversely impact their businesses or financial results. In addition, although we invest primarily in companies located in the United States, our portfolio companies may rely on parts or supplies manufactured outside the United States. As a result, any event causing a disruption of imports, including natural disasters, public health crises, or the imposition of import or trade restrictions in the form of tariffs or quotas could increase the cost and reduce the supply of products available to our portfolio companies, which may negatively impact their businesses or financial results.
Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and debt securities and the value of our equity investments. If the value of collateral underlying our loan declines during the term of the loan, a portfolio company may not be able to obtain the necessary funds to repay the loan at maturity through refinancing. Decreasing collateral value may hinder a portfolio company’s ability to refinance our loan because the underlying collateral cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new financing. Thus, 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 its access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. We consider a number of factors in making our investment decisions, including, but not limited to, the financial condition and prospects of a portfolio company and its ability to repay our loan. Unfavorable economic conditions could negatively affect the valuations of our portfolio companies and, as a result, make it more difficult for such portfolio companies to repay or refinance our loan. Therefore, these events could prevent us from increasing our 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, termination of the portfolio company’s loans and foreclosure on its assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize its ability to meet its obligations under the loans and debt securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants. Furthermore, if one of our portfolio companies were to file for bankruptcy protection, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provide significant managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might our debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to claims of other creditors, even though we may have structured our investment as senior secured debt.
In addition, the failure of certain financial institutions, namely banks, may increase the possibility of a sustained deterioration of financial market liquidity, or illiquidity at clearing, cash management and/or custodial financial institutions. The failure of a bank (or banks) with which we and/or our portfolio companies have a commercial relationship could adversely affect, among other things, our and/or our portfolio companies’ ability to pursue key strategic initiatives, including by affecting our or our portfolio company’s ability to access deposits or borrow from financial institutions on favorable terms. Additionally, if a portfolio company or its sponsor has a commercial relationship with a bank that has failed or is otherwise distressed, the portfolio company may experience issues receiving financial support from a sponsor to support its operations or consummate transactions, to the detriment of their business, financial condition and/or results of operations. In addition, such bank failure(s) could affect, in certain circumstances, the ability of both affiliated and unaffiliated including syndicate banks or other fund vehicles, to undertake and/or execute transactions with us, which in turn may result in fewer opportunities being made available to us or impact our ability to provide additional support to portfolio companies. Our ability and our portfolio companies to spread banking relationships among multiple institutions may be limited by certain contractual arrangements, including liens placed on our respective assets as a result of a bank agreeing to provide financing.
Downgrades by rating agencies to the U.S. government’s credit rating or concerns about its credit and deficit levels in general, could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact both the perception of credit risk associated with our debt portfolio and our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. In addition, a decreased U.S. government credit rating could create broader financial turmoil and uncertainty, which may weigh heavily on our financial performance and the value of our Common Units.
The current global financial market situation, as well as various social and political circumstances in the U.S. and around the world, including wars and other forms of conflict, terrorist acts, security operations and catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, adverse effects of climate crisis and global health epidemics, may contribute to increased market volatility and economic uncertainties or deterioration in the U.S. and worldwide. Additionally, the U.S. government’s credit and deficit concerns, the European sovereign debt crisis, and the potential trade war with China, could cause interest rates to be volatile, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms.
The impact of events described above on our portfolio companies could impact their ability to make payments on their loans on a timely basis and may impact their ability to continue making their loan payments on a timely basis or meeting their loan covenants. The inability of portfolio companies to make timely payments or meet loan covenants may in the future require us to undertake amendment actions with respect to our investments or to restructure our investments, which may include the need for us to make additional investments in our portfolio companies (including debt or equity investments) beyond any existing commitments, exchange debt for equity, or change the payment terms of our investments to permit a portfolio company to pay a portion of its interest through payment-in-kind, which would defer the cash collection of such interest and add it to the principal balance, which would generally be due upon repayment of the outstanding principal. We are dependent on information systems and systems 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 and third parties’ communications and information systems. Further, in the ordinary course of our business we or our investment adviser may engage certain third party service providers to provide us with services necessary for our business. Any failure or interruption of those systems or services, including as a result of the termination or suspension of an agreement with any third-party service providers, could cause delays or other problems in our business activities. Our financial, accounting, data processing, backup or other operating systems and facilities may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control and adversely affect our business. There could be: • sudden electrical or telecommunications outages; • natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes; • disease pandemics; • events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including terrorist acts; and • cyber-attacks. These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results and negatively affect the NAV of our Common Units and our ability to pay dividends to our common unitholders. Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect our business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information and/or damage to our business relationships. A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information resources. These incidents may be an intentional attack or an unintentional event and could involve gaining unauthorized access to our information systems for purposes of 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 stolen information, misappropriation of assets, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation and damage to our business relationships. This could result in significant losses, reputational damage, litigation, regulatory fines or penalties, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify its protective measures and to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures arising from operational and security risks. We face risks posed to our information systems, both internal and those provided to it by third-party service providers. We, our investment adviser and its affiliates 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, may be ineffective and do not guarantee that a cyber-incident will not occur or that our financial results, operations or confidential information will not be negatively impacted by such an incident. Third parties with which we do business (including those that provide services to us) may also be sources or targets of cybersecurity or other technological risks. We outsource certain functions and these relationships allow for the storage and processing of our information and assets, as well as certain investor, counterparty, employee and borrower information. While we engage in actions to reduce our exposure resulting from outsourcing, ongoing threats may result in unauthorized access, loss, exposure or destruction of data, or other cybersecurity incidents, with increased costs and other consequences, including those described above. Privacy and information security laws and regulation changes, and compliance with those changes, may also result in cost increases due to system changes and the development of new administrative processes. We will face costs associated with our reporting obligations. In connection with our election to be regulated as a BDC, we are required to be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. These requirements include the preparation and filing of annual, quarterly, and current reports, as well as proxy statements and other information. Compliance with these requirements involves significant legal, accounting, and other expenses. These costs may increase over time due to changes in SEC rules and regulations, or as our business grows and becomes more complex. The financial burden of these compliance costs could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. New or modified laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business. We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state and local levels. These laws and
We are subject to risks associated with artificial intelligence and machine learning technology. Recent technological advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning technology pose risks to our Company and our portfolio investments. Our Company and our portfolio investments could be exposed to the risks of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology if third-party service providers or any counterparties, whether or not known to our Company, also use artificial intelligence and machine learning technology in their business activities. We and our portfolio companies may not be in a position to control the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology in third-party products or services. Use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology could include the input of confidential information in contravention of applicable policies, contractual or other obligations or restrictions, resulting in such confidential information becoming part accessible by other third-party artificial intelligence and machine learning technology applications and users. The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology by our competitors may adversely affect our portfolio companies' performance. Independent of its context of use, artificial intelligence and machine learning technology is generally highly reliant on the collection and analysis of large amounts of data, and it is not possible or practicable to incorporate all relevant data into the model that artificial intelligence and machine learning technology utilizes to operate. Certain data in such models will inevitably contain a degree of inaccuracy and error-potentially materially so-and could otherwise be inadequate or flawed, which would be likely to degrade the effectiveness of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology. To the extent that we or our portfolio investments are exposed to the risks of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology use, any such inaccuracies or errors could have adverse impacts on our Company or our investments.Artificial intelligence and machine learning technology and its applications, including in the private investment and financial sectors, continue to develop rapidly, and it is impossible to predict the future risks that may arise from such developments. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Valuation Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] | Valuation Risk We have invested, and plan to continue to invest, in illiquid debt and equity securities of private companies. These investments will generally not have a readily available market price, and we will value these investments at fair value as determined in good faith by our Adviser, as the Board's valuation designee, in accordance with our valuation policy. There is no single standard for determining fair value in good faith. As a result, determining fair value requires that judgment be applied to the specific facts and circumstances of each portfolio investment while employing a consistently applied valuation process for the types of investments we make. If we were required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, we may realize amounts that are different from the amounts presented and such differences could be material. See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements for more details on estimates and judgments made by us in connection with the valuation of our investments. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest Rate Risk [Member] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Description of Registrant [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Risk [Text Block] | Interest Rate Risk Interest rate sensitivity refers to the change in earnings that may result from changes in the level of interest rates. We plan to fund a portion of our investments with borrowings and our net investment income will be affected by the difference between the rate at which we invest and the rate at which we borrow. There can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. 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 that review, we determine whether or not any hedging transactions are necessary to mitigate exposure to changes in interest rates. As of December 31, 2025, 100% of the investments at fair value in our portfolio were at variable rates, subject to interest rate floors. Assuming that our Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2025 were to remain constant and that we took no actions to alter our existing interest rate sensitivity, the following table shows the annualized impact of hypothetical base rate changes in interest rates (considering interest rate floors for floating rate instruments): ($ in millions)
Although we believe that this analysis is indicative of our existing sensitivity to interest rate changes, it does not adjust for changes in the credit market, credit quality, the size and composition of the assets in our portfolio and other business developments that could affect our net income. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that actual results would not differ materially from the analysis above. We may in the future hedge against interest rate fluctuations by using hedging instruments such as interest rate swaps, futures, options and forward contracts. While hedging activities may mitigate our exposure to adverse fluctuations in interest rates, certain hedging transactions that we may enter into in the future, such as interest rate swap agreements, may also limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio investments. Currency Risk From time to time, we may make investments that are denominated in a foreign currency. These investments are converted into U.S. dollars at the balance sheet date, exposing us to movements in foreign exchange rates. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure you that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us. We may seek to utilize instruments such as, but not limited to, forward contracts to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates. As of December 31, 2025, we had no foreign currency exposure. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||