v3.26.1
Significant Agreements and Related Parties
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Significant Agreements and Related Parties

3. SIGNIFICANT AGREEMENTS AND RELATED PARTIES

Investment Management Agreement. The Company has an investment management agreement (the “Investment Management Agreement”) with GECM. Beginning on November 4, 2016, the Company began accruing for GECM’s fees for its services under the Investment Management Agreement. This fee consists of two components: a base management fee and an incentive fee. Effective August 1, 2022, upon receiving approval from the Company’s stockholders, the Company and GECM amended the Investment Management Agreement to reset the Capital Gains Incentive Fee to begin on April 1, 2022, which eliminated $163.2 million of historical realized and unrealized losses incurred prior to April 1, 2022 in calculating future incentive fees. In addition, the Income Incentive Fee was amended to reset the mandatory deferral commencement date used in calculating deferred incentive fees to April 1, 2022.

The Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer is also a portfolio manager and president of GECM, as well as a Managing Director of Imperial Capital Asset Management, LLC. The Company’s Chief Compliance Officer is also the chief compliance officer and general counsel of GECM, and the president of GEG. The Company’s Chief Financial Officer is also the chief financial officer of GEG.

Management Fee The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 1.50% of the Company’s average adjusted gross assets, including assets purchased with borrowed funds. The base management fee is payable quarterly in arrears. The base management fee is calculated based on the average value of the Company’s gross assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents, at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters, and appropriately adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the then current calendar quarter. Base management fees for any partial quarter are prorated.

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, management fees amounted to $1,072. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, management fees amounted to $1,272. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, $1,072 and $1,183, respectively, remained payable.

Incentive Fee The incentive fee consists of two components that are independent of each other with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not. One component of the incentive fee is based on income (the “Income Incentive Fee”) and the other component is based on capital gains (the “Capital Gains Incentive Fee”).

The Income Incentive Fee is calculated on a quarterly basis as 20% of the amount by which the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income (the “Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income”) for the quarter exceeds a hurdle rate of 1.75% (7.0% annualized) of the Company’s net assets at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, subject to a “catch-up” provision pursuant to which GECM receives all of such income in excess of the 1.75% level but less than 2.1875% (8.75% annualized) and subject to a total return requirement (described below). The effect of the “catch-up” provision is that, subject to the total return provision, if pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds 2.1875% of the Company’s net assets at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, in any calendar quarter, GECM will receive 20.0% of the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income as if the 1.75% hurdle rate did not apply. These calculations will be appropriately prorated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the then current quarter.

Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income includes any accretion of original issue discount, market discount, PIK interest, PIK dividends or other types of deferred or accrued income, including in connection with zero coupon securities, that the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries have recognized in accordance with GAAP, but have not yet received in cash (collectively, “Accrued Unpaid Income”). Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income does not include any realized capital gains or losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation.

Any Income Incentive Fee otherwise payable with respect to Accrued Unpaid Income (collectively, the “Accrued Unpaid Income Incentive Fees”) is deferred, on a security by security basis, and becomes payable only if, as, when and to the extent cash is received by the Company or its subsidiaries in respect thereof. Any Accrued Unpaid Income that is subsequently reversed in connection with a write-down, write-off, impairment or similar treatment of the investment giving rise to such Accrued Unpaid Income will, in the applicable period of reversal, (1) reduce Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income and (2) reduce the amount of Accrued Unpaid Income Incentive Fees previously deferred.

The Company will defer cash payment of any Income Incentive Fee otherwise payable to the investment adviser in any quarter (excluding Accrued Unpaid Income Incentive Fees with respect to such quarter) that exceeds (1) 20% of the Cumulative Pre‑Incentive Fee Net Return (as defined below) during the most recent twelve full calendar quarter period ending on or prior to the date such payment is to be made (the “Trailing Twelve Quarters”) less (2) the aggregate incentive fees that were previously paid to the investment adviser during such Trailing Twelve Quarters (excluding Accrued Unpaid Income Incentive Fees during such Trailing Twelve Quarters and not subsequently paid). “Cumulative Pre‑Incentive Fee Net Return” during the relevant Trailing Twelve Quarters means the sum of (a) pre‑incentive fee net investment income in respect of such Trailing Twelve Quarters less (b) net realized capital losses and net unrealized capital depreciation, if any, in each case calculated in accordance with GAAP, in respect of such Trailing Twelve Quarters. As a result of the amendment effective August 1, 2022, the calculation of Cumulative Pre-Incentive Fee Net Return begins as of April 1, 2022.

Under the Capital Gains Incentive Fee, the Company is obligated to pay GECM at the end of each calendar year 20% of the aggregate cumulative realized capital gains from April 1, 2022 through the end of that year, computed net of aggregate cumulative realized capital losses and aggregate cumulative unrealized depreciation through the end of such year, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fees.

Effective February 2026, GECM waived all accrued and unpaid incentive fees through March 31, 2026. As of December 31, 2025, there were approximately $2,267 of accrued and unpaid incentive fees. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, an additional $543 of incentive fees were accrued, resulting in $2,810 of accrued and unpaid incentive fees. In connection with the incentive fee waiver, the Company recognized the reversal of these accrued and unpaid incentive fees during the three months ended March 31, 2026, resulting in a corresponding increase in net income and an increase in net asset value (subject to any offsetting expenses or losses). The incentive fee waiver is not subject to recapture. Effective April 2026, GECM waived all accrued and unpaid incentive fees through June 30, 2026.

For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company incurred Income Incentive Fees of $543 and $1,150, respectively. As of March 31, 2026, there were no cumulative accrued incentive fees payable due to the incentive fee waiver. As of December 31, 2025, cumulative accrued incentive fees payable were $2,267, and after calculating the total return requirement, $0 was immediately payable. These payable amounts included both Accrued Unpaid Income Incentive Fees and amounts deferred under the total return requirement and would have become due upon meeting the criteria described above. For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company did not have any Capital Gains Incentive Fees accrual.

The Investment Management Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations, GECM and its officers, managers, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from the Company for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of GECM’s services under the Investment Management Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Company.

Administration Fees. The Company has an administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”) with GECM to provide administrative services, including, among other things, furnishing the Company with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services. The Company will reimburse GECM for its allocable portion of overhead and other expenses of GECM in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement. Compensation of administrator personnel is allocated based on time allocation for the period. Other overhead costs are based on a combination of time allocation and total headcount.

The Administration Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations, GECM and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from the Company for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of GECM’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Company.

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company incurred expenses under the Administration Agreement of $420. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company incurred expenses under the Administration Agreement of $355. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, $420 and $292 remained payable.