Note 3 - Related Party Transactions |
9 Months Ended |
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Sep. 30, 2023 | |
Notes to Financial Statements | |
Related Party Transactions Disclosure [Text Block] |
Note 3. Related party transactions
Investment Management Agreement
On October 28, 2022, the Board unanimously approved the renewal of the Investment Management Agreement dated as of March 7, 2019 (the “2019 Investment Management Agreement”). At a meeting of the stockholders convened on May 25, 2023 and reconvened on June 28, 2023, the stockholders approved a new Investment Management Agreement which became effective on June 30, 2023 (the “New Investment Management Agreement” and collectively with the 2019 Investment Management Agreement, the “Investment Management Agreement”) upon the closing of the acquisition of the Advisor by MCH Holdco LLC, an affiliate of Monroe Capital LLC. The New Investment Management Agreement replaced the previously effective 2019 Investment Management Agreement on June 30, 2023. The 2019 Investment Management and the New Investment Management Agreement contain the same economic terms. Under the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, the Advisor determines the composition of the Company’s investment portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to the investment portfolio and the manner of implementing such changes; identifies, evaluates and negotiates the structure of the investments the Company makes (including performing due diligence on the Company’s prospective portfolio companies); and closes, monitors and administers the investments the Company makes, including the exercise of any voting or consent rights.
The Advisor’s services under the Investment Management Agreement are not exclusive to the Company, and the Advisor is free to furnish similar services to other entities so long as its services to the Company are not impaired. The Advisor is a registered investment adviser with the SEC. The Advisor receives fees for providing services to the Company under the Investment Management Agreement, consisting of two components, a base management fee and an incentive fee.
The base management is calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% of the Company’s gross assets (less cash and cash equivalents) including any assets acquired with the proceeds of leverage; provided, that, to the extent the Company’s gross assets (less cash and cash equivalents) exceed $250 million, the base management fee on the amount of such excess over $250 million will be calculated at an annual rate of 1.60% of the Company’s gross assets (less cash and cash equivalents) including any assets acquired with the proceeds of leverage. The base management fee is payable monthly in arrears and is prorated for any partial month.
The base management fee payable at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was $1.1 million. The base management fee expense was $3.2 million and $2.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The base management fee expense was $9.6 million and $7.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The incentive fee has two parts, as follows:
The first part, which is subject to the Incentive Fee Cap and Deferral Mechanism, as defined below, is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income for the immediately preceding calendar quarter. For this purpose, “Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income” means interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees (other than fees for providing managerial assistance), such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees received from portfolio companies) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus expenses for the quarter (including the base management fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement (as defined below), and any interest expense and any dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee). Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with PIK interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income the Company has not yet received in cash. The incentive fee with respect to the Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income is 20.00% of the amount, if any, by which the Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income for the immediately preceding calendar quarter exceeds a hurdle rate of 1.75% (which is 7.00% annualized) of the Company’s net assets at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter, subject to a “catch-up” provision measured as of the end of each calendar quarter. Under this provision, in any calendar quarter, the Advisor receives no incentive fee until the Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income equals the hurdle rate of 1.75%, but then receives, as a “catch-up,” 100.00% of the Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income with respect to that portion of such Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 2.1875% quarterly (which is 8.75% annualized). The effect of this “catch-up” provision is that, if Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter, the Advisor will receive 20.00% of the Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income as if the hurdle rate did not apply.
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. Because of the structure of the incentive fee, it is possible that the Company may pay an incentive fee in a quarter in which the Company incurs a loss. For example, if the Company receives Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income in excess of the quarterly minimum hurdle rate, the Company will pay the applicable incentive fee up to the Incentive Fee Cap, defined below, even if the Company has incurred a loss in that quarter due to realized and unrealized capital losses. The Company’s net investment income used to calculate this part of the incentive fee is also included in the amount of the Company’s gross assets used to calculate the 2.00% base management fee. These calculations are appropriately prorated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the current quarter.
The incentive fee on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income is subject to a fee cap and deferral mechanism which is determined based upon a look-back period of up to three years and is expensed when incurred. For this purpose, the look-back period for the incentive fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income (the “Incentive Fee Look-back Period”) includes the relevant calendar quarter and the 11 preceding full calendar quarters. Each quarterly incentive fee payable on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income is subject to a cap (the “Incentive Fee Cap”) and a deferral mechanism through which the Advisor may recoup a portion of such deferred incentive fees (collectively, the “Incentive Fee Cap and Deferral Mechanism”). The Incentive Fee Cap is equal to (a) 20.00% of Cumulative Pre-Incentive Fee Net Return (as defined below) during the Incentive Fee Look-back Period less (b) cumulative incentive fees of any kind paid to the Advisor during the Incentive Fee Look-back Period. To the extent the Incentive Fee Cap is zero or a negative value in any calendar quarter, the Company will not pay an incentive fee on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income to the Advisor in that quarter. To the extent that the payment of incentive fees on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income is limited by the Incentive Fee Cap, the payment of such fees will be deferred and paid in subsequent calendar quarters up to three years after their date of deferment, subject to certain limitations, which are set forth in the Investment Management Agreement. The Company only pays incentive fees on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income to the extent allowed by the Incentive Fee Cap and Deferral Mechanism. “Cumulative Pre-Incentive Fee Net Return” during any Incentive Fee Look-back Period means the sum of (a) Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income and the base management fee for each calendar quarter during the Incentive Fee Look-back Period and (b) the sum of cumulative realized capital gains and losses, cumulative unrealized capital appreciation and cumulative unrealized capital depreciation during the applicable Incentive Fee Look-back Period.
The second part of the incentive fee is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or, upon termination of the Investment Management Agreement, as of the termination date), and equals 20.00% of the Company’s realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from the date of the election to be a BDC through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis through the end of such year, less all previous amounts paid in respect of the capital gain incentive fee. However, in accordance with GAAP, the Company is required to include the aggregate unrealized capital appreciation on investments in the calculation and accrue a capital gain incentive fee on a quarterly basis, as if such unrealized capital appreciation were realized, even though such unrealized capital appreciation is not permitted to be considered in calculating the fee actually payable under the Investment Management Agreement.
There was no performance based incentive fee expense for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The performance based incentive fee expense was $2.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The performance based incentive fee expense was $3.1 million and $6.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The incentive fee on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income was subject to the Incentive Fee Cap and Deferral Mechanism for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, which resulted in $3.5 million and $6.8 million of reduced expense and additional net investment income. This deferral represents a contingent future liability and is not accrued until the amount can be reasonably estimated and payment is probable. The remaining deferred amount may be paid up to three years after the date of deferment. The total contingent future liability as of September 30, 2023 was $7.8 million, of which $1.0 million expires on December 31, 2025, $0.2 million expires on March 31, 2026, $3.1 million expires on June 30, 2026, and $3.5 million expires on September 30, 2026, respectively. The incentive fee on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income was not subject to the Incentive Fee Cap and Deferral Mechanism for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022. There was no performance based incentive fee payable as of September 30, 2023. The performance based incentive fee payable as of December 31, 2022 was $1.4 million. The entire incentive fee payable as of December 31, 2022 represented part one of the incentive fee.
Administration Agreement
The Company entered into an administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”) with the Advisor to provide administrative services to the Company. For providing these services, facilities and personnel, the Company reimburses the Advisor for the Company’s allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Advisor in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent, the fees and expenses associated with performing compliance functions and the Company’s allocable portion of the costs of compensation and related expenses of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer and their respective staffs. The administrative fee expense was $0.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The administrative fee expense was $1.2 million and $1.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
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