UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
x | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2007.
OR
¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM TO
COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 814-00736
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
MARYLAND | 20-8250744 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
590 Madison Avenue, 15th Floor New York, N.Y. |
10022 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code (212)-905-1000
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class |
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | |
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share |
The NASDAQ Global Select Market |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ¨ No x.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No x.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨ .
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of accelerated filer and large accelerated filer in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer ¨. Accelerated filer ¨. Non-accelerated filer x.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x.
The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant on September 30, 2007 based on the closing price on that date of $13.40 on the NASDAQ Global Select Market was $276,893,337. For the purposes of calculating this amount only, all directors and executive officers of the Registrant have been treated as affiliates. There were 21,068,772 shares of the Registrants common stock outstanding as of November 30, 2007.
Documents Incorporated by Reference: Portions of the Registrants Proxy Statement relating to the Registrants 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
FORM 10-K
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2007
PART I | ||||
Item 1. |
1 | |||
Item 1A. |
18 | |||
Item 1B. |
32 | |||
Item 2. |
32 | |||
Item 3. |
33 | |||
Item 4. |
33 | |||
PART II | ||||
Item 5. |
34 | |||
Item 6. |
36 | |||
Item 7. |
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
37 | ||
Item 7A. |
45 | |||
Item 8. |
46 | |||
Item 9. |
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
65 | ||
Item 9A. |
65 | |||
Item 9B. |
65 | |||
PART III | ||||
Item 10. | Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance | 66 | ||
Item 11. |
66 | |||
Item 12. |
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters |
66 | ||
Item 13. |
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence |
66 | ||
Item 14. |
66 | |||
PART IV | ||||
Item 15. | Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules | 67 | ||
68 |
PART I
Item 1. | Business |
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
PennantPark Investment Corporation (PennantPark Investment, we, our or us), a Maryland corporation organized on January 11, 2007, is a closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company (BDC) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). In addition, for tax purposes we have elected to be treated as a regulated investment company, or RIC, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code).
Our investment objectives are to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. We invest primarily in U.S. middle-market private companies in the form of mezzanine debt, senior secured loans and, to a lesser extent, equity investments. From time to time, we may also invest in public companies that are thinly traded.
The companies in which we invest are typically highly leveraged, often as a result of leveraged buy-outs or other recapitalization transactions, and, in most cases, are not rated by national rating agencies. If such companies were rated, we believe that they would typically receive a rating below investment grade (between BB and CCC under the Standard & Poors system) from the national rating agencies. We expect that our investments in mezzanine debt, senior secured loans and other investments will range between $10 million and $50 million each, although this investment size will vary proportionately with the size of our capital base.
During 2007, PennantPark Investment completed an initial public offering and a private placement of common stock, which raised gross proceeds of $315.4 million after exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option. Prior to the initial public offering, we purchased approximately $250 million of senior secured loans, enabling us to generate an immediate dividend yield for our stockholders. On June 25, 2007, we closed on a $300 million, five-year credit facility priced at 100 basis points over the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR.
For the quarter ended June 30, 2007, we purchased $102.7 million of subordinated debt, second lien secured debt and equity investments, which we consider to be our core assets by value and investment focus (our core assets). The subordinated debt and second lien secured debt purchased during the quarter had an average yield of 12.2%.
The overall leveraged finance credit market experienced a substantial downturn during the summer of 2007, which resulted in unrealized depreciation of our existing portfolio, slowing of new investment activity and an improved risk/reward environment for new investments.
For the quarter ended September 30, 2007, we purchased $41.3 million of core assets. The subordinated debt and second lien secured debt purchased during the quarter had an average yield of 15.2%. For the period April 24, 2007 to September 30, 2007, we purchased $144.4 million of core assets, with an overall average yield of 13.0% on subordinated debt and second lien secured debt.
We did not experience any compromised liquidity during the recent turmoil in the global credit markets because of our ability to sell loans from our senior secured loans, which totaled $158.9 million, and availability under our credit facility.
We completed our first fiscal year on September 30, 2007 with our portfolio invested $57.3 million in subordinated debt, $67.8 million in second lien secured debt, $7.0 million in equity investments and $158.9 million in senior secured loans. On September 30, 2007, our core assets totaled $132.1 million and consisted of investments in eight different companies with an average investment size of $16.5 million per company and a weighted average yield of 13.0% on the debt investments. Our senior secured loan portfolio at September 30, 2007
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totaled $158.9 million and consisted of 30 different companies with an average investment size of $5.3 million, and a weighted average yield of 7.5%. The overall portfolio had unrealized depreciation of $23.9 million due to recent erosion in the market prices of leveraged finance instruments. At September 30, 2007, our portfolio consisted of 38 companies and was invested 20% in subordinated debt, 23% in second lien secured debt, 2% in equity investments and 55% in senior secured loans.
We anticipate that our level of investment activity will vary substantially from period to period depending on many factors, including the amount of debt and equity capital available to middle-market companies, the level of merger and acquisition activity for such companies, the general economic environment and the competitive environment for our types of investments. Depending on these factors and owing to the substantial due diligence and structuring involved in negotiated investments in illiquid securities, we anticipate that it may take up to two years from the date of our initial public offering to invest all of our assets in accordance with our investment objectives. We will consider selling senior secured loans and/or drawing on our credit facility for liquidity purposes.
Information Available
Our address is 590 Madison Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10022. Our phone number is (212) 905-1000, and our internet address is www.pennantpark.com. We make available free of charge on our website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this annual report on Form 10-K and you should not consider information contained on our website to be part of this annual report on Form 10-K or any other report we file with the SEC.
Operating Structure
Our investment activities are managed by PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Adviser or PennantPark Investment Advisers) and supervised by our board of directors, a majority of whom are independent of us and our Investment Adviser. Under our Investment Management Agreement, we have agreed to pay our Investment Adviser an annual base management fee based on our adjusted gross assets as well as an incentive fee based on our investment performance. See Business-Investment Management Agreement.
We have also entered into an administration agreement (the Administration Agreement) with PennantPark Investment Administration, LLC (the Administrator or PennantPark Investment Administration). Under the Administration Agreement, we have agreed to reimburse the Administrator for our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the costs of compensation and related expenses of our chief compliance officer, chief financial officer and their respective staffs. See Business-Administration Agreement.
If any of our contractual obligations discussed above is terminated, our costs under new agreements that we enter into may increase. In addition, we will likely incur significant time and expense in locating alternative parties to provide the services we expect to receive under our Investment Management Agreement and our Administration Agreement. Any new investment management agreement would also be subject to approval by our stockholders.
Our Investment Adviser and Investment Administrator
We utilize the investing experience and contacts of Arthur H. Penn, the founder of PennantPark Investment Corporation and PennantPark Investment Advisers, as well as the other investment professionals of the Investment Adviser. Mr. Penn has over 21 years of experience in the mezzanine lending, leveraged finance,
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distressed debt and private equity businesses. He has been involved in originating, structuring, negotiating, consummating, managing and monitoring investments in each of these businesses. Mr. Penn is a Co-founder and former Managing Partner of Apollo Investment Management, which is the investment adviser of Apollo Investment Corporation, a publicly traded business development company. Mr. Penn served as the Chief Operating Officer and a member of the investment committee of Apollo Investment from its inception in April 2004 through February 2006 and was its President and Chief Operating Officer from February 2006 through November 30, 2006.
During the period in which Mr. Penn was the Chief Operating Officer, Apollo Investment Corporation raised approximately $930 million of gross proceeds in an initial public offering in April 2004 and raised an additional $308 million in a follow-on offering of public equity in March 2006. Mr. Penn supervised the negotiation and execution of a senior secured credit facility with a syndicate of banks which, as amended, provides for borrowings up to $2.0 billion. During Mr. Penns tenure with Apollo Investment Corporation, it invested approximately $2.8 billion in 73 companies in partnership with 54 different financial sponsors.
During Mr. Penns career in the financial services industry, he also served as Managing Partner of Apollo Value Fund L.P. (formerly Apollo Distressed Investment Fund, L.P.) from 2003 through November 2006. Mr. Penn previously served as Global Head of Leveraged Finance at UBS Warburg LLC (now UBS Securities LLC) from 1999 through 2001. Prior to joining UBS Warburg, Mr. Penn was Global Head of Fixed Income Capital markets for BT Securities and BT Alex Brown Incorporated from 1994 to 1999. In these capacities, Mr. Penn oversaw groups responsible for more than 200 high-yield and leveraged bank financings aggregating over $34 billion in capital raised. From 1992 to 1994, Mr. Penn served as Head of High Yield Capital Markets at Lehman Brothers.
Over his 21-year career in the financial services industry, Mr. Penn has developed a network of financial sponsor relationships as well as relationships with management teams, investment bankers, attorneys and accountants that we believe will provide us with access to substantial investment opportunities.
Our Investment Adviser has three experienced investment professionals, in addition to Mr. Penn, who are also partners. These professionals, Geoffrey Chang, Salvatore Giannetti III and Whit Williams, have a combined 44 years of experience in the mezzanine, private equity and leveraged finance businesses. Mr. Chang was previously a founding member and Principal of Audax Mezzanine from 2000 through 2007 and, prior to that was a Director in the Leveraged Finance Group at CIBC World Markets Corp. Mr. Giannetti previously served as Partner in the private equity firm of Wilton Ivy Partners from 2004 through 2007. Prior to joining Wilton Ivy Partners, he was a Managing Director at UBS Warburg LLC in its Leveraged Finance and Financial Sponsors Groups from March 2000 to November 2001. Mr. Williams was an officer at UBS Investment Bank from 1996 to March 2007, most recently as a Managing Director in its Leveraged Finance and Financial Sponsors Group. They are supported by a team of employees, including three investment professionals who have experience in middle-market investing, leveraged finance and capital markets.
Aviv Efrat serves as our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Mr. Efrat, who is also a Managing Director of the Administrator, has extensive experience in finance, operations, and administration of registered investment companies, having served for a decade as a Director at BlackRock, Inc., a leading investment firm. Matthew Hardin, who serves as our Chief Compliance Officer, has over 20 years of regulatory compliance and securities law experience in the financial services industry, having served as Corporate and General Counsel with various organizations and as an enforcement attorney with the SEC.
In addition to furnishing us with clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services, the Administrator also oversees our financial records as well as the preparation of our reports to stockholders and reports filed with the SEC. The Administrator oversees the determination and publication of our net asset value, oversees the preparation and filing of our tax returns, and generally monitors the payment of our expenses and the
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performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. Furthermore, our Administrator provides, on our behalf, managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which we are required to provide such assistance. See Risk Factors-Risks Related to our Business and Structure
MARKET OPPORTUNITY
We believe there is a large pool of un-invested private equity capital likely to seek mezzanine capital to support private investments. We believe that, when proposing a private investment, private equity funds generally seek to package their equity investments together with senior secured loans and/or mezzanine debt, which should provide opportunities for us to partner with such funds. We believe that this opportunity may be complemented by a reduction in the amount of debt capital available for lending in leveraged buyout transactions since the downturn in the credit markets in the summer months of 2007.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
We believe that we have the following competitive advantages over other capital providers in middle-market companies:
Disciplined Investment Approach with Strong Value Orientation
We employ a disciplined approach in selecting investments that meet our value-oriented investment criteria employed by the Investment Adviser. Our value-oriented investment philosophy focuses on preserving capital and ensuring that our investments have an appropriate return profile in relation to risk. When market conditions make it difficult for us to invest according to our criteria, we are highly selective in deploying our capital. We do not intend to pursue short-term origination targets. We believe our approach will enable us to build an attractive investment portfolio that meets our return and value criteria over the long-term.
We believe it is critical to conduct extensive due diligence on investment targets. In evaluating new investments we, through our Investment Adviser, conduct a rigorous due diligence process that draws from our Investment Advisers experience, industry expertise and network of contacts. Among other things, our due diligence is designed to ensure that each prospective portfolio company will be able to meet its debt service obligations. See Business-Investment Process-Investment Selection and Business-Investment Process-Due Diligence.
Ability to Source and Evaluate Transactions through our Investment Advisers Research Capability and Established Network
The management team of the Investment Adviser has long-term relationships with financial sponsors, management consultants and management teams that we believe enable us to evaluate investment opportunities effectively in numerous industries, as well as provide us access to substantial information concerning those industries. We identify potential investments both through active origination and through dialogue with numerous financial sponsors, management teams, members of the financial community and corporate partners with whom professionals of our Investment Adviser have long-term relationships.
Flexible Transaction Structuring
Our Investment Adviser seeks to minimize the risk of capital loss without foregoing potential for capital appreciation. In making investment decisions, we seek to invest in companies that we believe can generate positive risk-adjusted returns.
We expect that the in-depth coverage and experience of Mr. Penn, as well as that of the other investment professionals of our Investment Adviser, will enable us to invest throughout various stages of the economic cycle and will provide us with ongoing market insights in addition to a significant investment sourcing engine.
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Longer Investment Horizon with Attractive Publicly Traded Model
Unlike private equity and venture capital funds, we are not subject to standard periodic capital return requirements. Such requirements typically stipulate that funds raised by a private equity or venture capital fund, together with any capital gains on such invested funds, can only be invested once and must be returned to investors after a pre-agreed time period. We believe that our flexibility to make investments with a long-term view and without the capital return requirements of traditional private investment vehicles enables us to generate returns on invested capital and to be a better long-term partner for our portfolio companies.
Competition
Our primary competitors provide financing to middle-market companies and include other business development companies, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, and to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Additionally, because competition for investment opportunities generally has increased among alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, those entities have begun to invest in areas they have not traditionally invested in, including investments in middle-market companies. As a result of these new entrants, competition for investment opportunities at middle-market companies has intensified. However, we believe that there has been a reduction in the amount of debt capital available for lending in leveraged buyout transactions since the downturn in the credit markets in the summer months of 2007. This has resulted in a less competitive environment.
Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, we believe some competitors have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors 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 business development company.
We use the industry information available to our Investment Adviser to assess investment risks and determine appropriate pricing for our investments in portfolio companies. We benefit from the relationships of Messrs. Penn, Chang, Giannetti and Williams, and other of our senior investment professionals retained by our Investment Adviser, who enable us to learn about, and compete effectively for, financing opportunities with attractive middle-market companies in the industries in which we invest. For additional information concerning the competitive risks we face, see Risk Factors-Risks relating to our business and structure-We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.
INVESTMENT PROCESS
Investment Overview
PennantPark Investment seeks to create a diversified portfolio that includes mezzanine debt, senior secured loans and equity investments by investing approximately $10 to $50 million of capital, on average, in the securities of middle-market companies. We expect this investment size to vary proportionately with the size of our capital base. The companies in which we invest are typically highly leveraged, and, in most cases, are not rated by national rating agencies. If such companies were rated, we believe that they would typically receive a rating below investment grade (between BB and CCC under the Standard & Poors system) from the national rating agencies. In addition, we expect our debt investments to range in maturity from three to ten years.
Over time, we expect that our portfolio will continue to consist of mezzanine debt, senior secured loans and, to a lesser extent, equity investments. In addition to mezzanine debt and equity investments in private or thinly traded public middle-market U.S. companies, we may invest up to 30% of our portfolio in opportunistic investments. These investments may include investments in public companies whose securities are not thinly traded, securities of middle-market companies located outside of the U.S. and investment companies as defined
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in the Investment Company Act of 1940. We expect that these companies will generally issue debt securities that are not investment grade. Moreover, we may acquire investments in the secondary market. In analyzing such investments, we will employ the same analytical process as we use for our primary investments.
Additionally, we may in the future seek to securitize our loans to generate cash for funding new investments. To securitize loans, we may create a wholly owned subsidiary and contribute a pool of loans to the subsidiary. This could include sales of interests in the subsidiary on a non-recourse basis to purchasers who we would expect to be willing to accept a lower interest rate to invest in investment grade loan pools, and we would retain a portion of the equity in the securitized pool of loans. See Business-Investment Process-Investment selection.
Mezzanine Debt
Structurally, mezzanine debt (which includes second lien secured debt and subordinated debt) usually ranks subordinate in priority of payment to senior secured loans. Our second lien secured debt is subordinated debt that benefits from a collateral interest in the borrower. As such, other creditors may rank senior to us in the event of insolvency. However, mezzanine debt ranks senior to common and preferred equity in a borrowers capital structure. Due to its higher risk profile and often less restrictive covenants as compared to senior secured loans, mezzanine debt generally earns a higher return than senior secured loans. In many cases mezzanine investors receive opportunities to invest directly in the equity investments of borrowers and from time to time may also receive warrants to purchase equity investments. We evaluate these investment opportunities on a case-by-case basis.
Our Portfolio
Our principal investment focus is to provide mezzanine debt and senior secured loans to U.S. middle-market companies in a variety of industries. We generally seek to target companies that generate positive cash flows. We generally seek to invest in companies from the broad variety of industries in which our Investment Adviser has direct expertise. The following is a representative list of the industries in which we have invested:
Aerospace/Defense
Broadcasting & Entertainment
Buildings & Real Estate
Business Services
Cable TV
Cargo Transport
Chemical, Plastics, & Rubber
Containers, Packaging, & Glass
Consumer Products
Education
Energy/Utilities
Healthcare, Education & Childcare |
Home & Office Furnishings, Housewares, Durable Consumer Products
Leisure, Amusement, Motion Pictures, Entertainment
Manufacturing/Basic Industry
Media
Oil & Gas
Other Media
Printing & Publishing
Retail Store
Telecommunications
Transportation
Utilities |
We may invest in other industries if we are presented with attractive opportunities.
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Listed below are our top ten portfolio companies and industries represented as percentage of portfolio assets (excluding cash equivalents) as of September 30, 2007:
Portfolio Company |
Percentage of Market Value | ||
Realogy Corp. |
7 | % | |
Saint Acquisition Corp. |
7 | % | |
Advanstar, Inc. |
6 | % | |
Affinion Group Holding, Inc. |
6 | % | |
Performance Holdings, Inc. |
6 | % | |
Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. |
6 | % | |
Charter Communications Operating, L.L.C. |
5 | % | |
Questex Media Group, Inc. |
5 | % | |
Univision Communications, Inc. |
5 | % | |
TransFirst Holdings, Inc. |
4 | % | |
Industry |
Percentage of Market Value | ||
Other Media |
15 | % | |
Consumer Products |
8 | % | |
Buildings & Real Estate |
7 | % | |
Business Services |
7 | % | |
Home & Office Furnishings, House wares & Durable Consumer Products |
7 | % | |
Transportation |
7 | % | |
Chemical, Plastics, & Rubber |
6 | % | |
Leisure, Amusement, Motion Pictures, Entertainment |
6 | % | |
Broadcasting & Entertainment |
5 | % | |
Cable Television |
5 | % |
We may invest from time to time, and only to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies, including private funds. We may also co-invest in the future on a concurrent basis with affiliates of PennantPark Investment, subject to compliance with applicable regulations and our allocation procedures. Some types of negotiated co-investments may be made only if we receive an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. There can be no assurance that any such order will be obtained.
Investment Selection
We are committed to a value oriented philosophy used by the investment professionals who manage our portfolio and seek to minimize the risk of capital loss without foregoing potential for capital appreciation.
We have identified several criteria that we believe are important in identifying and investing in prospective portfolio companies. These criteria provide general guidelines for our investment decisions; however, we caution that not all of these criteria will be met by each prospective portfolio company in which we choose to invest.
Generally, we seek to use our experience and access to market information to identify investment candidates and to structure investments quickly and effectively.
Value orientation and positive cash flow
Our investment philosophy places a premium on fundamental analysis from an investors perspective and has a distinct value orientation. We focus on companies in which we can invest at relatively low multiples of operating cash flow and that are profitable at the time of investment on an operating cash flow basis. Typically, we do not expect to invest in start-up companies or companies having speculative business plans.
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Experienced management and established financial sponsor relationship
We generally require that our portfolio companies have an experienced management team. We also require the portfolio companies to have proper incentives in place to induce management to succeed and to act in concert with our interests as investors, including having significant equity interests. In addition, we focus our investments in companies backed by strong financial sponsors that have a history of creating value and with whom members of our investment adviser have an established relationship.
Strong and defensible competitive market position in industry
We seek to invest in target companies that have developed leading market positions within their respective markets and are well positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities. We also seek companies that demonstrate significant competitive advantages versus their competitors, which should help to protect their market position and profitability.
Viable exit strategy
We seek to invest in companies that we believe will provide a steady stream of cash flow to repay our loans and reinvest in their respective businesses. We expect that such internally generated cash flow, leading to the payment of interest on, and the repayment of the principal of, our investments in portfolio companies to be a key means by which we exit from our investments over time. In addition, we also seek to invest in companies whose business models and expected future cash flows offer attractive exit possibilities. These companies include candidates for strategic acquisition by other industry participants and companies that may repay our investments through an initial public offering of common stock or another capital market transaction.
Due Diligence
We believe it is critical to conduct extensive due diligence on investment targets and in evaluating new investments. We, through our Investment Adviser, conduct a rigorous due diligence process that is applied to prospective portfolio companies that draws from our Investment Advisers experience, industry expertise and network of contacts. In conducting due diligence, our Investment Adviser uses publicly available information as well as information from its relationships with former and current management teams, consultants, competitors and investment bankers.
Our due diligence typically includes:
| review of historical and prospective financial information; |
| on-site visits; |
| interviews with management, employees, customers and vendors of the potential portfolio company; |
| review of loan documents; |
| background checks; and |
| research relating to the companys management, industry, markets, products and services and competitors. |
Upon the completion of due diligence and a decision to proceed with an investment in a company, the principals leading the investment present the investment opportunity to our Investment Advisers investment committee. This committee determines whether to pursue the potential investment. All new investments are required to be reviewed by the investment committee of our Investment Adviser, which currently consists of Messrs. Penn, Chang, Giannetti and Williams, subject to final approval by Mr. Penn. As our Investment Adviser adds senior investment professionals, our investment adviser may add them to its investment committee. The members of our investment committee receive no compensation from us. These members are employees of our Investment Adviser and receive compensation from our Investment Adviser.
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Additional due diligence with respect to any investment may be conducted on our behalf by attorneys and independent auditors prior to the closing of the investment, as well as other outside advisers, as appropriate.
Investment Structure
Once we determine that a prospective portfolio company is suitable for investment, we work with the management of that company and its other capital providers, including senior, junior, and equity capital providers, to structure an investment. We negotiate among these parties to agree on how our investment is expected to perform relative to the other capital in the portfolio companys capital structure.
We expect our senior secured loans to have terms of three to ten years. We generally obtain security interests in the assets of our portfolio companies that will serve as collateral in support of the repayment of these loans. This collateral may take the form of first or second priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company.
Mezzanine debt typically has interest-only payments in the early years, with amortization of principal deferred to the later years of the mezzanine debt. In some cases, we may enter into mezzanine debt that, by its terms, converts into equity or additional debt securities or defer payments of interest for the first few years after our investment. Also, in some cases our mezzanine debt may be collateralized by a subordinated lien on some or all of the assets of the borrower. Typically, our mezzanine debt has maturities of three to ten years.
In the case of our mezzanine debt and senior secured loan investments, we seek to tailor the terms of the investment to the facts and circumstances of the transaction and the prospective portfolio company, negotiating a structure that protects our rights and manages our risk while creating incentives for the portfolio company to achieve its business plan and improve its profitability. For example, in addition to seeking a senior position in the capital structure of our portfolio companies, we seek to limit the downside potential of our investments by:
| requiring a total return on our investments (including both interest and potential equity appreciation) that compensates us for credit risk; |
| incorporating put rights and call protection into the investment structure; and |
| negotiating covenants in connection with our investments that afford our portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their businesses as possible, consistent with preservation of our capital. Such restrictions may include affirmative and negative covenants, default penalties, lien protection, change of control provisions and board rights, including either observation or participation rights. |
Our investments may include equity features, such as direct investments in the equity securities of borrowers or warrants or options to buy a minority interest in a portfolio company. Any warrants we may receive with our debt securities generally require only a nominal cost to exercise, so as a portfolio company appreciates in value, we may achieve additional investment return from these equity investments. We may structure the warrants to provide provisions protecting our rights as a minority-interest holder, as well as puts, or rights to sell such securities back to the company, upon the occurrence of specified events. In many cases, we may also obtain registration rights in connection with these equity investments, which may include demand and piggyback registration rights.
We expect to hold most of our investments to maturity or repayment, but may sell certain investments earlier if a liquidity event takes place, such as the sale or recapitalization of a portfolio company.
Ongoing Relationships with Portfolio Companies
Monitoring
The Investment Adviser monitors our portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. The Investment Adviser monitors the financial trends of each portfolio company to determine if they are meeting their respective business plans and to assess the appropriate course of action for each company.
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The Investment Adviser has several methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance and fair value of our investments, which may include the following:
| Assessment of success in adhering to portfolio companys business plan and compliance with covenants; |
| Periodic and regular contact with portfolio company management and, if appropriate, the financial or strategic sponsor, to discuss financial position, requirements and accomplishments; |
| Comparisons to other PennantPark Investment portfolio companies in the industry, if any; |
| Attendance at and participation in board meetings; and |
| Review of monthly and quarterly financial statements and financial projections for portfolio companies. |
Valuation Process
The following is a description of the steps we take each quarter to determine the value of our portfolio. All of our investments are recorded using broker/dealers quotes, or at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. Our board of directors generally uses market quotations to assess the value of our investments for which market quotations are readily available. We obtain these market values from an independent pricing service or at the bid prices obtained from at least two broker/dealers if available, otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer. If the board of directors has a bona fide reason to believe any such market quote does not reflect the fair value of an investment, it may independently value such investment by using the valuation procedure that it uses with respect to assets for which market quotations are not readily available. With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available or are readily available but believed to not reflect the value of an investment, our board of directors undertakes a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:
| Our quarterly valuation process begins with each portfolio company or investment being initially valued by the investment professionals of our Investment Adviser responsible for the portfolio investment; |
| Preliminary valuation conclusions are then documented and discussed with the management of our Investment Adviser; |
| Our board of directors also engages one or more independent valuation firms to conduct independent appraisals of our investments for which market quotations are not readily available or are readily available but believed to not reflect the value of an investment. The independent valuation firm reviews managements preliminary valuations in light of its own independent assessment; |
| The audit committee of our board of directors reviews the preliminary valuations of our Investment Adviser and that of the independent valuation firms and responds and supplements the valuation recommendations of the independent valuation firms to reflect any comments; and |
| The board of directors discusses the valuations and determines the fair value of each investment in our portfolio in good faith based on the input of our Investment Adviser, the independent valuation firms and the audit committee. |
When we make investments that involve deferrals of interest payable to us, any increase in the value of the investment due to the accrual or receipt of payment of interest is allocated to the increase in the cost basis of the investment, rather than to capital appreciation or gain.
It is possible that future events unforeseen by us or our Investment Adviser, such as a disturbance in the global credit markets, a severe decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, a sharp economic downturn or other general market disturbance, will negatively impact the market for leveraged finance instruments. If the market for our investments is substantially eroded, we may not find purchasers for our portfolio securities at all, or we may be able to sell them only for a fraction of their previously recorded value. During such times, our board of directors, in conjunction with our Investment Adviser and one or more independent valuation firms will continue
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to determine the fair value of our investments in accordance with our valuation process enumerated above. They will take into account the applicable market conditions, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio companys ability to make payments, its earnings and cash flows, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to publicly traded companies and other relevant factors. 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.
Managerial Assistance
As a business development company, we offer, and must provide upon request, managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies. This assistance could involve monitoring the operations of our portfolio companies, participating in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising officers of portfolio companies and providing other organizational and financial guidance. Our Administrator provides such managerial assistance on our behalf to portfolio companies that request this assistance. We have not received any fees for such services since inception.
Staffing
We do not currently have any employees. Mr. Penn, our Chief Executive Officer, is the Managing Member of our Investment Adviser. Our Investment Adviser currently has four senior investment professionals, Messrs. Chang, Giannetti, Penn and Williams. In addition, Mr. Efrat, our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, is a Managing Director of our Administrator, and Mr. Hardin is our Chief Compliance Officer. Our Administrator and our Investment Adviser have hired and expect to continue to hire professionals with skills applicable to our business plan, including experience in middle-market investing, leveraged finance and capital markets.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
PennantPark Investment has entered into an Investment Management Agreement with the Investment Adviser under which the Investment Adviser, subject to the overall supervision of PennantPark Investments board of directors, manages the day-to-day operations of and provides investment advisory services to, PennantPark Investment. Under the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, PennantPark Investment Advisers:
| determines the composition of our portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to our portfolio and the manner of implementing such changes; |
| identifies, evaluates and negotiates the structure of the investments we make (including performing due diligence on our prospective portfolio companies); and |
| closes and monitors the investments we make. |
PennantPark Investment Advisers services under the Investment Management Agreement are not exclusive, and it is free to furnish similar services to other entities so long as its services to us are not impaired. The Investment Adviser has not yet undertaken any such services, but may do so at any time and without the prior approval of our stockholders or our board of directors. Our board of directors would monitor any potential conflicts that may arise upon such a development. For providing these services, the Investment Adviser receives a fee from PennantPark Investment, consisting of two componentsa base management fee and an incentive fee (collectively, Management Fees).
Investment Advisory Fees
The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% of our gross assets (net of U.S. Treasury Bills (adjusted gross assets)). Although the base management fee is 2.00% of our adjusted gross assets, the Investment Adviser waived a portion of the base management fee such that the base management fee equaled 1.50% from the consummation of the initial public offering through September 30, 2007. The base management fee is 1.75% from October 1, 2007 through March 31, 2008, and 2.00% thereafter. For services rendered under
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the Investment Management Agreement during the period commencing from the closing of the initial public offering through and including September 30, 2007, the base management fee was payable monthly in arrears. For services rendered under the Investment Management Agreement after September 30, 2007, the base management fee is payable quarterly in arrears. For the first quarter of our operations, the base management fee was calculated based on the initial value of our gross assets. Subsequently, the base management fee is calculated based on the average value of our adjusted gross assets at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters, and appropriately adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the current calendar quarter. Base investment advisory fees for any partial month or quarter are appropriately pro rated.
The incentive fee has two parts, as follows:
One part is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income for the immediately preceding calendar quarter. For this purpose, Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income means interest income, distribution 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 that we receive from portfolio companies) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus our operating expenses for the quarter (including the base management fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement, and any interest expense and distributions paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee). Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with pay in kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, will be compared to a Hurdle of 1.75% per quarter (7.00% annualized). Our net investment income used to calculate this part of the incentive fee is also included in the amount of our adjusted gross assets used to calculate the 2.00% base management fee. We have agreed to pay PennantPark Investment Advisers an incentive fee with respect to our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income in each calendar quarter as follows:
| no incentive fee in any calendar quarter in which our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income does not exceed the Hurdle of 1.75%; |
| 100% of our 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 but is less than 2.1875% in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized). We refer to this portion of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income (which exceeds the Hurdle but is less than 2.1875%) as the catch-up. The catch-up is meant to provide our investment adviser with 20% of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income as if a Hurdle did not apply if this net investment income exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter; and |
| 20% of the amount of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, if any, that exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized) is payable to our investment adviser (once the Hurdle is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 20% of all Pre-Incentive Fee Investment Income thereafter is allocated to our investment adviser). These calculations are appropriately pro rated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the current quarter. |
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 advisory and management agreement, as of the termination date), commencing on December 31, 2007, and will equal 20.0% of our realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gain incentive fees. However, the incentive fee determined as of December 31, 2007 will be calculated for a period of shorter than twelve calendar months to take into account any realized capital gains computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation from inception. For the period ended September 30, 2007 PennantPark Investment paid PennantPark Investment Advisers a Management Fee of $1.9 million after a fee rebate.
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Examples of Quarterly Incentive Fee Calculation
Example 1: Income Related Portion of Incentive Fee (*):
Alternative 1
Assumptions
Investment income (including interest, distributions, fees, etc.) = 1.25%
Hurdle(1) = 1.75%
Base management fee(2) = 0.50%
Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(3) = 0.20%
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income
(investment income(base management fee + other expenses)) = 0.55%
Pre-incentive net investment income does not exceed Hurdle; therefore there is no incentive fee.
Alternative 2
Assumptions
Investment income (including interest, distributions, fees, etc.) = 2.70%
Hurdle(1) = 1.75%
Base management fee(2) = 0.50%
Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(3) = 0.20%
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income
(investment income(base management fee + other expenses)) = 2.00%
Incentive fee | = 20% x Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, subject to catch-up | |
= 2.00% - 1.75% | ||
= 0.25% | ||
= 100% x 0.25% | ||
= 0.25% |
Alternative 3
Assumptions
Investment income (including interest, distributions, fees, etc.) = 3.00%
Hurdle(1) = 1.75%
Base management fee(2) = 0.50%
Other expenses (legal, accounting, custodian, transfer agent, etc.)(3) = 0.20%
Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income
(investment income(base management fee + other expenses)) = 2.30%
Incentive fee = 20% x Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, subject to catch-up
Incentive fee = 100% x catch-up + (20% x (Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income - 2.1875%))
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Catch-up = 2.1875% - 1.75%
= 0.4375%
= (100% x 0.4375%) + (20% x (2.3% - 2.1875%))
=0.4375% + (20% x 0.1125%)
= 0.4375% + 0.0225%
= 0.46%
Example 2: Capital Gains Portion of Incentive Fee:
Assumptions
Year 1 = no net realized capital gains or losses
Year 2 = 6% net realized capital gains and 1% realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation Capital gain incentive fee = 20% x (realized capital gains for year computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation at year end)
Management
Year 1 incentive fee |
= 20% x (0) | |
= 0 | ||
= no incentive fee | ||
Year 2 incentive fee |
= 20% x (6% - 1%) | |
= 20% x 5% | ||
= 1% |
(*) | The hypothetical amount of Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income shown is based on a percentage of total net assets. |
(1) | Represents 7.0% annualized Hurdle. |
(2) | Represents 2.0% annualized base management fee. Although the management fee will be 2.00% of our adjusted gross assets, the Investment Adviser has agreed to waive a portion of the base management fee such that the base management fee will equal 1.50% from the consummation of the initial public offering through September 30, 2007, 1.75% from October 1, 2007 through March 31, 2008, and 2.00% thereafter. |
(3) | Excludes organizational and offering expenses. |
Duration and Termination
The Investment Management Agreement was approved by our board of directors, including a majority of our directors who are not interested persons of PennantPark Investment, on February 13, 2007. Unless terminated earlier as described below, the Investment Management Agreement will continue in effect for a period of two years from its execution date. It will remain in effect from year to year thereafter if approved annually by our board of directors, or by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities, including, in either case, approval by a majority of our directors who are not interested persons. The Investment Management Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Investment Management Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty upon not more than 60 days written notice to the other. See Risk factors-Risks relating to our business and structureWe are dependent upon PennantPark Investment Advisers key personnel for our future success, and if we are unable to hire and retain qualified personnel or if we lose any member of our management team, our ability to achieve our investment objectives could be significantly harmed.
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Indemnification
Our 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, PennantPark Investment Advisers and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from PennantPark Investment for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of PennantPark Investment Advisers services under each respective agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of PennantPark Investment.
Organization of the Investment Adviser
PennantPark Investment Advisers is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act of 1940. The principal executive offices of PennantPark Investment Advisers are located at 590 Madison Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10022.
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, the Administrator furnishes us with office facilities, equipment and clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities. Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator performs, or oversees the performance of, our required administrative services, which include, among other things, being responsible for the financial records which we are required to maintain and preparing reports to our stockholders and reports filed with the SEC. In addition, the Administrator assists us in determining and publishing our net asset value, oversees the preparation and filing of our tax returns and the printing and dissemination of reports to our stockholders, and generally oversees the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. Payments under the Administration Agreement are equal to an amount based upon our allocable portion of the Administrators overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the cost of compensation and related expenses of our Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and their respective staffs. Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides on our behalf managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which we are required to provide such assistance. The Administration Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty upon 60 days written notice to the other party. To the extent that our Administrator outsources any of its functions, we will pay the fees associated with such functions on a direct basis without profit to the Administrator.
Indemnification
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, PennantPark Investment Administration and its officers, manager, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from PennantPark Investment for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of PennantPark Investment Administrations services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as administrator for PennantPark Investment.
LICENSE AGREEMENT
We have entered into the License Agreement with PennantPark Investment Advisers pursuant to which PennantPark Investment Advisers has granted us a royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use the name PennantPark. Under this agreement, we have a right to use the PennantPark name, for so long as PennantPark Investment Advisers or one of its affiliates remains our investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, we have no legal right to the PennantPark name.
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REGULATORY STRUCTURE
General
As a business development company, we are regulated by portions of the 1940 Act and may be examined by the SEC. We are organized for the purpose of investing in or lending to primarily private companies and making managerial assistance available to them. We provide our stockholders the ability to retain the liquidity of a publicly traded stock, while sharing in the benefits, if any, of investing in middle-market privately owned companies.
We may not change the nature of our business as a business development company unless authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities. We do not anticipate any substantial change in the nature of our business. We note that any affiliated investment vehicle formed in the future and managed by our Investment Adviser may, notwithstanding different stated investment objectives, have overlapping investment objectives with our own and, accordingly, may invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by us. If our Investment Adviser undertakes to manage a new fund in the future, we will not invest in any portfolio company in which that fund has a pre-existing investment, although we may co-invest with such affiliate on a concurrent basis, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and our allocation procedures.
As a business development company, we must adhere to certain substantive regulatory requirements. A majority of our directors must be persons who are not interested persons, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. Additionally, we are required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect the business development company. Moreover, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such persons office.
We also are required to hold certain qualifying assets and meet a coverage ratio of the value of our total assets to total senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200%. We may also be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC. See Risk Factors-Risks relating to our Business and Structure-Regulations governing our operation as a business development company will affect our ability to, and the way in which we raise additional capital.
Qualifying Assets
As a business development company, we may not acquire any asset other than qualifying assets unless; at the time we make the acquisition, the value of our qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the value of our total assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are:
| Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering, the issuer of which is an eligible portfolio company, as that term is defined in the 1940 act; |
| Securities received in exchange for or distributed with respect to securities described above or pursuant to the exercise of options, warrants or rights relating to such securities; and |
| Cash, cash items, government securities or high quality debt securities (within the meaning of the 1940 Act), maturing in one year or less from the time of investment. |
Code of Ethics
As required by the 1940 Act, we maintain a code of ethics that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain transactions by our personnel. Our code of ethics generally does not permit investments by our employees in securities that may be purchased or held by us. You may read a copy of our code of ethics on our website at http://www.pennantpark.com.
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Privacy Principles
We are committed to maintaining the privacy of our stockholders and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. Our privacy policy is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this report on Form 10-K. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information we collect, how we protect that information and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select other parties.
Generally, we do not receive any non-public personal information relating to our stockholders, although certain non-public personal information of our stockholders may become available to us. We do not disclose any non-public personal information about our current or former stockholders to anyone, except as permitted by law or as is necessary in order to service stockholder accounts (for example, to a transfer agent or third party administrator).
We restrict access to non-public personal information about our stockholders to employees of our investment adviser and its affiliates with a legitimate business need for the information. We will maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed to protect the non-public personal information of our stockholders. You may read a copy of our code of ethics on our website at http://www.pennantpark.com.
Compliance Policies and Procedures
We and our Investment Adviser have adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws, and we review these compliance policies and procedures annually to ensure our continued compliance with the federal securities laws. Our Chief Compliance Officer, Matthew Hardin, is responsible for administering the policies and procedures.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 imposes a wide variety of new regulatory requirements on publicly held companies and their insiders. Many of these requirements will affect us. For example:
| pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer must certify the accuracy of the financial statements contained in our periodic reports; |
| pursuant to Item 307 of Regulation S-K, our periodic reports must disclose our conclusions about the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures; |
| pursuant to Item 308 of Regulation S-K and Rule 13a-15 of the 1934 Act, our periodic reports must disclose whether there were significant changes in our internal controls over financial reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the date of their evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. |
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires us to review our current policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and will take all actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance with that Act.
Election to be taxed as a RIC
We have elected to be treated, and intend to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. For a short period ending April 30, 2007, we were not a RIC and were subject to corporate-level income tax. To maintain RIC tax benefits, we must, among other requirements, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). We also must distribute at least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, out of the assets legally available for distribution. In order to avoid certain excise taxes imposed on RICs, we currently intend to
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distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98% of our capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year and (3) any ordinary income and net capital gains for preceding years that were not distributed during such years. In addition, although we currently intend to distribute realized net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of short-term capital losses), if any, at least annually, out of the assets legally available for such distributions, we may in the future decide to retain such capital gains for investment.
In order to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes, we must:
| qualify to be treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year; |
| derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from distributions, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale of stock or other securities, net income from certain qualified publicly traded partnerships or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock or securities (the 90% Income Test); and |
| diversify our holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year: |
| at least 50% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of our assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; and |
| no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in the securities, other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer or of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable tax rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or in certain qualified publicly traded partnerships (the Diversification Tests). |
Failure to qualify as a RIC
If we were unable to qualify for treatment as a RIC, we would be subject to tax on all of our taxable income at regular corporate rates. We would not be able to deduct distributions to stockholders, nor would they be required to be made. Distributions would generally be taxable to our stockholders as ordinary distribution income eligible for the 15% maximum rate to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate distributees would be eligible for the distributions received deduction. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the stockholders tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. See Risk Factors-Risks Relating to our Business and Structure-We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC.
Item 1A. | Risk Factors |
An investment in our shares involves substantial risks relating to our structure and investment objectives, including those described below. The risks set out below are not the only risks we face. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value and the trading price of our common stock could decline significantly, and our investors may lose all or part of their investment.
RISKS RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS AND STRUCTURE
We have a limited operating history.
We were incorporated in January 2007. We are subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business, including the risk that we will not achieve our investment objectives and that
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the value of our common stock could decline substantially. Although we have used, and will continue to use, the proceeds of our initial public offering and of our credit facility, we anticipate that it will take us up to two years from the date of our initial public offering to invest all of our assets in accordance with our investment objectives. Any distributions we make during such period may be substantially lower than the distributions that we expect to pay when our portfolio is fully invested.
We are dependent upon our Investment Advisers key personnel for our future success, and if we or our Investment Adviser is unable to hire and retain qualified personnel or if we lose any member of our management team, our ability to achieve our investment objectives could be significantly harmed.
We depend on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the investment professionals of our Investment Adviser. We also depend, to a significant extent, on PennantPark Investment Advisers access to the investment information and deal flow generated by these investment professionals and any others that may be hired by PennantPark Investment Advisers. Mr. Penn and other managers of our Investment Adviser evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor our investments. Our future success depends on the continued service of Mr. Penn and other management personnel of our Investment Adviser. The departure of Mr. Penn or any other managers of PennantPark Investment Advisers could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objectives. In addition, we can offer no assurance that PennantPark Investment Advisers will remain our investment adviser.
PennantPark Investment Advisers and its management have limited experience managing a business development company.
The 1940 Act imposes numerous constraints on the operations of business development companies. For example, business development companies are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of private or thinly traded U.S. public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. These constraints may hinder our Investment Advisers ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objectives. While Mr. Penn, our Chief Executive Officer and the Managing Member of our Investment Adviser, has approximately two and one-half years of experience managing the investments of another business development company, such experience may not translate directly into his roles acting on our behalf. This is also true of the other investment professionals of our Investment Adviser. In addition, the investment philosophy and techniques used by our Investment Adviser may differ from those other investment companies. Accordingly, we can offer no assurance that PennantPark Investment will replicate the historical performance of other investment companies with which Mr. Penn or our other investment professionals have been affiliated, and we caution that our investment returns could be substantially lower than the returns achieved by such other companies.
Our financial condition and results of operation will depend on our ability to manage future growth effectively.
Our ability to achieve our investment objectives will depend on our ability to grow, which will depend, in turn, on our Investment Advisers ability to identify, invest in and monitor companies that meet our investment criteria. Accomplishing this result on a cost-effective basis will be largely a function of our Investment Advisers structuring of the investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services to us and our access to financing on acceptable terms. The management team of PennantPark Investment Advisers will have substantial responsibilities under the investment advisory and management agreement. In order to grow, we and our Investment Adviser will need to hire, train, supervise and manage new employees. However, we can offer no assurance that any such employees will contribute effectively to the work of the Investment Adviser, and caution you that they may also be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies as the principals of our Administrator. Such demands on their time may distract them or slow our rate of investment. Any failure to manage our future growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.
A number of entities compete with us to make the types of investments that we make in middle-market companies. We compete with public and private funds, including other business development companies, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Additionally, because competition for investment opportunities generally has increased among alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, those entities have begun to invest in areas they have not traditionally invested in, including making investments in middle- market companies. As a result of these new entrants, competition for investment opportunities at middle-market companies has intensified, and we expect the trend to continue. Most of our potential competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, we believe some competitors have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors 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 will impose on us as a business development company. We cannot offer any assurances that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, as a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time, and we can offer no assurance that we will be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives.
Entrants in our industry compete on several factors, including price, flexibility in transaction structuring, customer service, reputation, market knowledge and speed in decision-making. We do not seek to compete primarily based on the interest rates we offer, and we believe that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that are lower than the rates we offer. We may lose 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 and increased risk of credit loss.
Any failure on our part to maintain our status as a business development company would reduce our operating flexibility.
If we do not remain a business development company, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would subject us to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act and correspondingly decrease our operating flexibility.
We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC.
To qualify as a RIC under the Code, we must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. The annual distribution requirement for a RIC is satisfied if we distribute at least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, to our stockholders on an annual basis. To the extent we use debt financing, we are subject 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. To qualify as a RIC, we must also meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each calendar quarter. Failure to meet these tests may result in having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments are in private companies, 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 distribution and the amount of our distributions. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on us and our stockholders.
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We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.
For federal income tax purposes, we will include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as original issue discount or contracted payment-in-kind, or PIK, interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such original issue discount, which could be significant relative to our overall investment assets, and increases in loan balances as a result of contracted PIK interest 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.
The part of the incentive fee payable by us that relates to our net investment income will be computed and paid on income that may include interest that has been accrued but not yet received in cash. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that is structured to provide accrued interest, it is possible that accrued interest previously used in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible.
In some cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the tax requirement to distribute at least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, to obtain RIC tax benefits. Accordingly, 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 cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax benefits and thus be subject to corporate level income tax.
Regulations governing our operation as a business development company will affect our ability to, and the way in which we raise additional capital.
We may issue debt securities, 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 business development company to issue senior securities only in amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our leverage, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous.
Generally we are not able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, sell our common stock, at a price below the current net asset value of the common stock, or sell warrants, options or rights to acquire such common stock, at a price below the current net asset value of the common stock. To do this, our board of directors must determine that such sale is in the best interests of PennantPark Investment and our stockholders, and our stockholders must approve PennantPark Investments policy and practice of making such sales. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price which, in the determination of our board of directors, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount).
In addition to issuing securities to raise capital as described above, we may in the future seek to securitize our loans to generate cash for funding new investments. To securitize loans, we may create a wholly owned subsidiary and contribute a pool of loans to the subsidiary. This could include the sale of interests in the subsidiary on a non-recourse basis to purchasers who we would expect to be willing to accept a lower interest rate to invest in investment grade loan pools, and we would retain a portion of the equity in any such securitized pool of loans. An inability to successfully securitize our loan portfolio could limit our ability to grow our business, fully execute our business strategy and decrease our earnings, if any. Moreover, the successful securitization of our loan portfolio might expose us to losses as the residual loans in which we do not sell interests will tend to be those that are riskier and more apt to generate losses.
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We currently use borrowed funds to make investments and are exposed to the typical risks associated with leverage.
Because we borrow funds to make investments we are exposed to increased risk of loss due to our use of debt to make investments. A decrease in the value of our investments will have a greater negative impact on the value of our common stock than it would if we did not use debt. Our ability to pay distributions is restricted when our asset coverage ratio is not at least 200% and any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness is not available for distributions to our common stockholders.
Our current and future debt is governed by the terms of the credit facility, and by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. We, and indirectly our stockholders, bear the cost of issuing and servicing debt. Any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common stock.
We fund a portion of our investments with borrowed money, which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.
Borrowings, also known as leverage, magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and therefore, increase the risks associated with investing in our securities. We entered into a credit agreement in June 2007 with institutional banks and other lenders to facilitate such borrowing, with a total commitment under the credit agreement of $300 million. Our lenders have fixed dollar claims on our consolidated assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders. If the value of our consolidated assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged. Conversely, if the value of our consolidated assets decreases, leveraging would cause the net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any increase in our consolidated income in excess of consolidated interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net income to increase more than it would without the leverage, while any decrease in our consolidated income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make common stock dividend payments. The overall leveraged finance credit market experienced a substantial downturn during the summer of 2007, and this resulted in unrealized depreciation on some of our existing assets. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique.
In addition, the costs associated with our borrowings, including any increase in the management fee payable to our Investment Adviser, will be borne by our common stockholders.
Changes in interest rates may affect our cost of capital and net investment income.
Since we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income depends, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest those funds. 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 the period since June 25, 2007, when we executed our credit facility, the applicable LIBOR rate has decreased from 5.32% to 5.12% at September 30, 2007. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds will increase, which could reduce our net investment income. We may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. These techniques may include various interest rate hedging activities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. These activities may limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to the hedged portfolio. Adverse developments resulting from changes in interest rates or hedging transactions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, we have limited experience in entering into hedging transactions, and we will initially have to purchase or develop such expertise.
A rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to our Investment Adviser with respect to Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income. See Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
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We will need to raise additional capital to grow because we must distribute most of our income.
We may need additional capital to fund the growth of our investments. We have issued equity securities and have borrowed from financial institutions. A reduction in the availability of new capital could limit our ability to grow. We will be required to distribute at least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, to our stockholders to maintain our RIC status. As a result, these earnings will not be available to fund new investments. If we fail to obtain additional capital to fund our investments, this could limit our ability to grow, which may have an adverse effect on the value of our securities.
In addition, as a business development company, we are generally required to maintain a ratio of at least 200% of total assets to total borrowings, which may restrict our ability to borrow in certain circumstances.
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.
We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including the interest rate payable on the debt securities we acquire, the default rate on such securities, the level of our expenses, variations in, and the timing of the recognition of, realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.
Our borrowers may default on their payments, which may have a negative effect on our financial performance.
We make long-term, subordinated loans and invest in equity investments, which may involve a high degree of repayment risk. We invest in companies that may have limited financial resources, may be highly leveraged and may be unable to obtain financing from traditional sources. Numerous factors may affect a borrowers ability to repay its loan, including the failure to meet its business plan, a downturn in its industry, or negative economic conditions. A portfolio companys failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans or foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross defaults under other agreements and jeopardize our portfolio companys ability to meet its obligations under the loans or debt securities that we hold. In addition, our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks senior to or equally with our securities. This means that payments on such senior-ranking securities may have to be made before we receive any payments on our subordinated loans or debt securities. Deterioration in a borrowers financial condition and prospects may be accompanied by deterioration in any related collateral and may have a negative effect on our financial results.
There are significant potential conflicts of interest which could impact our investment returns.
The partners of our Investment Adviser may serve as officers, directors or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do or of investment funds managed by affiliates of PennantPark Investment that may be formed in the future. The Investment Adviser has not yet undertaken any such services, but may do so at any time and without the prior approval of our stockholders or our board of directors. Our board of directors would monitor any potential conflict that may arise upon such a development. Accordingly, if this occurs, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders.
In the course of our investing activities, we will pay investment advisory and incentive fees to our Investment Adviser, and will reimburse our Investment Adviser for certain expenses it incurs. As a result, investors in our common stock will invest on a gross basis and receive distributions on a net basis after expenses, resulting in a lower rate of return than an investor might achieve through direct investments. Accordingly, there may be times when the management team of the Investment Adviser has interests that differ from those of our stockholders, giving rise to a conflict.
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The Investment Adviser may receive a quarterly incentive fee based, in part, on our pre-incentive fee income, if any, for the immediately preceding calendar quarter. This incentive fee is subject to a quarterly hurdle rate before providing an incentive fee return to the Investment Adviser. To the extent we or the Investment Adviser are able to exert influence over our portfolio companies, the quarterly pre-incentive fee may provide PennantPark Investment Advisers with an incentive to induce our portfolio companies to accelerate or defer interest or other obligations owed to us from one calendar quarter to another.
We have entered into the License Agreement with PennantPark Investment Advisers, pursuant to which our Investment Adviser has agreed to grant us a royalty-free non-exclusive license to use the name PennantPark. Under the License Agreement, we will have the right to use the PennantPark name for so long as the Investment Adviser or one of its affiliates remains our investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, we will have no legal right to the PennantPark name. In addition, we pay PennantPark Investment Administration, an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by PennantPark Investment Administration in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the cost of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and their respective staffs. These arrangements may create conflicts of interest that our board of directors must monitor.
Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business.
We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation by laws at the local, state and federal levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may be changed from time to time. Accordingly, any change in these laws or regulations could have a material adverse affect on our business.
Our board of directors may change our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.
Our board of directors has the authority to modify or waive certain of our operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval (except as required by the 1940 Act). However, absent stockholder approval, we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a business development company. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and value of our stock. Nevertheless, the effects may adversely affect our business and impact our ability to make distributions.
RISKS RELATING TO THE ILLIQUID NATURE OF OUR PORTFOLIO ASSETS
All of our investments are recorded using broker/dealers quotes, or at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. As a result, there will be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments. We expect that a large percentage of our portfolio investments will be in the form of securities that have no broker/dealers quotes. The fair value of such securities may not be readily determinable. We value these securities quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors.
At September 30, 2007, most of our portfolio assets were recorded using broker/dealers quotes. As we invest a greater percentage of our total assets in core assets, more of our portfolio assets will be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. Our board of directors uses the services of one or more nationally recognized independent valuation firms to aid it in determining the fair value of these securities. The factors that may be considered in fair value pricing of our investments include the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio companys ability to make payments and its earnings and cash flows, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to publicly traded companies and other relevant factors. Because valuations 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 securities existed. Additionally, valuations of private securities and private companies are inherently
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uncertain. Our net asset value 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 securities.
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. In determining fair value in good faith, we generally obtain financial and other information from portfolio companies, which may represent unaudited, projected or pro forma financial information. Unlike banks, we are not permitted to provide a general reserve for anticipated loan losses; we are instead required by the 1940 Act to specifically value each individual investment on a quarterly basis and record unrealized depreciation for an investment that we believe has become impaired, including where collection of a loan or realization of an equity investment is doubtful, or when the enterprise value of the portfolio company does not currently support the cost of our debt or equity investment. Enterprise value means the entire value of the company to a potential buyer, including the sum of the values of debt and equity investments used to capitalize the enterprise at a point in time. We will record unrealized appreciation if we believe that the underlying portfolio company has appreciated in value. Without a readily available market value and because of the inherent uncertainty of valuation, the fair value of our investments determined in good faith by the board of directors may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for the investments, and the differences could be material. Our net asset value could be affected if our determination of the fair value of our investments is materially different than the value that we ultimately realize.
We adjust quarterly the valuation of our portfolio to reflect our board of directors determination of 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.
The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.
We may acquire our core investments directly from the issuer in privately negotiated transactions. Substantially all of these securities are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than publicly traded securities. We typically exit our investments when the portfolio company has a liquidity event such as a sale, recapitalization, or initial public offering of the company.
The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult or impossible for us to sell such investments if the need arises, particularly if investor appetite for the securities of private middle-market companies substantially diminishes. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we have previously recorded our investments. In addition, we may face other restrictions on our ability to liquidate an investment in a portfolio company to the extent that we have material non-public information regarding such portfolio company.
Securities purchased by us that are liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid due to events relating to the issuer of the securities, markets events, economic conditions or investor perceptions. Domestic and foreign markets are complex and interrelated, so that events in one sector of the world markets or economy, or in one geographical region, can reverberate and have materially negative consequences for other market, economic or regional sectors in a manner that may not be foreseen.
A general disruption in the credit markets could materially damage our business.
We are susceptible to the risk of significant loss if we are forced to discount the value of our investments in order to provide liquidity to meet our liability maturities. Our borrowings under our credit facility are collateralized by the assets in our investment portfolio. A general disruption in the credit markets could result in a diminished appetite for our securities. In addition, with respect to over-the-counter traded securities, the continued viability of any over-the-counter secondary market depends on the continued willingness of dealers and other participants to purchase the securities.
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If the fair value of our assets declines substantially, we may fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act, which could, in turn, cause us to lose our status as a business development company and materially impair our business operations. Our liquidity could be impaired further by an inability to access the capital markets or to draw down our credit facility. These situations may arise due to circumstances that we may be unable to control, such as a general disruption in the credit markets, a severe decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, a sharp economic downturn or an operational problem that affects third parties or us, and could materially damage our business.
We rely in part on our senior secured securities to provide us with adequate liquidity, but even these securities may become illiquid.
Even liquid securities, particularly debt securities and other over-the-counter traded securities may become illiquid, as the viability of any over-the-counter secondary market depends on the continued willingness of dealers and other participants to purchase the securities.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR INVESTMENTS
Our investments in prospective portfolio companies may be risky, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
We intend to invest primarily in mezzanine debt and selected equity investments issued by U.S. middle-market companies.
Senior Secured Loans: When we extend senior secured loans, we will generally take a security interest in the available assets of these portfolio companies, including the equity interests of their subsidiaries, although this will not always be the case. We expect this security interest, if any, to help mitigate the risk that we will not be repaid. However, there is a risk that the collateral securing our loans may decrease in value over time, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of the portfolio company to raise additional capital. Also, in some circumstances, our lien could be subordinated to claims of other creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio companys financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the loan. Consequently, the fact that a loan is secured does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the loans terms, or at all, or that we will be able to collect on the loan should we be forced to enforce our remedies.
Mezzanine Debt: Our mezzanine debt investments will generally be subordinated to senior secured loans and will generally be unsecured. This may result in an above average amount of risk and volatility or a loss of principal.
These investments may involve additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns. To the extent interest payments associated with such debt are deferred, such debt may be subject to greater fluctuations in valuations, and such debt could subject us and our stockholders to non-cash income. Since we will not receive any cash prior to the maturity of some of our mezzanine debt investment, such investments will be of greater risk than amortizing loans.
Equity Investments: We have made and expect to continue to make selected equity investments. In addition, when we invest in senior secured loans or mezzanine debt, we may acquire warrants to purchase equity investments from time to time. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of these equity investments and realize gains upon our disposition of such interests. However, the equity investments 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 investments, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity investments may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.
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In addition, investing in middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks, including:
| these companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of us realizing any guarantees we may have obtained in connection with our investment; |
| 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 changing market conditions, as well as general economic downturns; |
| they 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 our portfolio company and, in turn, on us; |
| 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. In addition, our executive officers, directors and our investment adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in the portfolio companies; 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. |
We may not realize gains from our equity investments.
When we invest in mezzanine debt or senior secured loans, we may also acquire equity investments of the borrower or acquire warrant or other equity securities as well. In addition, we may invest directly in the equity investments of portfolio companies. 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.
If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could fail to qualify as a business development company or be precluded from investing according to our current business strategy.
As a business development company, we may not acquire any assets other than qualifying assets unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets. See Regulation.
We believe that most of our senior secured loans and mezzanine debt investments will constitute as qualifying assets. However, we may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could lose our status as a business development company, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, these rules could prevent us from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position) or could require us to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to comply with the 1940 Act. If we need to dispose of such investments quickly, it would be difficult to dispose of such investments on favorable terms. For example, we may have difficulty in finding a buyer and, even if we do find a buyer, we may have to sell the investments at a substantial loss.
We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we are not limited with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in securities of a single issuer.
We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in
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securities of a single issuer. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, our net asset value may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the markets assessment of the issuer. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Beyond our income tax diversification requirements, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our investments could be concentrated in relatively few portfolio companies.
Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.
Many of our portfolio companies may be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay our loans during these periods. Therefore, our non-performing assets are likely to increase and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during these periods. Adverse economic conditions also may decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and the value of our equity investments. Economic slowdowns or recessions could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and assets. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events could prevent us from increasing investments and harm our operating results.
A portfolio companys failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and potential termination of its loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize our portfolio companys ability to meet its obligations under the 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. Depending on the facts and circumstances of our investments and the extent of our involvement in the management of a portfolio company, upon the bankruptcy of a portfolio company, a bankruptcy court may recharacterize our debt investments as equity investments and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. This could occur even though we may have structured our investment as senior secured loans.
If we fail to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies, this could impair the value of our portfolio.
Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as follow-on investments, in order to:
| increase or maintain in whole or in part our equity ownership percentage; |
| exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or |
| attempt to preserve or enhance the value of our investment. We may elect not to make follow-on investments or otherwise lack sufficient funds to make those investments. |
We have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. Any failure 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 our concentration of risk, because we prefer other opportunities, or because we are inhibited by compliance with business development company requirements or the desire to maintain our tax status.
Because we do not generally hold controlling equity interests in our portfolio companies, we may not be in a position to exercise control over our portfolio companies or to prevent decisions by management of our portfolio companies that could decrease the value of our investments.
Although we may do so in the future, we do not currently have a controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with
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which we disagree, and the stockholders and management of a portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to our interests. Due to the lack of liquidity for the debt and equity investments that we will typically hold in our portfolio companies, we may not be able to dispose of our investments in the event we disagree with the actions of a portfolio company, and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of our investments.
An investment strategy focused primarily on privately held companies presents certain challenges, including the lack of available information about these companies, a dependence on the talents and efforts of only a few key portfolio company personnel and a greater vulnerability to economic downturns.
We have invested and intend to continue to invest primarily in privately held companies. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and we will rely on the ability of our investment advisers investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If they are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and we may lose money on our investments. Also, privately held companies frequently have less diverse product lines and smaller market presence than larger competitors. These factors could adversely affect our investment returns as compared to companies investing primarily in the securities of public companies.
Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.
We invest primarily in mezzanine debt, senior secured loans and equity investments issued by our portfolio companies. The portfolio companies usually will have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt securities in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments in respect of the debt securities in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution in respect of our investment. After repaying such senior creditors, the portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt securities in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company.
Our incentive fee may induce the Investment Adviser to make speculative investments.
The incentive fee payable by us to PennantPark Investment Advisers may create an incentive for PennantPark Investment Advisers to make investments on our behalf that are risky or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The incentive fee payable to our Investment Adviser is calculated based on a percentage of our return on invested capital. This may encourage our investment adviser to use leverage to increase the return on our investments. Under certain circumstances, the use of leverage may increase the likelihood of default, which would disfavor the holders of our common stock. In addition, our Investment Adviser will receive the incentive fee based, in part, upon net capital gains realized on our investments. Unlike that portion of the incentive fee based on income, there is no Hurdle applicable to the portion of the incentive fee based on net capital gains. As a result, the investment adviser may have a tendency to invest more capital in investments that are likely to result in capital gains as compared to income producing securities. Such a practice could result in our investing in more speculative securities than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher investment losses, particularly during economic downturns.
The incentive fee payable by us to our Investment Adviser also may induce PennantPark Investment Advisers to invest on our behalf in instruments that have a deferred interest feature, even if such deferred
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payments would not provide cash necessary to enable us to pay current distributions to our stockholders. Under these investments, we would accrue interest over the life of the investment but would not receive the cash income from the investment until the end of the term. Our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income used to calculate the income portion of our investment fee, however, includes accrued interest. Thus, a portion of this incentive fee would be based on income that we have not yet received in cash.
We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies, including private funds. To the extent we so invest, we will bear our ratable share of any such investment companys expenses, including management and performance fees. We will also remain obligated to pay investment advisory fees, consisting of a base management fee and incentive fees, to PennantPark Investment Advisers with respect to investments in the securities and instruments of other investment companies under the Investment Management Agreement. With respect to any such investments, each of our stockholders will bear his or her share of the investment advisory fees of PennantPark Investment Advisers as well as indirectly bearing the investment advisory fees and other expenses of any investment companies in which we invest.
Our investments in foreign debt securities may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in securities of 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, 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, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility.
Although most of our investments will be U.S. dollar-denominated, any investments 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 can offer no assurance that we will, in fact, hedge currency risk or, that if we do, such strategies will be effective.
We may expose ourselves to risks if we engage in hedging transactions.
If we engage in hedging transactions, we may expose ourselves to risks associated with such transactions. We may borrow under a credit facility in currencies selected to minimize our foreign currency exposure or use instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions does not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of such positions decline. However, such hedging can establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions may also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions should increase. Moreover, it may not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that is so generally anticipated that we are not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price.
While we may enter into such transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation
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between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged may vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations.
Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and of our charter and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.
The Maryland General Corporation Law, our charter and our bylaws contain provisions that may discourage, delay or make more difficult a change in control of PennantPark Investment or the removal of our directors. We are subject to the Maryland Business Combination Act, the application of which is subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution exempting us from the Business Combination Act any business combination between us and any other person, subject to prior approval of such business combination by our board, including approval by a majority of our disinterested directors. If the resolution exempting business combinations is repealed or our board does not approve a business combination, the Business Combination Act may discourage third parties from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such an offer. Our bylaws exempt from the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act acquisitions of our common stock by any person. If we amend our bylaws to repeal the exemption from the Control Share Acquisition Act, the Control Share Acquisition Act also may make it more difficult for a third party to obtain control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such an offer.
We have also adopted other measures that may make it difficult for a third party to obtain control of us, including provisions of our charter classifying our board of directors in three classes serving staggered three-year terms, and provisions of our charter authorizing our board of directors to classify or reclassify shares of our stock in one or more classes or series, to cause the issuance of additional shares of our stock, and to amend our charter, without stockholder approval, to increase or decrease the number of shares of stock that we have authority to issue. These provisions, as well as other provisions of our charter and bylaws, may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
RISKS RELATING TO AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMON STOCK
There is a risk that our stockholders may not receive distributions or that our distributions may not grow over time.
We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our stockholders 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 business development company, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions. Finally, if more stockholders opt to receive cash dividends and other distributions rather than participate in our dividend reinvestment plan, we may be forced to liquidate some of our investments and raise cash in order to make distribution payments.
Investing in our shares may involve an above average degree of risk.
The investments we make in accordance with our investment objectives may result in a higher amount of risk and volatility than alternative investment options or loss of principal. Our investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative and aggressive and therefore, an investment in our shares may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.
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Our shares may trade at discounts from net asset value or at premiums that are unsustainable over the long term.
Shares of business development companies may trade at a market price that is less than the net asset value that is attributable to those shares. Our shares traded on NASDAQ at $13.40 as compared to a NAV of $12.83 as of September 30, 2007. The possibility that our shares of common stock will trade at a discount from net asset value or at a premium that is unsustainable over the long term is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value will decrease. It is not possible to predict whether our shares will trade at, above, or below net asset value in the future.
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.
The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:
| significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of business development companies or other companies in our sector, which are not necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies; |
| changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or business development companies; |
| any loss of RIC status; |
| changes in earnings or variations in operating results; |
| changes in the value of our portfolio of investments; |
| any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts; |
| the inability of our investment adviser to employ additional experienced investment professionals or the departure of any of the investment advisers key personnel, including Mr. Penn; |
| operating performance of companies comparable to us; |
| general economic trends and other external factors; and |
| loss of a major funding source. |
We may be unable to invest the net proceeds raised from offerings on acceptable terms, which would harm our financial condition and operating results.
Until we identify new investment opportunities, we intend to either invest the net proceeds of future offerings in interest-bearing deposits or other short-term instruments or use the net proceeds from such offerings to reduce then-outstanding obligations under our credit facility. We cannot assure you that we will be able to find enough appropriate investments that meet our investment criteria or that any investment we complete using the proceeds from an offering will produce a sufficient return.
Item 1B. | Unresolved Staff Comments |
None
Item 2. | Properties |
As of September 30, 2007, we do not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation. We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as it is contemplated to be conducted.
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Item 3. | Legal Proceedings |
Neither our Investment Adviser, our Administrator or us is currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us, or against our Investment Adviser or Administrator. From time to time, we, our Investment Adviser or Administrator, may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under contracts with our portfolio companies. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition of results of operations.
Item 4. | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders |
No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during our fiscal year ended September 30, 2007.
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PART II
Item 5. | Market for Registrants Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities |
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK
Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol PNNT. The following table lists the high and low closing sale price for our common stock, the closing sale price as a percentage of net asset value, or NAV and quarterly dividends per share since shares of our common stock began being regularly quoted on NASDAQ.
Premium of NAV(2) |
Premium or NAV(2) |
||||||||||||||
NAV(1) |
Closing Sales Price | ||||||||||||||
Period |
High | Low | |||||||||||||
Fiscal Quarter ended September 30, 2007 |
$ | 12.83 | $ | 14.76 | $ | 12.61 | 115.04 | % | 98.29 | % | |||||
Fiscal Period ended June 30, 2007* |
$ | 13.74 | $ | 15.03 | $ | 14.04 | 109.39 | % | 102.18 | % |
(1) | NAV per share is determined as of the last day in the relevant quarter and therefore may not reflect the NAV per share on the date of the high and low sales prices. The NAVs shown are based on outstanding shares at the end of each period. |
(2) | Calculated as of the respective high or low closing sales price divided by the quarter end NAV. |
* | From April 24, 2007 (initial public offering) to June 30, 2007. |
While our common stock traded in excess of our net asset value on September 30, 2007, there can be no assurance that our shares will continue to trade at such a premium (to net asset value). The last reported closing market value of our common stock on November 30, 2007 was $11.49 per share, and we had 15 stockholders of record.
DISTRIBUTIONS
We intend to make quarterly distributions to our stockholders. The timing and amount of our quarterly distributions, if any, is determined by our board of directors. Any distributions to our stockholders are declared out of assets legally available for distribution. We monitor available net investment income to determine if a tax return of capital may occur for the fiscal year. To the extent our taxable earnings fall below the total amount of our distributions for any given fiscal year, a portion of those distributions may be deemed to be a tax return of capital to our common stockholders. The following table reflects the cash distributions, including dividends and returns of capital per share that we have declared on our common stock since our inception (See Note 8):
Record Date |
Payment Date | Amount | ||||
September 25, 2007 |
September 28, 2007 | $ | 0.22 | |||
June 22, 2007 |
June 29, 2007 | $ | 0.14 | |||
Total inception to September 30, 2007 |
$ | 0.36 | * |
* | $0.001354 per share is a tax return of capital. |
In January 2008, a Form 1099-Div will be sent to stockholders which, will state the amount and composition of distributions and provide information with respect to appropriate tax treatment.
We maintain an opt out dividend reinvestment plan for our common stockholders. As a result, if we declare a dividend or other distribution, then stockholders cash distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, unless they specifically opt out of the dividend reinvestment plan so as to receive cash distributions.
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We may not be able to achieve operating results that will allow us to make dividends and distributions at a specific level or to increase the amount of these dividends and distributions from time to time. In addition, we may be limited in our ability to make dividends and distributions due to the asset coverage test for borrowings when applicable to us as a business development company under the 1940 Act and due to provisions in future credit facilities. If we do not distribute a certain percentage of our income annually, we will suffer adverse tax consequences, including possible loss of our RIC status. We cannot assure stockholders that they will receive any dividends and distributions or dividends and distributions at a particular level.
Sale of Unregistered Securities
In conjunction with our initial public offering, we completed a private placement of 320,000 shares of our common stock to our officers, directors, investment adviser and managers of our Investment Adviser, for $15 per share. The private placement was subscribed for on April 16, 2007 and closed on April 24, 2007. No sales load accompanied this offering.
Stock Performance Graph
This graph compares the return on our common stock with that of the Standard & Poors 500 Stock Index and the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index, for the period April 24, 2007 (public offering) through September 30, 2007. The graph assumes that, on April 24, 2007, a person invested $100 in each of our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, and the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index. The graph measures total stockholder return, which takes into account both changes in stock price and dividends. It assumes that dividends paid are invested in like securities.
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Item 6. | Selected Financial Data |
The Statement of Operations, Per Share and Balance Sheet data for the fiscal period ended September 30, 2007 are derived from our financial statements which have been audited by KPMG LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm. This selected financial data should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes thereto and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this report.
Period
from September 30, 2007 (dollar amounts in thousands, |
||||
Statement of Operations Data: |
||||
Total investment income |
$ | 13,107 | ||
Net expenses |
5,802 | |||
Net investment income |
7,305 | |||
Net realized and unrealized losses |
(24,004 | ) | ||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
(16,699 | ) | ||
Per share data: |
||||
Net asset value |
12.83 | |||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
(0.80 | ) | ||
Distributions to stockholders(1) |
0.36 | |||
Balance sheet data: |
||||
Total assets |
555,008 | |||
Borrowings outstanding |
10,000 | |||
Total net assets |
270,393 | |||
Other data: |
||||
Total return(2) |
(8.29 | )% | ||
Number of portfolio companies at period end |
38 | |||
Investments purchased during the period |
414,640 | |||
Investment sales and prepayments during the period |
99,636 | |||
Weighted average yield on debt portfolio at period end |
10.1 | % |
(1) | Dividends and distributions are determined based on taxable income calculated in accordance with income tax regulations which may differ from amounts determined under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. |
(2) | Total return is based on the change in market price per share during the respective reporting periods based on stock issuance price of $15.00. It also takes into account distributions, if any, reinvested in accordance with our dividend reinvestment plan. Total return is not annualized. |
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Item 7. | Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Report, including the Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, our beliefs and our assumptions. The forward-looking statements contained in this Report involve risks and uncertainties, including statements as to:
| our future operating results; |
| our business prospects and the prospects of our prospective portfolio companies; |
| the impact of investments that we expect to make; |
| our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties; |
| the dependence of our future success on the general economy and its impact on the industries in which we invest; |
| the ability of our prospective portfolio companies to achieve their objectives; |
| our expected financings and investments; |
| the adequacy of our cash resources and working capital; and |
| the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our prospective portfolio companies. |
We use words such as anticipates, believes, expects, intends, seeks and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Undue influence should not be placed on the forward looking statements as our actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including the factors set forth in our preliminary prospectus entitled Risk Factors and elsewhere.
We have based the forward-looking statements included in this Report on information available to us on the date of this Report, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in this Report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we in the future may file with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, Reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.
The following analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto contained elsewhere in this report.
OVERVIEW
PennantPark Investment was organized under the Maryland General Corporation Law in January 2007. We are an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act. As such, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. For instance, we generally have to invest at least 70% of our total assets in qualifying assets, including securities of private or thinly traded public U.S. companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less.
Our investment activities are managed by PennantPark Investment Advisers and supervised by our board of directors, a majority of whom are independent of us and PennantPark Investment Advisers. Under our Investment Management Agreement, we have agreed to pay our Investment Adviser an annual base management fee based on our adjusted gross assets as well as an incentive fee based on our investment performance. We have also
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entered into an Administration Agreement with PennantPark Investment Administration. Under the Administration Agreement, we have agreed to reimburse the Administrator for our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the costs of compensation and related expenses of our chief compliance officer, chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
Our investment objectives are to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments primarily in U.S. middle-market private companies. We invest primarily in U.S. middle-market private companies in the form of mezzanine debt, senior secured loans and equity investments, such as preferred stock, common stock, warrants or options received in connection with our debt investments or through direct investments. From time to time, we may also invest in public companies whose securities are thinly traded. We consider our core assets, by value and investment focus, to consist of subordinated debt, second lien secured debt and, to a lesser extent, equity investments.
The companies in which we invest are typically highly leveraged, often as a result of leveraged buy-outs or other recapitalization transactions, and, in most cases, are not rated by national rating agencies. If such companies were rated, we believe that they would typically receive a rating below investment grade (between BB and CCC under the Standard & Poors system) from the national rating agencies.
We expect that our investments in mezzanine debt, senior secured loans and other investments will range between $10 million and $50 million each. We expect this investment size to vary proportionately with the size of our capital base.
Currently, the majority of our portfolio is composed of senior secured loans, which we will consider selling for liquidity purposes. The level of our investment activity in our core assets depends on many factors, including the amount of debt and equity capital available to middle-market companies, the level of merger and acquisition activity for such companies, the general economic environment and the competitive environment for the types of investments we make. Although we have used, and will continue to use, the proceeds of our initial public offering and of our credit facility, we anticipate that it will take us up to two years from the date of our initial public offering to invest all of our assets in accordance with our investment objectives. Any distributions we make during such period may be substantially lower than the distributions that we expect to pay when our portfolio is fully invested.
While our primary focus is to generate current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments in private or thinly traded public middle-market U.S. companies, we may invest up to 30% of the portfolio in opportunistic investments in order to seek to enhance returns to stockholders. Such investments may include investments in high-yield bonds, distressed debt, and other, securities of public companies whose securities are not thinly traded and securities of middle-market companies located outside of the U.S. and private equity. We expect that these public companies generally will issue debt securities that are non-investment grade.
Revenues
We generate revenue in the form of interest income on the debt securities we hold and capital gains and distributions, if any, on investment securities that we may acquire in portfolio companies. Our debt investments, whether in the form of mezzanine debt or senior secured loans, typically have a term of three to ten years and bear interest at a fixed or floating rate. Interest on debt securities is generally payable quarterly or semiannually. In some cases, some of our investments provide for deferred interest payments or payment-in-kind (PIK). The principal amount of the debt securities and any accrued but unpaid interest generally becomes due at the maturity date. In addition, we may generate revenue in the form of commitment, origination, structuring or diligence fees, fees for providing managerial assistance and possibly consulting fees. Loan origination fees, original issue discount and market discount or premium are capitalized, and we accrete or amortize such amounts as interest income. We record prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income. Dividend income, if any, is recorded on the ex-dividend date.
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Expenses
Our primary operating expenses include the payment of management fees to our Investment Adviser, our allocable portion of overhead under the Administration Agreement and other operating costs as detailed below. Our management fee compensates our investment adviser for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, consummating and monitoring our investments. Additionally, we pay interest expense on the outstanding debt we accrue under our credit facility. We bear all other costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including:
| the cost of calculating our net asset value, including the cost of any third-party valuation services; |
| the cost of effecting sales and repurchases of shares of our common stock and other securities; |
| fees payable to third parties relating to, or associated with, making investments, including fees and expenses associated with performing due diligence and reviews of prospective investments; |
| transfer agent and custodial fees; |
| fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts; |
| federal and state registration fees and any stock exchange listing fees; |
| federal, state and local taxes; |
| independent directors fees and expenses; |
| brokerage commissions; |
| fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums; |
| direct costs such as printing, mailing, long distance telephone and staff; |
| fees and expenses associated with independent audits and outside legal costs; |
| costs associated with our reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and applicable federal and state securities laws; and |
| all other expenses incurred by either the Administrator or us in connection with administering our business, including payments under the Administration Agreement that will be based upon our allocable portion of overhead, and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the costs of compensation and related expenses of our chief compliance officer, chief financial officer and their respective staffs. |
Credit Facility
On June 25, 2007, we entered into a Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement (the Credit Agreement) among us, various lenders and SunTrust Bank, as administrative agent for the lenders. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Capital Markets acted as the joint lead arranger and book-runner, and Bear Stearns Corporate Lending Inc. acted as joint lead arranger and syndication agent. As of September 30, 2007, we had outstanding borrowings of $10.0 million under the Credit Agreement.
Under the Credit Agreement, the lenders agreed to extend us credit in an initial aggregate principal or face amount not exceeding $300.0 million at any one time outstanding. The Credit Agreement is a five-year revolving facility (with a stated maturity date of June 25, 2012) and is secured by substantially all of our investment portfolio assets. Pricing is set at 100 basis points over LIBOR.
The Credit Agreement contains affirmative and restrictive covenants, including: (a) periodic financial reporting requirements, (b) maintenance of a minimum stockholders equity, (c) maintenance of a ratio of our total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness) to our total indebtedness, (d) maintenance of minimum
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liquidity standards, (e) limitations on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, (f) limitations on liens, (g) limitations on fundamental corporate changes, (h) limitations on investments (other than our portfolio investments and certain other ordinary course investments), (i) limitations on payments and distributions (other than distributions to our stockholders as contemplated to maintain Regulated Investment Company status), (j) limitations on transactions with affiliates, (k) limitations on engaging in business not contemplated by our investment objectives, and (l) limitations on the creation or existence of agreements that prohibit liens on our properties and our subsidiaries. In addition to the asset coverage ratio described in clause (c) of the preceding sentence, borrowings under the Credit Agreement (and the incurrence of certain other permitted debt) are subject to compliance with a borrowing base that will apply different advance rates to different types of assets in our portfolio. The Credit Agreement will be used to supplement our equity capital to make additional portfolio investments and for other corporate purposes.
Separately, Pennant SPV entered into a senior secured credit facility on February 6, 2007 with Bear Stearns Investment Products, Inc., as lender. Under the terms of this credit agreement, as amended on March 26, 2007, Bear Stearns Investment Products Inc. agreed to extend credit to Pennant SPV in an aggregate principal of up to $250 million at any one time outstanding. Borrowings under this credit agreement were used to finance investments made by PennantPark Investment prior to the closing of the initial public offering. By its terms this credit agreement matured on the closing date of the initial public offering on April 24, 2007, and accordingly PennantPark Investment caused Pennant SPV to repay the credit facility with Bear Stearns Investment Products Inc. in full.
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY
We completed our first fiscal year on September 30, 2007 with our portfolio invested $57.3 million in subordinated debt, $67.8 million in second lien secured debt, $7.0 million in equity investments and $158.9 million in senior secured loans. On September 30, 2007, our core assets totaled $132.1 million and consisted of investments in eight different companies with an average investment size of $16.5 million per company and a weighted average yield of 13.0%. Our senior secured loan portfolio at September 30, 2007 totaled $158.9 million and consisted of 30 different companies with an average investment size of $5.3 million, and a weighted average yield of 7.5%. The overall portfolio had unrealized depreciation of $23.9 million due to recent erosion in the market prices of leveraged finance instruments. Excluding short-term investments, our purchases of investments for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) to September 30, 2007 totaled $414.6 million. Sales and repayments of long term investments for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) to September 30, 2007 totaled $99.6 million. At September 30, 2007 our portfolio consisted of 38 companies and was invested 20% in subordinated debt, 23% in second lien secured debt, 2% in equity investments and 55% in senior secured loans.
We anticipate that our level of investment activity will vary substantially from period to period depending on many factors, including the amount of debt and equity capital available to middle-market companies, the level of merger and acquisition activity for such companies, the general economic environment and the competitive environment for our types of investments. Depending on these factors and owing to the substantial due diligence and structuring involved in negotiated investments in illiquid securities, we anticipate that it may take up to two years from the date of our initial public offering to invest all of our assets in accordance with our investment objectives. We will consider selling senior secured loans and/or drawing on our credit facility for liquidity purposes.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Our discussion of our financial condition and results of operation is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ. In addition to the discussion below, we describe our critical accounting policies in the notes to our financial statements.
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Valuation of Portfolio Investments
As a business development company, we generally invest in illiquid securities including debt and equity investments of middle-market companies. All of our investments are recorded using broker/dealers quotes, or at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. Our board of directors generally uses market quotations to assess the value of our investments for which market quotations are readily available. We obtain these market values from an independent pricing service or at the bid prices obtained from at least two broker/dealers if available, otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer. If the board of directors has a bona fide reason to believe any such market quote does not reflect the fair value of an investment, it may independently value such investments by using the valuation procedure that it uses with respect to assets for which market quotations are not readily available. Debt and equity investments that are not publicly traded or whose market prices are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors. Such determination of fair values involves subjective judgments and estimates. Investments purchased within 60 days of maturity will be valued at cost plus accreted discount, or minus amortized premium, which approximates value. With respect to unquoted securities, our board of directors, together with our independent third party valuation firms, values each investment considering, among other measures, discounted cash flow models, comparisons of financial ratios of peer companies that are public and other factors.
When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, our board uses the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate and/or assist us in our valuation. Because there are not always readily available markets for many of the investments in our portfolio, we value certain of our portfolio investments at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors using a documented valuation policy and a consistently applied valuation process. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of our investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments, and the differences could be material.
With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available or are readily available but believed not to reflect the fair value of an investment, our board of directors undertakes a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:
| Our quarterly valuation process begins with each portfolio company or investment being initially valued by the investment professionals of our Investment Adviser responsible for the portfolio investment; |
| Preliminary valuation conclusions are then documented and discussed with the management of our Investment Adviser; |
| Our board of directors also engages one or more independent valuation firms to conduct independent appraisals of our investments for which market quotations are not readily available or are readily available but believed not to reflect the fair value of an investment. The independent valuation firm reviews managements preliminary valuations and its own independent assessment; |
| The audit committee of our board of directors reviews the preliminary valuations of our Investment Adviser and that of the independent valuation firms and responds and supplements the valuation recommendations of the independent valuation firms to reflect any comments; and |
| The board of directors discusses the valuations and determines the fair value of each investment in our portfolio in good faith, based on the input of our Investment Adviser, the independent valuation firms and the audit committee. |
Revenue Recognition
We record interest income on an accrual basis to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts. For loans and debt securities with contractual payment-in-kind, or PIK, interest, which represents contractual interest accrued and added to the loan balance that generally becomes due at maturity, we will generally not
41
accrue PIK interest if the portfolio company valuation indicates that such PIK interest is not collectible. We do not accrue as a receivable interest on loans and debt securities if we have reason to doubt our ability to collect such interest. Loan origination fees, original issue discount and market discount or premium are capitalized, and we then accrete or amortize such amounts using the effective interest method as interest income. We record prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income. Dividend income, if any, is recognized on the ex-dividend date.
Net Realized Gains or Losses and Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation
We measure realized gains or losses by the difference between the net proceeds from the repayment or sale and the amortized cost basis of the investment, using the specific identification method, without regard to unrealized appreciation or depreciation previously recognized, but considering unamortized upfront fees and prepayment penalties. Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation reflects the change in portfolio investment values during the reporting period, including any reversal of previously recorded unrealized appreciation or depreciation, when gains or losses are realized.
OTHER ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Payment in Kind Interest
We have investments in our portfolio which contain a Payment in Kind, PIK, provision. The PIK interest is added to the principal balance of the investment and is recorded as income. To maintain our status as a RIC, this income must be paid out to stockholders in the form of dividends, even though we have not collected any cash. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2007, we had approximately $668,000 in PIK interest.
Federal Income Taxes
We operate so as to qualify to be taxed as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code and intend to continue to do so. Accordingly, we are not subject to federal income tax on the portion of our taxable income and gains distributed to stockholders. To qualify as a RIC, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income as defined by the Code.
Because federal income tax regulations differ from GAAP, distributions in accordance with tax regulations may differ from net investment income and realized gains recognized for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when certain items of income, expense, gain or loss are recognized at some time in the future. Differences in classification may also result from the treatment of short-term gains as ordinary income for tax purposes.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The overall leveraged finance credit market experienced a substantial downturn during the summer of 2007, which resulted in unrealized depreciation on some of our existing assets, slowing of new investment activity and an improved risk/reward environment for new investments. We did not experience any compromised liquidity during the recent turmoil in the global credit markets because of our ability to sell our senior secured loans and availability under our credit facility.
Set forth below are the results of operations for the period from January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007.
Investment Income
Investment income totaled $6.9 million and $13.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, respectively. The investment income was generated primarily from senior secured loan investments which had stated interest rates between
42
6.9% and 8.7%, and a weighted average yield of 7.5%. Our second lien secured debt investments had stated interest rates between 11.1% and 13.3% and weighted average yield of 12.9%. Our subordinated debt investments had stated interest rates between 11.7% and 14.3% and weighted average yield of 13.1%. Our total portfolio had a weighted average yield on debt investments of 10.1%.
Operating Expenses
Net expenses totaled $2.6 million and $5.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, respectively. Of these totals, approximately $232,000 and $1.8 million were for interest and other credit facility related expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, respectively. In addition, of these totals, approximately $313,000 was for non-recurring, primarily legal and corporate tax expenses for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007. General and Administrative expenses totaled $1.2 million and $1.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, respectively. Net investment management fee totaled $1.1 million and $1.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, respectively. PennantPark Investment Advisers did not receive a management or incentive fee for its services performed on our behalf prior to the completion of our initial public offering on April 24, 2007.
Net Investment Income
Our net investment income totaled $4.3 million and $7.3 million or $0.21 and $0.35 cents per share, for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, respectively.
Net Realized Gains/Losses on Investments
We had investment sales of senior secured loans totaling $7.0 million and $99.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, respectively. Net realized losses totaled approximately $66,000 and $82,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, respectively.
Net Unrealized Depreciation on Investments
On September 30, 2007, unrealized depreciation totaled $23.9 million, primarily due to a downturn in the leveraged finance credit market during the summer of 2007.
Net Decrease in Net Assets From Operations
Our net decrease in net assets resulting from operations totaled $14.5 million and $16.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and for the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, respectively, or $0.70 and $0.80 cents per share, respectively.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our liquidity and capital resources are generated primarily through our senior secured loans, multi-currency $300 million , five-year, revolving credit facility maturing in June 2012 as well as from cash flow from operations. On September 30, 2007, we had $10.0 million in borrowings outstanding.
Payments due by period (millions) | ||||||||||||
Total | Less than 1 year |
1-3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | ||||||||
Senior secured revolving credit facility(1) |
$ | 10 | | | $ | 10 | |
(1) | On September 30, 2007, $290 million remained unused under our senior secured revolving credit facility. |
43
During the period from January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, cash equivalents increased from $0 to $258.0 million. Cash equivalents were provided through the issuance of 21,068,772 shares of common stock, investment sales, prepayments, drawings under the credit facility and interest on investments and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents were used for investment purchases, distribution to stockholders and other expenses.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We engage in no off-balance sheet arrangements, including any risk management of commodity pricing or other hedging practices.
Distributions
In order to qualify as a regulated investment company and to avoid corporate level tax on income, we are required, under Subchapter M of the Code, to distribute at least 90% of our ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, to our stockholders on an annual basis. Additionally, we must distribute at least 98% of our income (both ordinary income and net capital gains) to avoid an excise tax.
During the year ended September 30, 2007 we paid to stockholders distributions of $0.36 per share, for a total dividend of $7.6 million. Tax characteristics of all distributions will be reported to stockholders on Form 1099-DIV after the end of the calendar year.
Of the amounts distributed on June 29, 2007 and September 28, 2007, approximately $307,000 and $293,000 were reinvested under our dividend reinvestment plan, respectively.
We intend to continue to distribute quarterly dividends to our stockholders. Our quarterly dividends, if any, will be determined by our board of directors.
We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions and, if we issue senior securities, we will be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.
We maintain an opt out dividend reinvestment plan for our common stockholders. As a result, if we declare a dividend, then stockholders cash dividends will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, unless they specifically opt out of the dividend reinvestment plan so as to receive cash dividends.
We may not be able to achieve operating results that will allow us to make dividends and distributions at a specific level or to increase the amount of these dividends and distributions from time to time. In addition, we may be limited in our ability to make dividends and distributions due to the asset coverage test for borrowings when applicable to us as a business development company under the 1940 Act and due to provisions in future credit facilities. If we do not distribute a certain percentage of our income annually, we will suffer adverse tax consequences, including possible loss of RIC status. We cannot assure stockholders that they will receive any dividends and distributions at a particular level.
We did not experience any compromised liquidity during the recent turmoil in the global credit markets because of our ability to liquidate a portfolio of our senior secured loans, which totaled $158.9 million, and our availability under our credit facility. See Risk Factors-Risks Relating to the Illiquid Nature of Our Portfolio Assets-A general disruption in the credit markets could materially damage our business.
44
Item 7A. | Quantitative And Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk |
We are subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. During the period ended September 30, 2007, many of the loans in our portfolio had floating interest rates. These loans are usually based on a floating LIBOR rate and typically have durations of one to six months after which they reset to current market interest rates.
Assuming that the balance sheet as of September 30, 2007 was to remain constant and no actions were taken to alter the existing interest rate sensitivity, a hypothetical immediate 1% change in interest rates may affect net income by more than 1% over a one year horizon. Although management believes that this measure is indicative of our sensitivity to interest rate changes, it does not adjust for potential changes in the credit market, credit quality, size and composition of the assets on the balance sheet and other business developments that could affect net increase in net assets resulting from operations, or net income. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that actual results would not differ materially from the statement above.
Because we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income is dependent upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest these funds. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, which may reduce our net investment income. As a result, 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. In general our investments are financed with the proceeds from our initial public offering and the use of our Credit Facility.
We may hedge against interest rate fluctuations by using standard hedging instruments such as futures, options and forward contracts subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. While hedging activities may insulate us against adverse changes in interest rates, they may also limit our ability to participate in benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio of investments with fixed interest rates. During the period ended September 30, 2007, we did not engage in interest rate hedging activities.
45
Item 8. | Financial Statements and Supplementary Data |
47 | ||
Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 2007 |
48 | |
49 | ||
50 | ||
51 | ||
52 | ||
56 |
46
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
PennantPark Investment Corporation
We have audited the accompanying consolidated statement of assets and liabilities of PennantPark Investment Corporation (the Company), including the schedule of investments, as of September 30, 2007 and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows for the period from January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Companys management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). These standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of PennantPark Investment Corporation as of September 30, 2007, and the results of its operations, changes in its net assets and its cash flows for the period from January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007 in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
New York, New York
December 12, 2007
47
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
September 30, 2007 |
||||
Assets |
||||
Investments, at fair value (cost$314,881,870)1 |
$ | 291,016,608 | ||
Cash equivalents (cost$258,016,351) |
257,959,635 | |||
Interest receivable |
4,517,850 | |||
Prepaid expenses and other assets |
1,513,583 | |||
Total assets |
555,007,676 | |||
Liabilities |
||||
Payable for cash equivalents purchased |
252,759,931 | |||
Payable for investments purchased |
16,583,921 | |||
Unfunded investments |
3,989,948 | |||
Credit facility payable |
10,000,000 | |||
Interest payable |
170,989 | |||
Accrued other expenses |
1,109,793 | |||
Total liabilities |
284,614,582 | |||
Net Assets |
||||
Common stock, par value $.001 per share, 100,000,000 shares authorized and 21,068,772 shares issued and outstanding |
21,069 | |||
Paid-in capital in excess of par |
294,586,604 | |||
Distributions in excess of net investment income |
(196,769 | ) | ||
Accumulated net realized loss |
(95,832 | ) | ||
Net unrealized depreciation on investments and cash equivalents |
(23,921,978 | ) | ||
Total net assets |
$ | 270,393,094 | ||
Total liabilities and net assets |
$ | 555,007,676 | ||
Net asset value per share |
$ | 12.83 | ||
1 |
None of our portfolio companies is controlled by, or affiliated with, PennantPark Investment Corporation as defined by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. |
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
48
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
Period from January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007 |
||||
Investment Income: |
||||
Interest |
$ | 13,107,341 | ||
Total investment income |
13,107,341 | |||
Expenses: |
||||
Management fees |
2,565,085 | |||
Interest and other credit facility expenses |
1,835,816 | |||
Administrative services expenses |
778,587 | |||
Professional fees |
420,186 | |||
Directors fees |
211,128 | |||
Organizational expenses |
207,126 | |||
Insurance |
162,387 | |||
Other general and administrative expenses |
157,923 | |||
Expenses before management fee waiver and income tax |
6,338,238 | |||
Management fee waiver |
(641,273 | ) | ||
Income tax |
105,880 | |||
Net expenses |
5,802,845 | |||
Net investment income |
7,304,496 | |||
Realized and unrealized loss on investments and cash equivalents: |
||||
Net realized loss on investments and cash equivalents |
(81,769 | ) | ||
Change in net unrealized depreciation on investments and cash equivalents |
(23,921,978 | ) | ||
Net realized and unrealized loss from investments and cash equivalents |
(24,003,747 | ) | ||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
$ | (16,699,251 | ) | |
Earnings per common share (See note 6) |
$ | (0.80 | ) | |
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
49
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
Period from (inception) |
||||
Decrease in net assets from operations: |
||||
Net investment income |
$ | 7,304,496 | ||
Net realized loss on investments and cash equivalents |
(81,769 | ) | ||
Net change in unrealized depreciation on investments and cash equivalents |
(23,921,978 | ) | ||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
(16,699,251 | ) | ||
Dividends and distributions: |
||||
Dividends from net investment income |
(7,545,458 | ) | ||
Return of capital |
(28,356 | ) | ||
Total dividends and distributions |
(7,573,814 | ) | ||
Capital share transactions: |
||||
Issuance of shares of common stock |
315,375,000 | |||
Offering costs related to public share offerings |
(21,309,375 | ) | ||
Reinvestment of dividends (43,772 shares of common stock) |
600,534 | |||
Net increase in net assets resulting from capital share transactions |
294,666,159 | |||
Total increase in net assets |
270,393,094 | |||
Net Assets: |
||||
Beginning of period |
| |||
End of period |
$ | 270,393,094 | ||
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
50
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Period from (inception) |
||||
Cash flows from operating activities: |
||||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
$ | (16,699,251 | ) | |
Adjustments to reconcile net decrease in net assets resulting from operations to net cash used by operating activities: |
||||
Change in net unrealized depreciation on investments and cash equivalents |
23,921,978 | |||
Net realized loss on investments and cash equivalents |
81,769 | |||
Net accretion of discount and amortization of premium |
(15,875 | ) | ||
Purchase of investments |
(414,640,441 | ) | ||
Proceeds from disposition of investments |
99,635,961 | |||
Increase in interest receivable |
(4,517,850 | ) | ||
Increase in prepaid expenses and other assets |
(252,287 | ) | ||
Increase in payables for cash equivalents purchased |
252,759,931 | |||
Increase in payables for investments purchased |
16,583,921 | |||
Increase in unfunded investments |
3,989,948 | |||
Increase in accrued expenses |
1,280,782 | |||
Net cash used by operating activities |
(37,871,414 | ) | ||
Cash flows from financing activities: |
||||
Issuance of shares of common stock |
315,375,000 | |||
Offering costs |
(21,309,375 | ) | ||
Capitalized borrowing costs |
(1,261,296 | ) | ||
Borrowings under credit facility (See note 12) |
271,913,786 | |||
Repayments under credit facility (See note 12) |
(261,913,786 | ) | ||
Dividends and distributions to stockholders (net of dividends reinvested) |
(6,973,280 | ) | ||
Net cash provided by financing activities |
295,831,049 | |||
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents |
257,959,635 | |||
Cash equivalents, beginning of period |
| |||
Cash equivalents, end of period |
$ | 257,959,635 | ||
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: |
||||
Interest paid during the period January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007 |
$ | 1,598,055 | ||
Non-cash financing activities consist of the reinvestment of dividends |
$ | 600,534 | ||
Payment-in-kind interest |
$ | 668,268 | ||
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
51
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
SEPTEMBER 30, 2007
Issuer name(1) |
Maturity | Industry | Current Coupon |
Basis Point Spread Above Index(3) |
Par | Cost | Value(2) | |||||||||||
Subordinated Debt / Corporate Notes21.2% |
||||||||||||||||||
ADVANSTAR , INC. | 11/30/2015 | OTHER MEDIA | 12.20 | %* | L+700 | $ | 14,580,690 | $ | 14,580,690 | $ | 14,580,690 | |||||||
AFFINION GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. |
03/01/2012 | CONSUMER PRODUCTS | 11.68 | %* | L+625 | 18,500,000 | 18,106,103 | 17,760,000 | ||||||||||
PERFORMANCE HOLDINGS, INC. |
07/02/2014 | LEISURE, AMUSEMENT, MOTION PICTURES & ENTERTAINMENT |
14.25 | %* | | 3,837,578 | 3,592,573 | 3,837,578 | ||||||||||
REALOGY CORP.(5) | 04/15/2015 | BUILDINGS & REAL ESTATE |
12.38 | % | | 28,000,000 | 26,117,780 | 21,140,000 | ||||||||||
Total Subordinated Debt / Corporate Notes |
64,918,268 | 62,397,146 | 57,318,268 | |||||||||||||||
Shares | ||||||||||||||||||
COMMON EQUITY**2.6% |
||||||||||||||||||
VSS-AHC HOLDINGS, L.L.C. |
| OTHER MEDIA | | | 3,000 | 3,000,000 | 3,269,685 | |||||||||||
PERFORMANCE HOLDINGS, INC. |
| LEISURE, AMUSEMENT, MOTION PICTURES & ENTERTAINMENT |
| | 37,500 | 3,750,000 | 3,750,000 | |||||||||||
Total Common Equity |
40,500 | 6,750,000 | 7,019,685 | |||||||||||||||
Par | ||||||||||||||||||
Second Lien Secured Debt25.0% |
||||||||||||||||||
PERFORMANCE, INC. |
07/02/2014 | LEISURE, AMUSEMENT, MOTION PICTURES & ENTERTAINMENT |
11.11 | % | L+575 | 8,750,000 | 8,750,000 | 8,750,000 | ||||||||||
QUESTEX MEDIA GROUP, INC. | 11/04/2014 | OTHER MEDIA | 12.08 | % | L+650 | 10,000,000 | 10,000,000 | 9,800,000 | ||||||||||
SAINT ACQUISITION CORP.(5) | 05/15/2015 | TRANSPORTATION | 13.31 | % | L+775 | 10,000,000 | 9,932,321 | 6,800,000 | ||||||||||
SAINT ACQUISITION CORP.(5) | 05/15/2017 | TRANSPORTATION | 12.50 | % | | 19,000,000 | 16,198,167 | 12,730,000 | ||||||||||
SPECIALIZED TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES, INC. |
12/15//2014 | CHEMICAL, PLASTICS & RUBBER |
12.13 | % | L+700 | 17,500,000 | 17,493,750 | 17,237,500 | ||||||||||
TRANSFIRST HOLDINGS, INC. | 06/15/2015 | BUSINESS SERVICES | 11.30 | %* | L+600 | 13,000,000 | 12,886,250 | 12,431,250 | ||||||||||
Total Second Lien Secured Debt |
78,250,000 | 75,260,488 | 67,748,750 | |||||||||||||||
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
52
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
SEPTEMBER 30, 2007
Issuer name(1) |
Maturity | Industry | Current Coupon |
Basis Point Spread Above Index(3) |
Par | Cost | Value(2) | |||||||||||
First Lien Secured Debt58.8% | ||||||||||||||||||
BERRY PLASTICS GROUP, INC. |
04/03/2015 | CONTAINERS, PACKAGING & GLASS |
7.34 | % | L+200 | $ | 7,462,500 | $ | 7,462,500 | $ | 7,274,602 | |||||||
BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY WAREHOUSE CORP. |
05/28/2013 | RETAIL STORE | 7.76 | % | L+225 | 7,896,473 | 7,887,537 | 7,571,975 | ||||||||||
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING, L.L.C. |
03/06/2014 | CABLE TELEVISION | 7.13 | % | L+200 | 15,000,000 | 14,992,740 | 14,468,310 | ||||||||||
COHR HOLDINGS, INC. |
01/31/2013 | HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION & CHILDCARE |
8.04 | % | L+250 | 2,985,000 | 2,985,000 | 2,388,000 | ||||||||||
FR BRAND ACQUISITION CORP. |
02/07/2014 | ENERGY / UTILITIES | 7.53 | % | L+225 | 1,990,000 | 1,990,000 | 1,887,183 | ||||||||||
GATEHOUSE MEDIA OPERATING, INC. |
08/28/2014 | MEDIA | 7.47 | % | L+200 | 7,000,000 | 7,000,000 | 6,405,000 | ||||||||||
GENERAL NUTRITION CENTERS, INC. |
09/16/2013 | RETAIL STORE | 7.61 | % | L+225 | 6,483,750 | 6,487,788 | 6,147,405 | ||||||||||
GREATWIDE LOGISTICS SERVICES, INC. |
12/19/2013 | CARGO TRANSPORT | 8.70 | % | L+350 | 6,947,500 | 6,947,500 | 6,079,062 | ||||||||||
HANLEY-WOOD, L.L.C. |
03/08/2014 | OTHER MEDIA | 7.60 | % | L+225 | 9,000,000 | 9,000,000 | 7,845,003 | ||||||||||
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT, INC. |
03/28/2014 | AEROSPACE/DEFENSE | 7.21 | % | L+200 | 1,990,780 | 1,990,780 | 1,930,226 | ||||||||||
HEALTH MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES, INC. |
02/28/2014 | HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION & CHILDCARE |
6.95 | % | L+175 | 9,950,000 | 9,950,000 | 9,441,615 | ||||||||||
HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS, L.L.C. |
04/15/2014 | TELECOMMUNICATIONS | 8.06 | % | L+250 | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 | 4,625,000 | ||||||||||
JACUZZI BRANDS CORP. |
02/07/2014 | HOME & OFFICE FURNISHINGS, HOUSEWARES & DURABLES |
7.44 | % | L+225 | 9,963,514 | 9,963,514 | 8,947,235 | ||||||||||
LEVEL 3 FINANCING, INC. |
03/13/2014 | TELECOMMUNICATIONS | 7.61 | % | L+225 | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 1,939,642 | ||||||||||
LEVLAD, L.L.C. |
03/08/2014 | CONSUMER PRODUCTS | 7.58 | % | L+225 | 4,842,920 | 4,842,920 | 3,357,757 | ||||||||||
LONGVIEW POWER, L.L.C. |
02/28/2014 | UTILITIES | 7.56 | % | L+225 | 2,020,000 | 2,020,000 | 1,939,200 | ||||||||||
LONGVIEW POWER, L.L.C.(4) |
02/28/2014 | UTILITIES | | | 980,000 | 980,000 | 940,800 | |||||||||||
MACH GEN, L.L.C. |
02/22/2014 | UTILITIES | 7.34 | % | L+200 | 3,972,813 | 3,971,545 | 3,845,683 | ||||||||||
MATTRESS HOLDING CORP. |
01/18/2014 | HOME & OFFICE FURNISHINGS, HOUSEWARES & DURABLES |
7.61 | % | L+225 | 3,990,000 | 3,990,000 | 3,740,625 | ||||||||||
MCJUNKIN CORP. |
01/31/2014 | OIL & GAS | 7.45 | % | L+225 | 982,525 | 982,525 | 965,331 |
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
53
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
SEPTEMBER 30, 2007
Issuer name(1) |
Maturity | Industry | Current Coupon |
Basis Point Spread Above Index(3) |
Par | Cost | Value(2) | |||||||||||
First Lien Secured Debt(Continued) |
||||||||||||||||||
MITCHELL INTERNATIONAL, INC. |
03/28/2014 | BUSINESS SERVICES | 7.20 | % | L+200 | $ | 3,980,000 | $ | 3,980,000 | $ | 3,835,725 | |||||||
NATIONAL BEDDING CO., L.L.C. |
08/31/2011 | HOME & OFFICE FURNISHINGS, HOUSEWARES & DURABLES |
7.43 | % | L+200 | 6,965,000 | 6,971,653 | 6,668,988 | ||||||||||
PENTON MEDIA, INC. |
02/01/2013 | OTHER MEDIA | 7.59 | % | L+225 | 4,975,000 | 4,975,000 | 4,716,922 | ||||||||||
PHILOSOPHY, INC. |
03/16/2014 | CONSUMER PRODUCTS | 7.36 | % | L+200 | 1,493,333 | 1,493,333 | 1,344,000 | ||||||||||
PROQUEST CSA, L.L.C. |
02/09/2014 | EDUCATION | 8.20 | % | L+300 | 955,833 | 955,833 | 936,716 | ||||||||||
QUESTEX MEDIA GROUP, INC. |
05/04/2014 | OTHER MEDIA | 8.56 | % | L+300 | 4,974,167 | 4,974,167 | 4,839,742 | ||||||||||
READERS DIGEST ASSOCIATION, INC. |
03/02/2014 | PRINTING & PUBLISHING |
7.43 | % | L+200 | 995,006 | 995,006 | 940,281 | ||||||||||
REXNORD , L.L.C. |
07/19/2013 | MANUFACTURING/ BASIC INDUSTRIES |
7.64 | % | L+225 | 4,937,500 | 4,937,500 | 4,835,664 | ||||||||||
SITEL, L.L.C. |
01/30/2014 | BUSINESS SERVICES | 7.78 | % | L+250 | 2,867,302 | 2,867,302 | 2,680,927 | ||||||||||
UNIVISION COMMUNICATIONS, INC. |
09/29/2014 | BROADCASTING & ENTERTAINMENT |
7.57 | % | L+225 | 14,093,960 | 14,093,960 | 13,389,262 | ||||||||||
UNIVISION COMMUNICATIONS, INC.(4) |
09/29/2014 | BROADCASTING & ENTERTAINMENT |
| | 906,040 | 906,040 | 860,738 | |||||||||||
VALASSIS COMMUNICATIONS, INC. |
03/02/2014 | PRINTING & PUBLISHING |
6.95 | % | L+175 | 7,061,899 | 7,061,899 | 6,549,911 | ||||||||||
VALASSIS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.(4) |
03/02/2014 | PRINTING & PUBLISHING |
| | 2,103,908 | 2,103,908 | 1,951,375 | |||||||||||
WESTERN REFINING, INC. |
05/30/2014 | OIL & GAS | 6.88 | % | L+175 | 3,714,286 | 3,714,286 | 3,640,000 | ||||||||||
Total First Lien Secured Debt |
170,481,009 | 170,474,236 | 158,929,905 | |||||||||||||||
Total Investments 107.6% |
$ | 314,881,870 | $ | 291,016,608 | ||||||||||||||
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
SEPTEMBER 30, 2007
Issuer name(1) |
Maturity | Industry | Current Coupon |
Basis Point Spread Above Index(3) |
Par | Cost | Value(2) | ||||||||||||
Cash Equivalents95.4% |
|||||||||||||||||||
U.S. TREASURY BILL |
12/27/2007 | 3.64 | % | | $ | 255,000,000 | $ | 252,759,931 | $ | 252,703,215 | |||||||||
MONEY MARKETMUTUAL FUNDS |
| | 5,256,420 | 5,256,420 | 5,256,420 | ||||||||||||||
Total Cash Equivalents |
260,256,420 | 258,016,351 | 257,959,635 | ||||||||||||||||
Total Investments and Cash Equivalents |
$ | 572,898,221 | $ | 548,976,243 | |||||||||||||||
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets(103.0%) |
(278,583,149 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Net Assets100.0% |
$ | 270,393,094 | |||||||||||||||||
(1) | We do not control and are not an affiliate of any of our portfolio companies, each as defined in the 1940 Act. In general, under the 1940 Act, we would be presumed to control a portfolio company if we owned 25% or more of its voting securities and would be deemed to be an affiliate of a portfolio company if we owned 5% or more of its voting securities. |
(2) | Valued based on our accounting policy. (See note 2) |
(3) | Represents floating rate instruments that accrue interest at a predetermined spread relative to an index, typically the applicable London Interbank Offer Rate (LIBOR , or, L). |
(4) | Represents purchases of securities with delayed draws. These securities do not have a basis point spread above index. |
(5) | Security is exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. The security may be resold in transactions that are exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers. |
* | Coupon payable in cash or payment in kind. |
** | Non-income producing. |
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
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PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
SEPTEMBER 30, 2007
1. ORGANIZATION
PennantPark Investment Corporation (PennantPark Investment or Company) was organized as a Maryland corporation on January 11, 2007. PennantPark Investments objective is to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. PennantPark Investment invests primarily in U.S. middle-market companies in the form of mezzanine debt, first lien secured debt and equity investments. As of September 30, 2007 PennantPark Investment had sold and issued 21,068,772 shares of its common stock, with gross proceeds of $316.0 million. Before the completion of its initial public offering on April 24, 2007, PennantPark Investment had limited operations other than the sale and issuance of 80,000 shares of common stock at an aggregate purchase price of $1.2 million to PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Adviser or PennantPark Investment Advisers) and the purchase of first lien secured debt.
On April 24, 2007 PennantPark Investment closed its initial public offering, selling 20,000,000 shares of its common stock, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $279.6 million. Also on April 24, PennantPark Investment closed a private placement of common stock pursuant to Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933. This private placement of 320,000 shares was made to officers, directors, the Investment Adviser and managers of the Investment Adviser, for $15 per share, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $4.8 million. On May 21, the underwriters of the initial public offering exercised their over-allotment option to them under the Underwriting Agreement. The Underwriters elected to purchase 625,000 shares of our common stock, resulting in net proceeds of $8.8 million.
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of PennantPark Investment and its wholly owned special purpose subsidiary, Pennant SPV Company, LLC (Pennant SPV) a Delaware corporation. On April 24, 2007, Pennant SPV transferred all of its assets to PennantPark Investment.
2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
The financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP and pursuant to the requirements for reporting on Form 10-K and Article 6 or 10 of Regulation S-X, as appropriate. In accordance with Article 6-09 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act, we are providing a Statement of Changes in Net Assets in lieu of a Statement of Changes in Stockholders Equity.
The significant accounting policies consistently followed by PennantPark Investment are:
(a) | Security transactions are recorded on a trade-date basis. Our board of directors generally uses market quotations to assess the value of our investments for which market quotations are readily available. We obtain these market values from independent pricing services or at the bid prices obtained from at least two broker/dealers if available, otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer. If the board of directors has a bona fide reason to believe any such market quote does not reflect the fair value of an investment, it may independently value such investments by using the valuation procedure that it uses with respect to assets for which market quotations are not readily available. Subordinated debt, first lien secured debt and other debt securities with maturities greater than 60 days generally are valued by an independent pricing service or at the bid prices from at least two broker/dealers (if available, otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer). We expect that there will |
56
not be readily available market values for many of the investments which are or will be in our portfolio, and we value such investments at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors using a documented valuation policy and a consistently applied valuation process. With respect to investments for which there is no readily available market value, valuation methods may include comparisons of financial ratios of the portfolio companies that issued such private securities to peer companies that are public. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we consider the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate our valuation. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of our investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments, and the differences could be material. |
With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available or are readily available but believed to be inaccurate, our board of directors undertakes a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:
(1) | Our quarterly valuation process begins with each portfolio company or investment being initially valued by the investment professionals of our Investment Adviser responsible for the portfolio investment; |
(2) | Preliminary valuation conclusions are then documented and discussed with the management of our Investment Adviser; |
(3) | Our board of directors also engages one or more independent valuation firms to conduct independent appraisals of our investments for which market quotations are not readily available or are readily available but believed to be inaccurate. The independent valuation firm reviews managements preliminary valuations in light of its own independent assessment and also in light of any market quotations obtained from an independent pricing service, broker, dealer or market maker. |
(4) | The audit committee of our board of directors reviews the preliminary valuations of our Investment Adviser and that of the independent valuation firms and responds and supplements the valuation recommendations of the independent valuation firms to reflect any comments; and |
(5) | The board of directors discusses the valuations and determines the fair value of each investment in our portfolio in good faith based on the input of the Investment Adviser, the respective independent valuation firms and the audit committee. |
The types of factors that the board of directors may take into account in pricing our investments at fair value include, as relevant, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio companys ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to publicly traded securities and other relevant factors.
(b) | Investments purchased within 60 days of maturity are valued at cost plus accreted discount, or minus amortized premium, which approximates value. |
(c) | We measure realized gains or losses by the difference between the net proceeds from the repayment or sale and the amortized cost basis of the investment, using the specific identification method, without regard to unrealized appreciation or depreciation previously recognized, but considering unamortized upfront fees and prepayment penalties. Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation reflects the change in portfolio investment values during the reporting period, including any reversal of previously recorded unrealized appreciation or depreciation, when gains or losses are realized. |
(d) | We record interest income on an accrual basis to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts. For loans and debt securities with contractual payment-in-kind, or PIK, interest, which represents contractual interest accrued and added to the loan balance that generally becomes due at maturity, we |
57
will generally not accrue PIK interest if the portfolio company valuation indicates that such PIK interest is not collectible. We do not accrue as a receivable interest on loans and debt securities if we have reason to doubt our ability to collect such interest. Loan origination fees, original issue discount and market discount or premium are capitalized, and we then accrete or amortize such amounts using the effective interest method as interest income. We record prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income. Dividend income, if any, is recognized on the ex-dividend date. |
(e) | Before May 1, 2007 PennantPark Investment was taxed as a corporation under Subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and subject to corporate-level federal, state and local taxes. Starting May 1, 2007 PennantPark Investment intends to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code, and expects to be subject to tax as a regulated investment company, or RIC. As a corporation, PennantPark Investment accounted for income taxes using the asset liability method prescribed by FASB Statement No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes. Under this method, income taxes were provided for amounts currently payable and for amounts deferred as tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of existing assets and liabilities. Federal, state and local taxes of $105,880 were accrued and included in PennantPark Investments statement of operations. Based upon PennantPark Investments qualification and election to be subject to tax as a RIC as of its next taxable year-end, we do not anticipate any material taxes in the future. The Company will recognize in its financial statements the effect of a tax position when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination. |
(f) | Dividends and distributions to common stockholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The amount, if any to be paid as a dividend is determined by the board of directors each quarter and is generally based upon the earnings estimated by management. Net realized capital gains, if any, are distributed at least annually. |
(g) | In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) 157, Fair Value Measurements, which clarifies the definition of fair value and requires companies to expand their disclosure about the use of fair value to measure assets and liabilities in interim and annual periods subsequent to initial recognition. Adoption of SFAS 157 requires the use of the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. SFAS 157 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007, and interim periods within those fiscal years. At this time, PennantPark Investment is in the process of reviewing the Standard against its valuation policies to determine future applicability. |
(h) | In February 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial LiabilitiesIncluding an Amendment of FASB Statement No. 115. This statement permits an entity to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. This statement applies to all reporting entities, and contains financial statement presentation and disclosure requirements for assets and liabilities reported at fair value as a consequence of the election. This statement is effective for fiscal years beginning November 15, 2007, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company does not expect the adoption of this statement to have a significant effect on the Companys consolidated financial position or its result of operations. |
3. AGREEMENTS
PennantPark Investment has entered into an Investment Management Agreement with PennantPark Investment Advisers under which the Investment Adviser, subject to the overall supervision of PennantPark Investments board of directors, manages the day-to-day operations of and provides investment advisory services to, PennantPark Investment. For providing these services, the Investment Adviser receives a fee from PennantPark Investment, consisting of two componentsa base management fee and an incentive fee (collectively, Management Fees).
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The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% on PennantPark Investments gross assets (net of U.S. Treasury Bills (adjusted gross assets)) (See Note 9). Although the base management fee is 2.00% of adjusted gross assets, the Investment Adviser has agreed to waive a portion of the base management fee such that the base management fee will equal 1.50% from the consummation of the initial public offering through September 30, 2007; 1.75% from October 1, 2007 through March 31, 2008; and 2.00% thereafter. For the period from the commencement of operations to the consummation of the initial public offering there were no Management Fees. For services rendered under the Investment Management Agreement during the period commencing from the closing of the initial public offering through and including the first six months of operations, the base management fee is payable monthly in arrears. For services rendered under the Investment Management Agreement after that time, the base management fee will be payable quarterly in arrears. For the first quarter of operations, the base management fee was calculated based on the initial value of adjusted gross assets. Subsequently, the base management fee is calculated based on the average value of adjusted gross assets at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters, and appropriately adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the current calendar quarter. Base investment advisory fees for any partial month or quarter are appropriately pro rated. For the period from the consummation of the initial public offering to September 30, 2007, the Adviser received $1.9 million in base management fee.
The incentive fee has two parts, as follows:
One part is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on PennantPark Investments Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income for the immediately preceding calendar quarter. For this purpose, Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income means interest income, distribution 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 PennantPark Investments operating expenses for the quarter (including the base management fee, any expenses payable under the Administration Agreement, and any interest expense and distribution 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 deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with pay in kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of PennantPark Investments net assets at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, is compared to the hurdle rate of 1.75% per quarter (7.00% annualized). PennantPark Investment pays the Investment Adviser an incentive fee with respect to PennantPark Investments Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income in each calendar quarter as follows:
(1) no incentive fee in any calendar quarter in which PennantPark Investments Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income does not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.75%; (2) 100% of PennantPark Investments 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% in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized); and (3) 20% of the amount of PennantPark Investments Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income, if any, that exceeds 2.1875% in any calendar quarter. These calculations are pro rated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the current quarter.
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), commencing on December 31, 2007, and equals 20.0% of PennantPark Investments realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gain incentive fees. However, the incentive fee determined as of December 31, 2007 will be calculated for a period of shorter than twelve calendar months to take into account any realized capital gains computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation from inception.
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For the period from January 11, 2007 (inception) to September 30, 2007, the Adviser did not receive an Incentive Fee.
PennantPark Investment has also entered into an Administration Agreement with PennantPark Investment Administration, LLC (the Administrator or PennantPark Investment Administration) under which PennantPark Investment Administration provides administrative services for PennantPark Investment. For providing these services, facilities and personnel, PennantPark Investment reimburses the Administrator for PennantPark Investments allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent, technology systems, insurance and PennantPark Investments allocable portion of the costs of the compensation and related expenses for its chief compliance officer, chief financial officer and their respective staffs. The Administrator also provides on PennantPark Investments behalf managerial assistance to portfolio companies to which PennantPark Investment is required to provide such assistance. Reimbursement for certain of these costs is included in administrative services expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. For the period from January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007, the Investment Adviser was reimbursed approximately $490,000 from the Company, including expenses it incurred on behalf of the Administrator for services described above.
4. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OFFERING EXPENSES
A portion of the net proceeds of the Companys initial public offering was used for organizational, offering and other expenses. Organizational expenses were treated as expenses incurred. Offering costs of $21,309,375 were charged to net assets after the completion of the initial public offering on April 24, 2007.
5. NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE
On September 30, 2007, PennantPark Investments total net assets and net asset value per share were $270,393,094 and $12.83, respectively.
6. EARNINGS PER SHARE
The following information sets forth the computation of basic per share net decrease in net assets resulting from operations:
Period from January 11, through |
||||
Numerator for net decrease in net assets per share resulting from operations: |
$ | (16,699,251 | ) | |
Denominator for basic weighted average shares:* |
20,936,149 | |||
Basic net decrease in net assets per share resulting from operations: |
$ | (0.80 | ) |
* | Since completion of IPO on April 24, 2007 |
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7. INVESTMENTS
Investments consisted of subordinated debt/corporate notes, common equity, second lien secured debt, and first lien secured debt, as of September 30, 2007. The table below describes investments by industry classification and enumerates the percentage, by market value, of the total portfolio assets (excluding cash equivalents) in such industries as of September 30, 2007.
Industry Classification |
Percentage at Market Value |
||
Other Media |
15 | % | |
Consumer Products |
8 | % | |
Buildings & Real Estate |
7 | % | |
Business Services |
7 | % | |
Home & Office Furnishings, Housewares, & Durable Consumer Products |
7 | % | |
Transportation |
7 | % | |
Chemical, Plastics & Rubber |
6 | % | |
Leisure, Amusement, Motion Pictures, Entertainment |
6 | % | |
Broadcasting & Entertainment |
5 | % | |
Cable Television |
5 | % | |
Retail Store |
5 | % | |
Healthcare, Education & Childcare |
4 | % | |
Printing & Publishing |
3 | % | |
Containers, Packaging & Glass |
2 | % | |
Media |
2 | % | |
Telecommunications |
2 | % | |
Utilities |
2 | % | |
Cargo Transport |
2 | % | |
Manufacturing / Basic Industries |
2 | % | |
Oil & Gas |
2 | % | |
Other |
1 | % | |
Total Investments |
100 | % | |
8. TAXES AND DISTRIBUTIONS
For the period from inception through April 30, 2007, the Company was taxed as a corporation. As such federal, state and local taxes of $105,880 were accrued and included in PennantPark Investments statement of operations. Based upon PennantPark Investments expected qualification and election to be subject to tax as RIC as of its next taxable year-end, the company does not anticipate paying any corporate level taxes in the future.
As a regulated investment company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, the Companys income generally will not be subject to taxation to the extent such income is distributed to stockholders. However, certain of the Companys investments may be owned by wholly owned subsidiaries that are subject to corporate level federal, state, and local income tax in their respective jurisdictions. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to the taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.
Since consummation of the initial public offering, through September 30, 2007, the Company has declared distributions totaling $0.36 per share. Each year a statement on Form 1099-DIV shall be issued identifying the source of the distribution (i.e., paid from ordinary income, paid from net capital gains on the sale of securities, and/or a return of paid-in-capital surplus which is a nontaxable distribution). To the extent the Companys taxable earnings fall below the total amount of its distributions for that fiscal year, a portion of those distributions
61
may be deemed a tax return of capital to the Companys stockholders. For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2007 a portion of the distributions to the Companys stockholders was deemed a return of capital. The determination of the tax attributes of the Companys distributions is made annually as of the end of the Companys fiscal year based upon its taxable income for the full year and distributions paid for the full year, therefore a determination made on a quarterly basis may not be representative of the actual tax attributes of its distributions for a full year. If the Company determined the tax attributes of its distributions for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2007, 99.6% would be from taxable net investment income and 0.4% would be a return of capital for stockholders, however there can be no certainty to stockholders that this determination is representative of what the tax attributes of its 2007 distributions to stockholders will actually be.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2007, as a result of permanent book-to-tax differences primarily due to adjustments relating to: federal and state tax expenses, and net earnings derived during the period prior to qualification as a RIC, the Company decreased distributions in excess of net investment income by $72,549, increased accumulated net realized loss by $14,063 and decreased paid-in capital in excess of par value by $58,486. Aggregate stockholders equity was not affected by this reclassification. As of September 30, 2007, the cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was $572,898,221 resulting in a gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of $514,690 and $24,436,668, respectively. The following reconciles net increase in stockholders equity resulting from operations to taxable income for the year ended September 30, 2007:
Net decrease in stockholders equity resulting from operations |
$ | (16,699,251 | ) | |
Net unrealized depreciation on investments transactions not taxable |
23,921,978 | |||
Net income derived during the period prior to qualification as a RIC |
12,720 | |||
Expenses not currently deductible |
201,262 | |||
Other deductible expenses |
(5,753 | ) | ||
Taxable income before deductions for distributions |
$ | 7,430,956 | ||
9. CASH EQUIVALENTS
Pending investment in longer-term portfolio holdings, PennantPark Investment may invest temporarily in U.S. Treasury Bills (of varying maturities), repurchase agreements, money markets or repo-like treasury securities. These temporary investments with maturities of 90 days or less will be deemed cash equivalents and are included in the Schedule of Investments. At the end of each fiscal quarter, PennantPark Investment typically takes proactive steps to preserve investment flexibility in the next quarter, which is dependent upon the composition of its total assets at quarter end. PennantPark Investment may accomplish this in several ways, including purchasing U.S. Treasury Bills and closing out its positions on a net cash basis after quarter-end or by utilizing repurchase agreements or other balance sheet transactions as it deems appropriate for this purpose. These amounts are excluded from adjusted gross assets for purposes of computing the asset base upon which the management fee is determined. U.S. Treasury Bills with maturities greater than 60 days from the time of purchase are marked-to-market consistent with PennantPark Investments valuation policy.
10. REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
PennantPark Investment may enter into repurchase agreements as part of its investment program. In these transactions, PennantPark Investments custodian takes possession of collateral pledged by the counterparty. The collateral is marked-to-market daily to ensure that the value, plus accrued interest, is at least equal to the repurchase price. In the event of default of the obligor to repurchase, PennantPark Investment will have the right to liquidate the collateral and apply the proceeds in satisfaction of the obligation. Under certain circumstances, in the event of default or bankruptcy by the counterparty to the agreement, realization and/or retention of the collateral or proceeds may be subject to legal proceedings. There were no repurchase agreements outstanding at September 30, 2007.
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11. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The following is a schedule of financial highlights for the period from January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007:
Per Share Data: |
||||
Net asset value, beginning of period |
$ | 0.00 | ||
Net investment income |
0.35 | |||
Net realized and unrealized loss |
(1.15 | ) | ||
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations |
(0.80 | ) | ||
Distributions to stockholders(1) |
(0.36 | ) | ||
Offering costs related to public offerings |
(1.01 | ) | ||
Issuance of common stock |
15.00 | |||
Net asset value, end of period |
$ | 12.83 | ||
Per share market value at end of period |
$ | 13.40 | ||
Total return(2)* |
(8.29 | )% | ||
Shares outstanding at end of period |
21,068,772 | |||
Ratio/Supplemental Data: |
||||
Net assets at end of period |
$ | 270,393,094 | ||
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets(3)* |
2.60 | % | ||
Ratio of operating expenses before management fee waiver to average net assets(3)* |
2.21 | % | ||
Ratio of operating expenses after management fee waiver to average net assets(3)* |
1.98 | % | ||
Ratio of credit facility related expenses to average net assets(3)* |
0.08 | % | ||
Ratio of total expenses to average net assets(3)* |
2.06 | % | ||
Average debt outstanding(3) |
$ | 817,610 | ||
Average debt per share(3) |
$ | 0.04 | ||
Portfolio turnover ratio* |
44.7 | % |
* | Percentage has not been annualized. |
(1) | Dividends and distributions are determined based on taxable income calculated in accordance with income tax regulations which may differ from amounts determined under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. |
(2) | Total return is based on the change in market price per share during the reporting period based on stock issuance price of $15.00. It also takes into account distributions, if any, reinvested in accordance with the Companys dividend reinvestment plan. |
(3) | Since completion of initial public offering on April 24, 2007. |
12. CREDIT FACILITY
On June 25, 2007, PennantPark Investment entered into a Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement (the Credit Agreement) among PennantPark Investment, various lenders and SunTrust Bank, as administrative agent for the lenders. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Capital Markets acted as the joint lead arranger and book-runner, and Bear Stearns Corporate Lending Inc. acted as joint lead arranger and syndication agent. As of September 30, there was $10.0 million in outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement, with an average interest rate of 6.15%.
Under the Credit Agreement, the lenders agreed to extend credit to PennantPark Investment in an initial aggregate principal or face amount not exceeding $300,000,000 at any one time outstanding. The Credit Agreement is a five-year revolving facility (with a stated maturity date of June 25, 2012) and is secured by substantially all of the assets in PennantPark Investments portfolio. Pricing is set at 100 basis points over LIBOR.
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The Credit Agreement contains affirmative and restrictive covenants, including: (a) periodic financial reporting requirements, (b) maintenance of a minimum stockholders equity of the greater of (i) 40% of the total assets of PennantPark Investment and its subsidiaries as at the last day of any fiscal quarter and (ii) the sum of (A) $120,000,000 plus (B) 25% of the net proceeds from the sale of equity interests in PennantPark Investment and its subsidiaries after the closing date of the Credit Agreement, (c) maintenance of a ratio of total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness) to total indebtedness, in each case of PennantPark Investment, of not less than 2.0:1.0, (d) maintenance of minimum liquidity standards, (e) limitations on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, (f) limitations on liens, (g) limitations on fundamental corporate changes, (h) limitations on investments (other than PennantPark Investments portfolio investments and certain other ordinary course investments), (i) limitations on payments and distributions (other than distributions to PennantPark Investments stockholders as contemplated to maintain Regulated Investment Company status), (j) limitations on transactions with affiliates, (k) limitations on engaging in business not contemplated by PennantPark Investments investment objectives, and (l) limitations on the creation or existence of agreements that prohibit liens on properties of PennantPark Investment and its subsidiaries. In addition to the asset coverage ratio described in clause (c) of the preceding sentence, borrowings under the Credit Agreement (and the incurrence of certain other permitted debt) will be subject to compliance with a borrowing base that will apply different advance rates to different types of assets in PennantPark Investments portfolio. See our Credit Agreement, Exhibit 10.5, to this Report (incorporated by reference), for the definitions of capitalized terms used by us relating to the Credit Agreement but not defined in this note. The Credit Agreement will be used to supplement our equity capital to make additional portfolio investments and for other general corporate purposes.
Separately, Pennant SPV entered into a senior secured credit facility on February 6, 2007 with Bear Stearns Investment Products Inc., as lender. Under the terms of this credit agreement, as amended on March 26, 2007, Bear Stearns Investment Products Inc. agreed to extend credit to Pennant SPV in an aggregate principal of up to $250 million at any one time outstanding. Borrowings under this credit agreement were used to finance investments made by PennantPark Investment prior to the closing of the initial public offering. By its terms this credit agreement matured on the closing date of the initial public offering on April 24, 2007, and accordingly PennantPark Investment caused Pennant SPV to repay the credit facility with Bear Stearns Investment Products Inc. in full.
13. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
From time to time, we, the Investment Adviser or Administrator, may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under contracts with our portfolio companies. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition of results of operations.
Unfunded debt investments described in the consolidated statement of assets and liabilities represent unfunded delayed draws on investments in first lien secured debt.
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Item 9. | Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
None
Item 9A. | Controls and Procedures |
As of September 30, 2007, we, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Based on that evaluation, our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective in timely alerting management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of material information about us required to be included in periodic SEC filings. However, in evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that occurred during the period ended September 30, 2007 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. | Other Information |
Amended Code of Ethics.
On December 12, 2007, we amended the Joint Code of Ethics that applies to PennantPark Investment and our Investment Adviser. The amendments to the Joint Code of Ethics contain certain provisions designed to prevent misuse of material non-public information in violation of federal securities laws, as well as other technical, administrative and non-substantive amendments. A copy of the amended Joint Code of Ethics is attached as Exhibit 14 to this report on Form 10-K.
Amended Bylaws.
We amended Section 2 of our Amended and Restated Bylaws to change the month in which we will hold our annual stockholders meeting from May to February. We believe that a February annual stockholders meeting is appropriate because of our September 30 fiscal year end. Our Amended and Restated Bylaws are attached as Exhibit 3.2 to this report on Form 10-K.
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PART III
We will file a definitive Proxy Statement for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders with the SEC, pursuant to Regulation 14A, not later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year. Accordingly, certain information required by Part III has been omitted under General Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K. Only those sections of our definitive Proxy Statement that specifically address the items set forth herein are incorporated by reference.
Item 10. | Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance |
The information required by Item 10 is hereby incorporated by reference from our definitive Proxy Statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days following the end of our fiscal year.
Item 11. | Executive Compensation |
The information required by Item 11 is hereby incorporated by reference from our definitive Proxy Statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days following the end of our fiscal year.
Item 12. | Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters |
The information required by Item 12 is hereby incorporated by reference from our definitive Proxy Statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days following the end of our fiscal year.
Item 13. | Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence |
The information required by Item 13 is hereby incorporated by reference from our definitive Proxy Statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days following the end of our fiscal year.
Item 14. | Principal Accountant Fees and Services |
The information required by Item 14 is hereby incorporated by reference from our definitive Proxy Statement relating to our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days following the end of our fiscal year.
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PART IV
Item 15. | Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules |
(a)(1) | Financial Statements. | |||
Refer to Item 8 above. | ||||
(a)(2) | Financial Statement Schedules | |||
None. | ||||
(a)(3) | Exhibits | |||
Unless specifically indicated otherwise, the following exhibits are incorporated by reference to exhibits previously filed with the SEC: | ||||
3.1 | Articles of Incorporation (Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-140092), filed on March 5, 2007). | |||
3.2* | Amended and Restated Bylaws. | |||
4.1 | Form of Share Certificate (Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Exhibit Filing as Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-140092), filed on April 5, 2007). | |||
10.1 | Form of Investment Management Agreement between the Registrant and PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC (Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-140092), filed on March 5, 2007). | |||
10.2 | Form of Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and LaSalle Bank National Association (Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-140092), filed on March 5, 2007). | |||
10.3 | Form of Administration Agreement between the Registrant and various lenders (Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Form 8-K Exhibit 99-2 (File No. 814-00736)), filed on June 28, 2007). | |||
10.4 | Dividend Reinvestment Plan (Incorporated by reference to the Registrants Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-140092), filed on March 5, 2007). | |||
10.5 | Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement between Registrant and various lenders (Incorporated by reference to the Report on Form 8-K. Exhibits 99.2 (File No. 814-00736), filed on June 28, 2007). | |||
11 | Computation of Per Share Earnings (included in the notes to the unaudited financial statements contained in this Report). | |||
14.1* | Code of Ethics of the Registrant | |||
31.1* | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. | |||
31.2* | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. | |||
32.1* | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to section 906 of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |||
32.2* | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to section 906 of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |||
99.1* | Privacy Policy of the Registrant |
* | Filed herewith. |
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Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION | ||||||||
Date: December 12, 2007 | By: | /s/ ARTHUR H. PENN | ||||||
Arthur H. Penn Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
Date: December 12, 2007 | By: | /s/ AVIV EFRAT | ||||||
Aviv Efrat Chief Financial Officer (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer) |
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Exhibit 3.2
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1. PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Board of Directors may designate.
Section 2. ADDITIONAL OFFICES. The Corporation may have additional offices, including a principal executive office, at such places as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
Section 1. PLACE. All meetings of stockholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation or at such other place as shall be set by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING. Commencing with the 2008 annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, an annual meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Corporation shall be held on a date and at the time set by the Board of Directors during the month of February of each year.
Section 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS.
(a) General. The Chairman of the Board, the president or the Board of Directors may call a special meeting of the stockholders. Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 3, a special meeting of stockholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Corporation upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
(b) Stockholder Requested Special Meetings. (1) Any stockholder of record seeking to have stockholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the secretary (the Record Date Request Notice) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Directors to fix a record date to determine the stockholders entitled to request a special meeting (the Request Record Date). The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more stockholders of record as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the Record Date Request Notice), shall bear the date of signature of
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each such stockholder (or such agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such stockholder that must be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Directors may fix a Request Record Date. The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten days after the close of business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors, within ten days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the tenth day after the first date on which the Record Date Request Notice is received by the secretary.
(2) In order for any stockholder to request a special meeting, one or more written requests for a special meeting signed by stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the request) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast not less than a majority (the Special Meeting Percentage) of all of the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting (the Special Meeting Request) shall be delivered to the secretary. In addition, the Special Meeting Request (a) shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to those lawful matters set forth in the Record Date Request Notice received by the secretary), (b) shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or such agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, (c) shall set forth the name and address, as they appear in the Corporations books, of each stockholder signing such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed) and the class, series and number of all shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned by each such stockholder, and the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned by such stockholder beneficially but not of record, (d) shall be sent to the secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and (e) shall be received by the secretary within 60 days after the Request Record Date. Any requesting stockholder (or agent duly authorized in a writing accompanying the revocation or the Special Meeting Request) may revoke his, her or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the secretary.
(3) The secretary shall inform the requesting stockholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice of meeting (including the Corporations proxy materials). The secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon stockholder request and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Section 3(b), the secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the mailing of any notice of the meeting.
(4) Except as provided in the next sentence, any special meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Chairman of the Board, the president or the Board of Directors, whoever has called the meeting. In the case of any special meeting called by the secretary upon the request of stockholders (a Stockholder Requested Meeting), such meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the
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Board of Directors; provided, however, that the date of any Stockholder Requested Meeting shall be not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the Meeting Record Date); and provided further that if the Board of Directors fails to designate, within ten days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the secretary (the Delivery Date), a date and time for a Stockholder Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on the 90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; and provided further that in the event that the Board of Directors fails to designate a place for a Stockholder Requested Meeting within ten days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation. In fixing a date for any special meeting, the Chairman of the Board, the president or the Board of Directors may consider such factors as he, she or it deems relevant within the good faith exercise of business judgment, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for meeting and any plan of the Board of Directors to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Stockholder Requested Meeting, if the Board of Directors fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date. The Board of Directors may revoke the notice for any Stockholder Requested Meeting in the event that the requesting stockholders fail to comply with the provisions of paragraph (3) of this Section 3(b).
(5) If written revocations of requests for the special meeting have been delivered to the Secretary and the result is that stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage have delivered, and not revoked, requests for a special meeting to the Secretary, the Secretary shall: (i) if the notice of meeting has not already been mailed, refrain from mailing the notice of the meeting and send to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked such requests written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting, or (ii) if the notice of meeting has been mailed and if the Secretary first sends to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked requests for a special meeting written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting and written notice of the Secretarys intention to revoke the notice of the meeting, revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten days before the commencement of the meeting. Any request for a special meeting received after a revocation by the Secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new special meeting.
(6) The Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or the president may appoint independent inspectors of elections to act as the agent of the Corporation for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special Meeting Request received by the secretary. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported request shall be deemed to have been delivered to the secretary until the earlier of (i) five Business Days after receipt by the secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Corporation that the valid requests received by the secretary represent at least the Special Meeting Percentage. Nothing contained in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that
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the Corporation or any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any request, whether during or after such five Business Day period, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).
(7) For purposes of these Bylaws, Business Day shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or other day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
Section 4. NOTICE OF MEETINGS. Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of stockholders, the secretary shall give to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each stockholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting written or printed notice stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called, either by mail, by presenting it to such stockholder personally, by leaving it at the stockholders residence or usual place of business or by any other means permitted by Maryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholders address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid.
Subject to Section 11(a) of this Article II, any business of the Corporation may be transacted at an annual meeting of stockholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of stockholders except as specifically designated in the notice.
Section 5. ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT. Every meeting of stockholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Directors to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment, by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the Chairman of the Board, by one of the following officers present at the meeting: the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, the president, any Vice president, the secretary, the Treasurer, the Chief Compliance Officer or, in the absence of such officers, a chairman chosen by the stockholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present in person or by proxy. The secretary or, in the secretarys absence, an assistant secretary or, in the absence of both the secretary and assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or, in the absence of such appointment, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting shall act as secretary. In the event that the secretary presides at a meeting of the stockholders, an assistant secretary, or, in the absence of assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of such chairman, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the
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commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to stockholders of record of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies or other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments by participants; (e) determining when the polls should be opened and closed; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any stockholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting; and (h) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time and at a place announced at the meeting. Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
Section 6. QUORUM. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast (without regard to class) shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the stockholders, except with respect to any such matter that, under applicable statutes or regulatory requirements, requires approval by a separate vote of one or more classes of stock, in which case the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by each such class on such a matter shall constitute a quorum. This section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the charter of the Corporation for the vote necessary for the adoption of any measure.
If, however, such quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.
The stockholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and convened, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.
Section 7. VOTING. Each director shall be elected by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of stock outstanding and entitled to vote thereon. Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute or by the charter of the Corporation. Unless otherwise provided in the charter, each outstanding share, regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders.
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Section 8. PROXIES. A stockholder may cast the votes entitled to be cast by the shares of stock owned of record by the stockholder in person or by proxy executed by the stockholder or by the stockholders duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law. Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Corporation before or at the meeting. No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months after its date unless otherwise provided in the proxy.
Section 9. VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS. Stock of the Corporation registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, a general partner or trustee thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such stock pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such stock. Any director or other fiduciary may vote stock registered in his or her name as such fiduciary, either in person or by proxy.
Shares of stock of the Corporation directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.
The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a stockholder may certify in writing to the Corporation that any shares of stock registered in the name of the stockholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the stockholder.
The resolution shall set forth the class of stockholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date or closing of the stock transfer books, the time after the record date or closing of the stock transfer books within which the certification must be received by the Corporation; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board of Directors considers necessary or desirable. On receipt of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the stockholder of record of the specified stock in place of the stockholder who makes the certification.
Section 10. INSPECTORS. The Board of Directors, in advance of any meeting, may, but need not, appoint one or more individual inspectors or one or more entities that designate individuals as inspectors to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof. If an inspector or inspectors are not appointed, the person presiding at the meeting may, but need not, appoint one or more inspectors. In case any person who may be appointed as an inspector fails to appear or act, the vacancy may be filled by appointment made by the Board of Directors in advance of the meeting or at the meeting by the chairman of the meeting. The inspectors, if any, shall determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the shares
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represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, the validity and effect of proxies, and shall receive votes, ballots or consents, hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, count and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, and determine the result, and do such acts as are proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all stockholders. Each such report shall be in writing and signed by him or her or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.
Section 11. ADVANCE NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDER NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR AND OTHER STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS.
(a) Annual Meetings of Stockholders. (1) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (i) pursuant to the Corporations notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by the stockholder as provided for in this Section 11(a) and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with this Section 11(a).
(2) For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 11, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Corporation and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the stockholders. To be timely, a stockholders notice shall set forth all information required under this Section 11 and shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 150th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of mailing of the notice for the preceding years annual meeting nor later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of mailing of the notice for the preceding years annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the preceding years annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholders notice as described above. Such stockholders notice shall set forth (i) as to each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director, (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of such individual, (B) the class, series and number of any shares of stock of the Corporation that are beneficially owned by such individual, (C) the date such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, (D) whether such stockholder believes any such individual is, or is not, an interested person of the Corporation, as defined in the
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Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder (the Investment Company Act) and information regarding such individual that is sufficient, in the discretion of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof or any authorized officer of the Corporation, to make such determination and (E) all other information relating to such individual that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder (including such individuals written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected); (ii) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a description of such business, the reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below), individually or in the aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the stockholder and the Stockholder Associated Person therefrom; (iii) as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person, the class, series and number of all shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned by such stockholder and by such Stockholder Associated Person, if any, and the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned beneficially but not of record by such stockholder and by any such Stockholder Associated Person; (iv) as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person covered by clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (2) of this Section 11(a), the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporations stock ledger and current name and address, if different, and of such Stockholder Associated Person; and (v) to the extent known by the stockholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other stockholder supporting the nominee for election or reelection as a director or the proposal of other business on the date of such stockholders notice.
(3) Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (a) of this Section 11 to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased and there is no public announcement of such action at least 130 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of mailing of the notice of the preceding years annual meeting, a stockholders notice required by this Section 11(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.
(4) For purposes of this Section 11, Stockholder Associated Person of any stockholder shall mean (i) any person controlling, directly or indirectly, or acting in concert with, such stockholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of stock of the Corporation owned of record or beneficially by such stockholder and (iii) any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Stockholder Associated Person.
(b) Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporations notice of meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of
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Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected (i) pursuant to the Corporations notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such special meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 11 and at the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 11. In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more individuals to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a director as specified in the Corporations notice of meeting, if the stockholders notice required by paragraph (2) of this Section 11(a) shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 150th day prior to such special meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting. The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholders notice as described above.
(c) General. (1) Upon written request by the secretary or the Board of Directors or any committee thereof, any stockholder proposing a nominee for election as a director or any proposal for other business at a meeting of stockholders shall provide, within five Business Days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), written verification, satisfactory, in the discretion of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof or any authorized officer of the Corporation, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 11. If a stockholder fails to provide such written verification within such period, the information as to which written verification was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 11.
(2) Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Section 11 shall be eligible for election by stockholders as directors, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 11. The chairman of the meeting shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 11.
(3) For purposes of this Section 11, (a) the date of mailing of the notice shall mean the date of the proxy statement for the solicitation of proxies for election of directors and (b) public announcement shall mean disclosure (i) in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Business Wire, PR Newswire or comparable news service or (ii) in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Investment Company Act.
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(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 11. Nothing in this Section 11 shall be deemed to affect any right of a stockholder to request inclusion of a proposal in, nor the right of the Corporation to omit a proposal from, the Corporations proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act.
Section 12. VOTING BY BALLOT. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the presiding officer shall order or any stockholder shall demand that voting be by ballot.
Section 13. CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT. Notwithstanding any other provision of the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the MGCL), or any successor statute, shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation. This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.
ARTICLE III
DIRECTORS
Section 1. GENERAL POWERS. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Directors.
Section 2. NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board of Directors may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than four nor more than eight, and further provided that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors.
Section 3. ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS. An annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders, no notice other than this Bylaw being necessary. In the event such meeting is not so held, the meeting may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the Board of Directors. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held from time to time at such places and times as provided by the Board of Directors by resolution, without notice other than such resolution.
Section 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the chairman of the Board of Directors, the president or by a majority of the directors then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Directors may fix any place as the place for holding any special meeting of the
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Board of Directors called by them. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of special meetings of the Board of Directors without notice other than such resolution.
Section 5. NOTICE. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, United States mail or courier to each director at his or her business or residence address. Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic mail or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least three days prior to the meeting. Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the director or his or her agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the director or his or her agent is a party. Electronic mail notice shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Corporation by the director. Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Corporation by the director and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.
Section 6. QUORUM. A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, provided that, if less than a majority of such directors are present at said meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to applicable law, the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority of a particular group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority of such group.
The directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and convened may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough directors to leave less than a quorum.
Section 7. VOTING. The action of the majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable statute or the charter. If enough directors have withdrawn from a meeting to leave less than a quorum but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of that number of the directors necessary to constitute a quorum at such meeting shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable statute or the charter.
Section 8. ORGANIZATION. At each meeting of the Board of Directors, the chairman of the board or, in the absence of the chairman, the vice chairman of the board, if any,
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shall act as Chairman. In the absence of both the chairman and vice chairman of the board, the chief executive officer or in the absence of the chief executive officer, the president or in the absence of the president, a director chosen by a majority of the directors present, shall act as Chairman. The secretary or, in his or her absence, an assistant secretary of the Corporation, or in the absence of the secretary and all assistant secretaries, a person appointed by the Chairman, shall act as secretary of the meeting.
Section 9. TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time; provided however, this Section 9 does not apply to any action of the directors pursuant to the Investment Company Act, that requires the vote of the directors to be cast in person at a meeting. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 10. WRITTEN CONSENT BY DIRECTORS. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each director and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors; provided however, this Section 10 does not apply to any action of the directors pursuant to the Investment Company Act, that requires the vote of the directors to be cast in person at a meeting.
Section 11. VACANCIES. If for any reason any or all the directors cease to be directors, such event shall not terminate the Corporation or affect these Bylaws or the powers of the remaining directors hereunder, if any. Pursuant to the Corporations election in Article IV of the charter, subject to applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act, except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, (a) any vacancy on the Board of Directors may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum and (b) any director elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the class in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies.
Section 12. COMPENSATION. Directors shall not receive any stated salary for their services as directors but, by resolution of the Board of Directors, may receive compensation per year and/or per meeting and/or per visit to real property or other facilities owned or leased by the Corporation and for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors. Directors may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with each property visit and any other service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any directors from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
Section 13. LOSS OF DEPOSITS. No director shall be liable for any loss which may occur by reason of the failure of the bank, trust company, savings and loan association, or other institution with whom moneys or stock have been deposited.
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Section 14. SURETY BONDS. Unless required by law, no director shall be obligated to give any bond or surety or other security for the performance of any of his or her duties.
Section 15. RELIANCE. Each director, officer, employee and agent of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Corporation, be fully justified and protected with regard to any act or failure to act in reliance in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation, upon an opinion of counsel or upon reports made to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees or by the adviser, accountants, appraisers or other experts or consultants selected by the Board of Directors or officers of the Corporation, regardless of whether such counsel or expert may also be a director.
ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES
Section 1. NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Nominating Committee and other committees, composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. POWERS. The Board of Directors may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article any of the powers of the Board of Directors, except as prohibited by law.
Section 3. MEETINGS. Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Directors. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Board of Directors may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the Committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide. In the absence of any member of any such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint another director to act in the place of such absent member. Each committee shall keep minutes of its proceedings.
Section 4. TELEPHONE MEETINGS. Members of a committee of the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 5. WRITTEN CONSENT BY COMMITTEES. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors may be taken
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without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each member of the committee and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.
Section 6. VACANCIES. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill all vacancies, to designate alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee. Subject to the power of the Board of Directors, the members of the committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies on the committee.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS. The officers of the Corporation shall include a president, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a chief executive officer, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, one or more assistant. secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers. In addition, the Board of Directors may from time to time elect such other officers with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary or desirable. The Board of Directors may designate a Chairman of the Board and a Vice Chairman of the Board, who shall not be officers of the Corporation but shall have such powers and duties as determined by the Board of Directors from time to time. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors, except that the chief executive officer or president may from time to time appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries, assistant treasurers or other officers. Each officer shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until death, resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person. Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Corporation and such officer or agent.
Section 2. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. Any officer or agent of the Corporation may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Directors if in its judgment the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by giving written notice of his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the chairman of the board, the president or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the notice of resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Corporation.
Section 3. VACANCIES. A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Directors for the balance of the term.
Section 4. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief executive officer. In the absence of such designation, the president shall be the
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chief executive officer of the Corporation. The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Corporation, as determined by the Board of Directors, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of chief executive officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Section 5. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief operating officer. The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.
Section 6. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. The Board of Directors may designate a chief financial officer. The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.
Section 7. PRESIDENT. In the absence of a designation of a chief executive officer by the Board of Directors, the president shall be the chief executive officer. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.
Section 8. VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to such vice president by the president or by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president or as vice president for particular areas of responsibility.
Section 9. SECRETARY. The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the stockholders, the Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such stockholder; (e) have general charge of the stock transfer books of the Corporation; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board of Directors.
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Section 10. TREASURER. The treasurer shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors. In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Corporation.
The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the president and Board of Directors, at the regular meetings of the Board of Directors or whenever it may so require, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.
If required by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors for the faithful performance of the duties of his or her office and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of his or her death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, moneys and other property of whatever kind in his or her possession or under his or her control belonging to the Corporation.
Section 11. ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS. The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the president or the Board of Directors. The assistant treasurers shall, if required by the Board of Directors, give bonds for the faithful performance of their duties in such sums and with such surety or sureties as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VI
CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS
Section 1. CONTRACTS. The Board of Directors, the Executive Committee or another committee of the Board of Directors within the scope of its delegated authority, may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Corporation when authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee or such other committee and executed by an authorized person.
Section 2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Corporation in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.
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Section 3. DEPOSITS. All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors may designate.
ARTICLE VII
STOCK
Section 1. CERTIFICATES; REQUIRED INFORMATION. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, stockholders of the Corporation are not entitled to certificates representing the shares of stock held by them. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock represented by certificates, such certificates shall be signed by the officers of the Corporation in the manner permitted by the MGCL and contain the statements and information required by the MGCL. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock without certificates, the Corporation shall provide to record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required (if any) by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates.
Section 2. TRANSFERS WHEN CERTIFICATES ISSUED. Subject to any determination of the Board of Directors pursuant to Section 1 of this Article, upon surrender to the Corporation or the transfer agent of the Corporation of a stock certificate duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, the Corporation shall issue a new certificate to the person entitled thereto, cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books.
The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of stock as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class of stock will be subject in all respects to the charter of the Corporation and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.
Section 3. REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE. Subject to any determination of the Board of Directors pursuant to Section 1 of this Article, the president, the secretary, the treasurer or any officer designated by the Board of Directors may direct a new certificate to be issued in place of any certificate previously issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed. When authorizing the issuance of a new certificate, an officer designated by the Board of Directors may, in his or her discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or the owners legal representative to advertise the same in such manner as he or she shall require and/or to give bond, with sufficient surety, to the Corporation to indemnify it against any loss or claim which may arise as a result of the issuance of a new certificate.
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Section 4. CLOSING OF TRANSFER BOOKS OR FIXING OF RECORD DATE. The Board of Directors may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or determining stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose. Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of stockholders of record is to be held or taken.
In lieu of fixing a record date, the Board of Directors may provide that the stock transfer books shall be closed for a stated period but not longer than 20 days. If the stock transfer books are closed for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders, such books shall be closed for at least ten days before the date of such meeting.
If no record date is fixed and the stock transfer books are not closed for the determination of stockholders, (a) the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day on which the notice of meeting is mailed or the 30th day before the meeting, whichever is the closer date to the meeting; and (b) the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive payment of a dividend or an allotment of any other rights shall be the close of business on the day on which the resolution of the directors, declaring the dividend or allotment of rights, is adopted.
When a determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof, except when (i) the determination has been made through the closing of the transfer books and the stated period of closing has expired or (ii) the meeting is adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the record date fixed for the original meeting, in either of which case a new record date shall be determined as set forth herein.
Section 5. STOCK LEDGER. The Corporation shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate share ledger containing the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of each class held by such stockholder.
Section 6. FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNITS. The Board of Directors may issue fractional stock or provide for the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as they may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the charter or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may issue units consisting of different securities of the Corporation. Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Corporation, except that the Board of Directors may provide that for a specified period securities of the Corporation issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Corporation only in such unit.
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ARTICLE VIII
ACCOUNTING YEAR
The Board of Directors shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Corporation by a duly adopted resolution.
ARTICLE IX
DISTRIBUTIONS
Section 1. AUTHORIZATION. Dividends and other distributions upon the stock of the Corporation may be authorized by the Board of Directors, subject to the provisions of law and the charter of the Corporation. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of law and the charter.
Section 2. CONTINGENCIES. Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Corporation available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Directors may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends or other distributions, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall determine to be in the best interest of the Corporation, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve.
ARTICLE X
SEAL
Section 1. SEAL. The Board of Directors may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Corporation. The seal shall contain the name of the Corporation and the year of its incorporation and the words Incorporated Maryland. The Board of Directors may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.
Section 2. AFFIXING SEAL. Whenever the Corporation is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word (SEAL) adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Corporation.
ARTICLE XI
INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES
To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and the Investment Company Act, in effect from time to time, the Corporation shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse
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reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any individual who is a present or former director or officer of the Corporation and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (b) any individual who, while a director or officer of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner or trustee of such corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The Corporation may, with the approval of its Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee thereof, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to a person who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation. The indemnification and payment of expenses provided in these Bylaws shall not be deemed exclusive of or limit in any way other rights to which any person seeking indemnification or payment of expenses may be or may become entitled under any bylaw, regulation, insurance, agreement or otherwise.
Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Bylaws or charter of the Corporation inconsistent with this Article, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.
ARTICLE XII
WAIVER OF NOTICE
Whenever any notice is required to be given pursuant to the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
ARTICLE XIII
INSPECTION OF RECORDS
A stockholder that is otherwise eligible under applicable law to inspect the Corporations books of account, stock ledger, or other specified documents of the Corporation shall have no right to make such inspection if the Board of Directors determines that such stockholder has an improper purpose for requesting such inspection.
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ARTICLE XIV
INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT
If and to the extent that any provision of the MGCL, including, without limitation, Subtitle 6 and, if then applicable, Subtitle 7, of Title 3 of the MGCL, or any provision of the charter or these Bylaws conflicts with any provision of the Investment Company Act, the applicable provision of the Investment Company Act shall control.
ARTICLE XV
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws.
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Exhibit 14.1
JOINT CODE OF ETHICS
FOR
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT ADVISERS, LLC
Section I Statement of General Fiduciary Principles
This Joint Code of Ethics (the Code) has been adopted by each of PennantPark Investment Corporation (the Corporation), and PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC, the Corporations investment adviser (the Adviser), in compliance with Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Act) and Section 204A of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the Advisers Act). The purpose of the Code is to establish standards and procedures for the detection and prevention of activities by which persons having knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of the Corporation may abuse their fiduciary duty to the Corporation, and otherwise to deal with the types of conflict of interest situations to which Rule 17j-1 is addressed. As it relates to Section 204A of the Advisers Act, the purpose of this Code is to establish procedures that, taking into consideration the nature of the Advisers business, are reasonably designed to prevent misuse of material non-public information in violation of the federal securities laws by persons associated with the Adviser.
The Code is based on the principle that the directors and officers of the Corporation, and the managers, partners, officers and employees of the Adviser, who provide services to the Corporation, owe a fiduciary duty to the Corporation to conduct their personal securities transactions in a manner that does not interfere with the Corporations transactions or otherwise take unfair advantage of their relationship with the Corporation. All directors, managers, partners, officers and employees of the Corporation, and the Adviser (Covered Personnel) are expected to adhere to this general principle as well as to comply with all of the specific provisions of this Code that are applicable to them. Any Covered Personnel who is affiliated with another entity that is a registered investment adviser is, in addition, expected to comply with the provisions of the code of ethics that has been adopted by such other investment adviser.
Technical compliance with the Code will not automatically insulate any Covered Personnel from scrutiny of transactions that show a pattern of compromise or abuse of the individuals fiduciary duty to the Corporation. Accordingly, all Covered Personnel must seek to avoid any actual or potential conflicts between their personal interests and the interests of the Corporation and its shareholders. In sum, all Covered Personnel shall place the interests of the Corporation before their own personal interests.
All Covered Personnel must read and retain this Code.
Section II Definitions
(A) | Access Person means any director, officer, general partner or Advisory Person (as defined below) of the Corporation or the Adviser. |
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(B) | An Advisory Person of the Corporation or the Adviser means: (i) any employee of the Corporation or the Adviser, or any company in a Control (as defined below) relationship to the Corporation or the Adviser, who in connection with his or her regular functions or duties makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of any Covered Security (as defined below) by the Corporation, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendation with respect to such purchases or sales; and (ii) any natural person in a Control relationship to the Corporation or the Adviser, who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Corporation with regard to the purchase or sale of any Covered Security by the Corporation. |
(C) | Beneficial Ownership is interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 1934 Act) in determining whether a person is a beneficial owner of a security for purposes of Section 16 of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. |
(D) | Chief Compliance Officer means the Chief Compliance Officer of the Corporation (who also may serve as the compliance officer of the Adviser and/or one or more affiliates of the Adviser). Corporation shall initially have no Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to the completion of the Corporations initial public offering, the Corporation will appoint a Chief Compliance Officer or appoint a company to act in that capacity. |
(E) | Control shall have the same meaning as that set forth in Section 2(a)(9) of the Act. |
(F) | Covered Security means a security as defined in Section 2(a)(36) of the Act, which includes: any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, pre-organization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing. |
Except that Covered Security does not include: (i) direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) bankers acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; and (iii) shares issued by open-end investment companies
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registered under the Act. References to a Covered Security in this Code (e.g., a prohibition or requirement applicable to the purchase or sale of a Covered Security) shall be deemed to refer to and to include any warrant for, option in, or security immediately convertible into that Covered Security, and shall also include any instrument that has an investment return or value that is based, in whole or in part, on that Covered Security (collectively, Derivatives). Therefore, except as otherwise specifically provided by this Code: (i) any prohibition or requirement of this Code applicable to the purchase or sale of a Covered Security shall also be applicable to the purchase or sale of a Derivative relating to that Covered Security; and (ii) any prohibition or requirement of this Code applicable to the purchase or sale of a Derivative shall also be applicable to the purchase or sale of a Covered Security relating to that Derivative.
(G) | Independent Director means a director of the Corporation who is not an interested person of the Corporation within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the Act. |
(H) | Initial Public Offering means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act), the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act. |
(I) | Limited Offering means an offering that is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) thereof or pursuant to Rule 504, Rule 505, or Rule 506 thereunder. |
(J) | Security Held or to be Acquired by the Corporation means: (i) any Covered Security which, within the most recent 15 days: (A) is or has been held by the Corporation; or (B) is being or has been considered by the Corporation or the Adviser for purchase by the Corporation; and (ii) any option to purchase or sell, and any security convertible into or exchangeable for, a Covered Security described in Section II (K)(i). |
(K) | 17j-1 Organization means the Corporation or the Adviser, as the context requires. |
Section III Objective and General Prohibitions
Covered Personnel may not engage in any investment transaction under circumstances in which the Covered Personnel benefits from or interferes with the purchase or sale of investments by the Corporation. In addition, Covered Personnel may not use information concerning the investments or investment intentions of the Corporation, or their ability to influence such investment intentions, for personal gain or in a manner detrimental to the interests of the Corporation.
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Covered Personnel may not engage in conduct that is deceitful, fraudulent or manipulative, or that involves false or misleading statements, in connection with the purchase or sale of investments by the Corporation. In this regard, Covered Personnel should recognize that Rule 17j-1 makes it unlawful for any affiliated person of the Corporation, or any affiliated person of an investment adviser for the Corporation, in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, by the person of a Security Held or to be Acquired by the Corporation to:
(i) | employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Corporation; |
(ii) | make any untrue statement of a material fact to the Corporation or omit to state to the Corporation a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; |
(iii) | engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Corporation; or |
(iv) | engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Corporation. |
Covered Personnel should also recognize that a violation of this Code or of Rule 17j-1 may result in the imposition of: (1) sanctions as provided by Section VIII below; or (2) administrative, civil and, in certain cases, criminal fines, sanctions or penalties.
Section IV Prohibited Transactions
(A) | An Access Person may not purchase or otherwise acquire direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of any Covered Security, and may not sell or otherwise dispose of any Covered Security in which he or she has direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership, if he or she knows or should know at the time of entering into the transaction that: (1) the Corporation has purchased or sold the Covered Security within the last 15 calendar days, or is purchasing or selling or intends to purchase or sell the Covered Security in the next 15 calendar days; or (2) the Adviser has within the last 15 calendar days considered purchasing or selling the Covered Security for the Corporation or within the next 15 calendar days intend to consider purchasing or selling the Covered Security for the Corporation. |
(B) | Every Advisory Person of the Corporation or the Adviser must obtain approval from the Corporation or the Adviser, as the case may be, before directly or indirectly acquiring Beneficial Ownership in any securities in an Initial Public Offering or in a Limited Offering. Such approval must be obtained from the Chief Compliance Officer, unless he is the person seeking such approval, in which case it must be obtained from the President of the 17j-1 Organization. |
(C) | No Access Person shall recommend any transaction in any Covered Securities by the Corporation without having disclosed to the Chief Compliance Officer his or |
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her interest, if any, in such Covered Securities or the issuer thereof, including: the Access Persons Beneficial Ownership of any Covered Securities of such issuer; any contemplated transaction by the Access Person in such Covered Securities; any position the Access Person has with such issuer; and any present or proposed business relationship between such issuer and the Access Person (or a party which the Access Person has a significant interest). |
Section V Reports by Access Persons
(A) | Personal Securities Holdings Reports. |
All Access Persons shall within 10 days of the date on which they become Access Persons, and thereafter, within 30 days after the end of each calendar year, disclose the title, number of shares and principal amount of all Covered Securities in which they have a Beneficial Ownership as of the date the person became an Access Person, in the case of such persons initial report, and as of the last day of the year, as to annual reports. A form of such report, which is hereinafter called a Personal Securities Holdings Report, is attached as Schedule A. Each Personal Securities Holdings Report must also disclose the name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person as of the date the person became an Access Person or as of the last day of the year, as the case may be. Each Personal Securities Holdings Report shall state the date it is being submitted.
(B) | Quarterly Transaction Reports. |
Within 10 days after the end of each calendar quarter, each Access Person shall make a written report to the Chief Compliance Officer of all transactions occurring in the quarter in a Covered Security in which he or she had any Beneficial Ownership. A form of such report, which is hereinafter called a Quarterly Securities Transaction Report, is attached as Schedule B.
A Quarterly Securities Transaction Report shall be in the form of Schedule B or such other form approved by the Chief Compliance Officer and must contain the following information with respect to each reportable transaction:
(1) Date and nature of the transaction (purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
(2) Title, interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security involved and the price of the Covered Security at which the transaction was effected;
(3) Name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and
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(4) The date the report is submitted by the Access Person.
(C) | Independent Directors. |
Notwithstanding the reporting requirements set forth in this Section V, an Independent Director who would be required to make a report under this Section V solely by reason of being a director of the Corporation is not required to file a Personal Securities Holding Report upon becoming a director of the Corporation or an annual Personal Securities Holding Report. Such an Independent Director also need not file a Quarterly Securities Transaction Report unless such director knew or, in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a director of the Corporation, should have known that during the 15-day period immediately preceding or after the date of the transaction in a Covered Security by the director such Covered Security is or was purchased or sold by the Corporation or the Corporation or the Adviser considered purchasing or selling such Covered Security.
(D) | Access Persons of the Adviser. |
An Access Person of the Adviser need not make a Quarterly Transaction Report if all of the information in the report would duplicate information required to be recorded pursuant to Rules 204-2(a)(12) or (13) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
(E) | Brokerage Accounts and Statements. |
Access Persons, except Independent Directors, shall:
(1) within 10 days after the end of each calendar quarter, identify the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person established an account in which any securities were held during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person and identify any new account(s) and the date the account(s) were established. This information shall be included on the appropriate Quarterly Securities Transaction Report.
(2) instruct the brokers, dealers or banks with whom they maintain such an account to provide duplicate account statements to the Chief Compliance Officer.
(3) on an annual basis, certify that they have complied with the requirements of (1) and (2) above.
(F) | Form of Reports. |
A Quarterly Securities Transaction Report may consist of broker statements or other statements that provide a list of all personal Covered Securities holdings and transactions in the time period covered by the report and contain the information required in a Quarterly Securities Transaction Report.
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(G) | Responsibility to Report. |
It is the responsibility of each Access Person to take the initiative to comply with the requirements of this Section V. Any effort by the Corporation, or by the Adviser and its affiliates, to facilitate the reporting process does not change or alter that responsibility. A person need not make a report hereunder with respect to transactions effected for, and Covered Securities held in, any account over which the person has no direct or indirect influence or control.
(H) | Where to File Reports. |
All Quarterly Securities Transaction Reports and Personal Securities Holdings Reports must be filed with the Chief Compliance Officer.
(I) | Disclaimers. |
Any report required by this Section V may contain a statement that the report will not be construed as an admission that the person making the report has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Covered, Security to which the report relates.
Section VI Additional Prohibitions
(A) | Confidentiality of the Corporations Transactions. |
Until disclosed in a public report to shareholders or to the Securities and Exchange Commission in the normal course, all information concerning the securities being considered for purchase or sale by the Corporation shall be kept confidential by all Covered Personnel and disclosed by them only on a need to know basis. It shall be the responsibility of the Chief Compliance Officer to report any inadequacy found in this regard to the directors of the Corporation.
(B) | Outside Business Activities and Directorships. |
Access Persons may not engage in any outside business activities that may give rise to conflicts of interest or jeopardize the integrity or reputation of the Corporation. Similarly, no such outside business activities may be inconsistent with the interests of the Corporation. All directorships of public or private companies held by Access Persons shall be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer.
(C) | Gratuities. |
Covered Personnel shall not, directly or indirectly, take, accept or receive gifts or other consideration in merchandise, services or otherwise of more than nominal value from any person, firm, corporation, association or other entity other than such persons employer that does business, or proposes to do business, with the Corporation.
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Section VII Prohibition Against Insider Trading
This Section is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 204A of the Advisers Act, which is applicable to the Adviser and requires that the Adviser establish and enforce procedures designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information by its associated persons. It applies to all Advisory Persons. Trading securities while in possession of material, non-public information, or improperly communicating that information to others, may expose an Advisory Person to severe penalties. Criminal sanctions may include a fine of up to $1,000,000 and/or ten years imprisonment. The SEC can recover the profits gained or losses avoided through the violative trading, a penalty of up to three times the illicit windfall, and an order permanently barring an Advisory Person from the securities industry. Finally, an Advisory Person may be sued by investors seeking to recover damages for insider trading violations.
(A) | No Advisory Person may trade a security, either personally or on behalf of any other person or account (including any fund), while in possession of material, non-public information concerning that security or the issuer thereof, nor may any Advisory Person communicate material, non-public information to others in violation of the law. |
(B) | Information is material where there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions. Generally, this includes any information the disclosure of which will have a substantial effect on the price of a security. No simple test exists to determine when information is material; assessments of materiality involve a highly fact specific inquiry. For this reason, an Advisory Person should direct any questions about whether information is material to the Chief Compliance Officer. Material information often relates to a companys results and operations, including, for example, dividend changes, earnings results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments. Material information may also relate to the market for a companys securities. Information about a significant order to purchase or sell Securities may, in some contexts, be material. Pre-publication information regarding reports in the financial press may also be material. |
(C) | Information is public when it has been disseminated broadly to investors in the marketplace. For example, information is public after it has become available to the general public through a public filing with the SEC or some other government agency, the Dow Jones tape or The Wall Street Journal or some other publication of general circulation, and after sufficient time has passed so that the information has been disseminated widely. |
(D) | An Advisory Person, before executing any trade for himself or herself, or others, including the Corporation or other accounts managed by the Adviser or by a stockholder of the Adviser, or any affiliate of the stockholder (Client Accounts), |
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must determine whether he or she has material, non-public information. Any Advisory Person who believes he or she is in possession of material, non-public information must take the following steps:
(1) | Report the information and proposed trade immediately to the Chief Compliance Officer. |
(2) | Do not purchase or sell the securities on behalf of anyone, including Client Accounts. |
(3) | Do not communicate the information to any person, other than to the Chief Compliance Officer. |
After the Chief Compliance Officer has reviewed the issue, the Chief Compliance Officer will determine whether the information is material and non-public and, if so, what action the Advisory Person should take. An Advisory Person must consult with the Chief Compliance Officer before taking any further action. This degree of caution will protect the Advisory Person and the Adviser.
(E) | To prevent and detect insider trading from occurring, the Chief Compliance Officer shall prepare and maintain a Restricted List in order to monitor and prevent the occurrence of insider trading in certain securities that Access Persons are prohibited or restricted from trading. The Chief Compliance Officer manages, maintains and updates the Restricted List to actually restrict trading (no buying, no selling, no shorting, no trading, etc.) in the securities of specific issuers for personal accounts and on behalf Advisers clients. Before executing any trade for himself or herself, Advisory Persons are required to determine whether the transaction involves a security on the Restricted List. Advisory Persons are prohibited from trading any security which appears on the Restricted List, except that, with prior approval, an Advisory Person may sell securities which were not on the Restricted List when acquired (or which were acquired at a time when the Advisory Person was not subject to such restrictions). The Restricted List must be maintained strictly confidential and not disclosed to anyone outside of the Adviser and the Corporation. |
(F) | Contacts with public companies will sometimes be a part of an Advisers research efforts. Persons providing investment advisory services to the Corporation may make investment decisions on the basis of conclusions formed through such contacts and analysis of publicly available information. Difficult legal issues arise, however, when, in the course of these contacts, an Advisory Person becomes aware of material, non-public information. This could happen, for example, if a companys chief financial officer prematurely discloses quarterly results to an analyst, or an investor relations representative makes selective disclosure of adverse news to a handful of investors. In such situations, the Adviser must make a judgment as to its further conduct. To protect yourself, clients and the Adviser, you should contact the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you believe that you may have received material, non-public information. |
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Section VIII Annual Certification
(A) | Access Persons. |
Access Persons who are directors, managers, officers or employees of the Corporation or the Adviser shall be required to certify annually that they have read this Code and that they understand it and recognize that they are subject to it. Further, such Access Persons shall be required to certify annually that they have complied with the requirements of this Code.
(B) | Board Review. |
No less frequently than annually, the Corporation and the Adviser must furnish to the Corporations board of directors, and the board must consider, a written report that: (A) describes any issues arising under this Code or procedures since the last report to the board, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the Code or procedures and sanctions imposed in response to material violations; and (B) certifies that the Corporation or the Adviser, as applicable, has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code.
Section IX Sanctions
Any violation of this Code shall be subject to the imposition of such sanctions by the 17j-1 Organization as may be deemed appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the purposes of Rule 17j-1 and this Code. The sanctions to be imposed shall be determined by the board of directors, including a majority of the Independent Directors, provided, however, that with respect to violations by persons who are directors, managers, officers or employees of the Adviser (or of a company that controls the Adviser), the sanctions to be imposed shall be determined by the Adviser (or the controlling person thereof). Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, suspension or termination of employment, a letter of censure and/or restitution of an amount equal to the difference between the price paid or received by the Corporation and the more advantageous price paid or received by the offending person.
Section X Administration and Construction
(A) | The administration of this Code shall be the responsibility of the Chief Compliance Officer. |
(B) | The duties of the Chief Compliance Officer are as follows: |
(1) Continuous maintenance of a current list of the names of all Access Persons with an appropriate description of their title or employment, including a notation of any
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directorships held by Access Persons who are officers or employees of the Adviser or of any company that controls the Adviser, and informing all Access Persons of their reporting obligations hereunder;
(2) On an annual basis, providing all Covered Personnel a copy of this Code and informing such persons of their duties and obligations hereunder including any supplemental training that may be required from time to time;
(3) Maintaining or supervising the maintenance of all records and reports required by this Code;
(4) Preparing listings of all transactions effected by Access Persons who are subject to the requirement to file Quarterly Securities Transaction Reports and reviewing such transactions against a listing of all transactions effected by the Corporation;
(5) Issuance either personally or with the assistance of counsel as may be appropriate, of any interpretation of this Code that may appear consistent with the objectives of Rule 17j-1 and this Code;
(6) Conduct such inspections or investigations as shall reasonably be required to detect and report, with recommendations, any apparent violations of this Code to the board of directors of the Corporation;
(7) Submission of a report to the board of directors of the Corporation, no less frequently than annually, a written report that describes any issues arising under the Code since the last such report, including but not limited to the information described in Section VII (B); and
(C) | The Chief Financial Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained in an easily accessible place at the principal place of business of the 17j-1 Organization, the following records: |
(1) A copy of all codes of ethics adopted by the Corporation or the Adviser and its affiliates, as the case may be, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 that have been in effect at any time during the past five (5) years;
(2) A record of each violation of such codes of ethics and of any action taken as a result of such violation for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs;
(3) A copy of each report made by an Access Person for at least two (2) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report is made, and for an additional three (3) years in a place that need not be easily accessible;
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(4) A copy of each report made by the Chief Compliance Officer to the board of directors for two (2) years from the end of the fiscal year of the Corporation in which such report is made or issued and for an additional three (3) years in a place that need not be easily accessible;
(5) A list of all persons who are, or within the past five (5) years have been, required to make reports pursuant to the Rule and this Code of Ethics, or who are or were responsible for reviewing such reports;
(6) A copy of each report required by Section VII (B) for at least two (2) years after the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, and for an additional three (3) years in a place that need not be easily accessible; and
(7) A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition by an Advisory Person of securities in an Initial Public Offering or Limited Offering for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted.
(D) | This Code may not be amended or modified except in a written form that is specifically approved by majority vote of the Independent Directors. |
This Joint Code of Ethics was adopted and approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including a majority of the Independent Directors, at a meeting on December 12, 2007.
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EXHIBIT 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
I, Arthur H. Penn, Chief Executive Officer of PennantPark Investment Corporation, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Report on Form 10-K of PennantPark Investment Corporation;
2. Based on my knowledge, this Report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this Report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this Report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this Report;
4. The companys other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this Report is being prepared;
b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the companys disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this Report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this Report based on such evaluation; and
c) Disclosed in this Report any change in the companys internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the companys internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The companys other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the companys auditors and the audit committee of the companys board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the companys ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the companys internal control over financial reporting.
Dated: December 12, 2007. |
/s/ ARTHUR H. PENN |
Arthur H. Penn |
Chief Executive Officer |
EXHIBIT 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
I, Aviv Efrat, Chief Financial Officer of PennantPark Investment Corporation, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Report on Form 10-K of PennantPark Investment Corporation;
2. Based on my knowledge, this Report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this Report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this Report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this Report;
4. The companys other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this Report is being prepared;
b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the companys disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this Report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this Report based on such evaluation; and
c) Disclosed in this Report any change in the companys internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the companys internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The companys other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the companys auditors and the audit committee of the companys board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the companys ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the companys internal control over financial reporting.
Dated: December 12, 2007. |
/s/ AVIV EFRAT |
Aviv Efrat |
Chief Financial Officer |
EXHIBIT 32.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 (18 U.S.C. 1350)
In connection with this Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2007 (the Report) of PennantPark Investment Corporation. (the Registrant), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Arthur H. Penn, Chief Executive Officer of the Registrant, hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, that:
(1) | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and |
(2) | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant. |
/s/ ARTHUR H. PENN | ||
Name: | Arthur H. Penn |
Date: December 12, 2007
EXHIBIT 32.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 (18 U.S.C. 1350)
In connection with this Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2007 (the Report) of PennantPark Investment Corporation (the Registrant), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Aviv Efrat, Chief Financial Officer of the Registrant, hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, that:
(1) | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and |
(2) | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant. |
/s/ AVIV EFRAT | ||
Name: | Aviv Efrat |
Date: December 12, 2007
Exhibit 99.1
PENNANTPARK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
PRIVACY POLICY
To PennantPark Investment Corporation Investors:
We take precautions to maintain the privacy of personal information concerning our investors. These precautions include the adoption of certain procedures designed to maintain and secure your nonpublic personal information from inappropriate disclosure to unaffiliated third parties. We are sending this notice in accordance with applicable federal regulations. This notice applies to investors in PennantPark Investment Corporation (the Corporation).
What kind of personal information do we have about you and where did we get it?
We collect nonpublic personal information about you from the following sources:
| Information we may receive from you in subscription agreements or other related documents or forms; and |
| Information about your transactions with our affiliates and us. |
How do we protect your personal information?
We do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about our investors or former investors to anyone, except as permitted by law.
We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to those employees and agents of PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC, its affiliates and unaffiliated third party service providers (which may include a custodian, transfer agent or printer) who need to know that information in order to provide services to you or to the Corporation. In that regard, we note that we maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to safeguard your nonpublic personal information and which we believe is adequate to prevent unauthorized disclosure of such information.
What do we do with personal information about our former investors?
If an investor decides to no longer do business with us, we will continue to follow this privacy policy with respect to the information we have in our possession about such investor and his/her account.
If you have any questions concerning our privacy policies, please contact our Chief Financial Officer, Aviv Efrat at (212) 905-1000.