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Investcorp Credit Management BDC (ICMB) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q3, 2022
Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Sep 30, 2022, filed Nov 14, 2022
Risk Change Over Time
- Debt & Financing - Risk 1The interest rates of our term loans to our portfolio companies that extend beyond 2021 might be subject to change based on recent regulatory changes.
LIBOR, the London Interbank Offered Rate, is the basic rate of interest used in lending between banks on the London interbank market and is widely used as a reference for setting the interest rate on loans globally. We typically use LIBOR as a reference rate in term loans we extend to portfolio companies such that the interest due to us pursuant to a term loan extended to a partner company is calculated using LIBOR. The terms of our debt investments generally include minimum interest rate floors which are calculated based on LIBOR. On March 5, 2021, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA"), which regulates LIBOR, announced that (i) 24 LIBOR settings would cease to exist immediately after December 31, 2021 (all seven euro LIBOR settings; all seven Swiss franc LIBOR settings; the Spot Next, 1-week, 2-month, and 12-month Japanese yen LIBOR settings; the overnight, 1-week, 2-month, and 12-month sterling LIBOR settings; and the 1-week and 2-month US dollar LIBOR settings); (ii) the overnight and 12-month US LIBOR settings would cease to exist after June 30, 2023; and (iii) the FCA would consult on whether the remaining nine LIBOR settings should continue to be published on a synthetic basis for a certain period using the FCA's proposed new powers that the UK government is legislating to grant to them. Central banks and regulators in a number of major jurisdictions (for example, United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Switzerland and Japan) have convened working groups to find, and implement the transition to, suitable replacements for interbank offered rates. To identify a successor rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee ("ARRC"), a U.S.-based group convened by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was formed. The ARRC has identified the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") as its preferred alternative rate for LIBOR. SOFR is a measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight, collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities, and is based on directly observable U.S. Treasury-backed repurchase transactions. Although SOFR appears to be the preferred replacement rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR, at this time, it is not possible to predict the effect of any such changes, any establishment of alternative reference rates or other reforms to LIBOR that may be enacted in the United States, United Kingdom or elsewhere or, whether the COVID-19 pandemic will have further effect on LIBOR transition plans. The elimination of LIBOR or any other changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of LIBOR could have an adverse impact on the market for or value of any LIBOR-linked securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us or on our overall financial condition or results of operations. In addition, if LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to renegotiate the credit agreements extending beyond 2021 with our portfolio companies that utilize LIBOR as a factor in determining the interest rate, in order to replace LIBOR with the new standard that is established, which may have an adverse effect on our overall financial condition or results of operations. Following the replacement of LIBOR, some or all of these credit agreements may bear interest a lower interest rate, which could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. Moreover, if LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to renegotiate certain terms of our credit facilities. If we are unable to do so, amounts drawn under our credit facilities may bear interest at a higher rate, which would increase the cost of our borrowings and, in turn, affect our results of operations.
- Debt & Financing - Risk 2Our ability to enter into transactions involving derivatives and financial commitment transactions may be limited.
In November 2020, the SEC adopted a rulemaking regarding the ability of a BDC (or a registered investment company) to use derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations. Under the newly adopted rules, BDCs that use derivatives will be subject to a value-at-risk leverage limit, a derivatives risk management program and testing requirements and requirements related to board reporting. These new requirements will apply unless the BDC qualifies as a "limited derivatives user," as defined under the adopted rules. Under the new rule, a BDC may enter into an unfunded commitment agreement that is not a derivatives transaction, such as an agreement to provide financing to a portfolio company, if the BDC has, among other things, a reasonable belief, at the time it enters into such an agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all of its unfunded commitment agreements, in each case as it becomes due. Collectively, these requirements may limit our ability to use derivatives and/or enter into certain other financial contracts.
Risk Highlights Q3, 2022
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 80
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1The involvement of our interested directors in the valuation process may create conflicts of interest.
We expect to make most of our portfolio investments in the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded and for which there are limited or no market-based price quotations available. As a result, our board of directors will determine the fair value of these loans and securities in good faith as described below in "- Most of our portfolio investments will be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments." In connection with that determination, investment professionals from the Adviser may provide our board of directors with valuations based upon the most recent portfolio company financial statements available and projected financial results of each portfolio company. While the valuations for portfolio investments will be reviewed by an independent valuation firm periodically, the ultimate determination of fair value will be made by our board of directors and not by such third-party valuation firm. In addition, Mr. Mauer, an interested member of our board of directors, has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the Adviser. The participation of the Adviser's investment professionals in our valuation process, and the pecuniary interest in the Adviser by Mr. Mauer, could result in a conflict of interest as the Adviser's management fee is based, in part, on the value of our gross assets, and our incentive fees will be based, in part, on realized gains and realized and unrealized losses.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2Our distributions to stockholders may be funded, in part, from waivers of investment advisory fees by the Adviser.
To the extent, any distributions by us are funded through waivers of the incentive fee portion of our investment advisory fees such distributions will not be based on our investment performance, and can only be sustained if we achieve positive investment performance in future periods and/or the Adviser continues to waive such fees. Any such waivers in no way imply that the Adviser will waive incentive fees in any future period. There can be no assurance that we will achieve the performance necessary or that the Adviser will waive all or any portion of the incentive fee necessary to be able to pay distributions at a specific rate or at all.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3Our board of directors may change our investment objective, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.
Our board of directors has the authority, except as otherwise provided in the 1940 Act, to modify or waive our investment objective or certain of our operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. 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 BDC. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and the market price of our common stock. Nevertheless, any such changes could adversely affect our business and impair our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4Provisions 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.
Our board of directors is divided into three classes of directors serving staggered terms. A classified board may render a change in control of us or removal of our incumbent management more difficult. The Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter and bylaws contain additional provisions that may discourage, delay or make more difficult a change in control of Investcorp Credit Management BDC, Inc. or the removal of our directors. We are subject to the Maryland Business Combination Act, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution exempting 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 of directors, including approval by a majority of the Independent Directors. If the resolution exempting business combinations is repealed or our board of directors 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 ("Control Share Acquisition Act") acquisitions of our 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 a transaction. The SEC staff has rescinded its position that, under the 1940 Act, an investment company may not avail itself of the Control Share Acquisition Act. As a result, we will amend our bylaws to be subject to the Control Share Acquisition Act only if our board of directors determines it would be in our best interest. We have also adopted 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 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, to amend our charter without stockholder approval and 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.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5Because we generally do not hold controlling equity interests in our portfolio companies, we may not be able 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.
We do not hold controlling equity positions in any of the portfolio companies included in our portfolio and, although we may do so in the future, we do not currently intend to hold controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. As a result, we will be subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree, and that the management and/or stockholders of a portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to our interests. Due to the lack of liquidity of the debt and equity investments that we expect to 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.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6Stockholders may experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they do not participate in our dividend reinvestment plan.
All distributions declared in cash payable to stockholders that are participants in our dividend reinvestment plan are generally automatically reinvested in shares of our common stock. As a result, stockholders that do not participate in the dividend reinvestment plan may experience dilution over time. Stockholders who receive distributions in shares of common stock may experience accretion to the net asset value of their shares if our shares are trading at a premium and dilution if our shares are trading at a discount. The level of accretion or discount would depend on various factors, including the proportion of our stockholders who participate in the plan, the level of premium or discount at which our shares are trading and the amount of the distribution payable to a stockholder.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7Our shares might trade at premiums that are unsustainable or at discounts from net asset value.
Shares of BDCs like us may, during some periods, trade at prices higher than their net asset value per share and, during other periods, as frequently occurs with closed-end investment companies, trade at prices lower than their net asset value per share. The perceived value of our investment portfolio may be affected by a number of factors including perceived prospects for individual companies we invest in, market conditions for common stock generally, for initial public offerings and other exit events for venture capital backed companies, and the mix of companies in our investment portfolio over time. Negative or unforeseen developments affecting the perceived value of companies in our investment portfolio could result in a decline in the trading price of our common stock relative to our net asset value per share. The possibility that our shares will trade at a discount from net asset value or at premiums that are unsustainable are risks separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share will decrease. The risk of purchasing shares of a BDC that might trade at a discount or unsustainable premium is more pronounced for investors who wish to sell their shares in a relatively short period of time because, for those investors, realization of a gain or loss on their investments is likely to be more dependent upon changes in premium or discount levels than upon increases or decreases in net asset value per share.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8Investing in our common stock may involve an above average degree of risk.
The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk, and higher volatility or loss of principal, than alternative investment options. Our investments in portfolio companies may be speculative and, therefore, an investment in our common stock may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.
The market price and liquidity of the market for our securities 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: - price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;- investor demand for our shares;- significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of BDCs or other companies in our sector, which is not necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies;- changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or BDCs;- loss of our qualification as a RIC or BDC;- changes in earnings or variations in operating results;- changes in the value of our portfolio of investments;- increases in the interest rates we pay;- changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of our investments;- any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts;- departure of the Adviser's key personnel;- change in the Adviser's relationship with Investcorp under the Investcorp Services Agreement;- operating performance of companies comparable to us;- general economic trends and other external factors; and - the length and duration of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States as well as worldwide and the magnitude of the economic impact of that outbreak. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company's securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Due to the potential volatility of our stock price, we may become the target of securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management's attention and resources from our business.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 10Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
Our two largest investors are Investcorp and Stifel. Investcorp owns approximately 25% and Stifel owns approximately 15% of our total outstanding common stock. The shares held by Investcorp and Stifel are generally freely tradable in the public market, subject to the volume limitations, applicable holding periods and other provisions of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock, the availability of such common stock for sale or the registration of such common stock for sale and the ability of our stockholders, including Investcorp and Stifel to sell their respective shares at a price per share that is below our then current net asset value per share could adversely affect the prevailing market prices for our common stock. If this occurs and continues it could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of securities should we desire to do so and negatively impact the market of our common stock.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 11Our board of directors is authorized to reclassify any unissued shares of common stock into one or more classes of preferred stock, which could convey special rights and privileges to its owners.
Under Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter, our board of directors is authorized to classify and reclassify any authorized but unissued shares of stock into one or more classes of stock, including preferred stock. Prior to issuance of shares of each class or series, the board of directors will be required by Maryland law and our charter to set the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to stockholder distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class or series. Thus, the board of directors could authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or that otherwise might be in their best interest. The cost of any such reclassification would be borne by our common stockholders. The issuance of preferred shares convertible into shares of common stock may also reduce the net income and net asset value per share of our common stock upon conversion, provided, that we will only be permitted to issue such convertible preferred stock to the extent we comply with the requirements of Section 61 of the 1940 Act, including obtaining common stockholder approval. These effects, among others, could have an adverse effect on your investment in our common stock. Certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock. For example, the 1940 Act provides that holders of preferred stock are entitled to vote separately from holders of common stock to elect two preferred stock directors. We currently have no plans to issue preferred stock
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 12We cannot assure you that the market price of shares of our common stock will not decline.
Shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value and our stock may also be discounted in the market. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share of common stock may decline. In the past, shares of BDCs, including at times shares of our common stock, have traded at prices per share below net asset value per share. We cannot predict whether our common stock will trade at a price per share above, at or below net asset value per share. In addition, if our common stock trades below its net asset value per share, we will generally not be able to sell additional shares of our common stock to the public at its market price without first obtaining the approval of a majority of our shareholders (including a majority of our unaffiliated shareholders) and our independent directors for such issuance.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 13There is no active trading market for the 2026 Notes. If an active trading market does not develop for the 2026 Notes, you may not be able to sell them.
The 2026 Notes are not listed on any securities exchange or for quotation on any automated dealer quotation system. As such, there currently is no trading market. If the 2026 Notes are traded in the future, they may trade at a discount to their initial offering price depending on prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities, our credit ratings, our financial condition, performance and prospects, general economic conditions, including the impact of COVID-19, or other relevant factors. Although the underwriter has informed us that it intends to make a market in the 2026 Notes, it is not obligated to do so, and the underwriter may discontinue any market-making activities in the 2026 Notes without notice at any time in its sole discretion. Accordingly, there is no assurance that a liquid trading market will develop or be maintained for the 2026 Notes, that holders will be able to sell the 2026 Notes at a particular time or that the price holders of the 2026 Notes receive when they sell will be favorable. To the extent an active trading market does not develop, the liquidity and trading price for the 2026 Notes may be harmed. Accordingly, holders may be required to bear the financial risk of an investment in the 2026 Notes for an indefinite period of time.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.
