Goldman Sachs BDC (GSBD) Risk Factors

There are significant potential conflicts of interest that could negatively impact our investment returns. A number of these potential conflicts of interest with affiliates of our Investment Adviser and Group Inc. are discussed in more detail elsewhere in this report. Group Inc., including its affiliates and personnel, is a BHC and a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization, and a major participant in global financial markets that provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net-worth individuals. As such, it acts as an investor, investment banker, research provider, investment manager, financier, adviser, market maker, trader, prime broker, derivatives dealer, lender, counterparty, agent and principal. In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs and its affiliates advise clients in all markets and transactions and purchase, sell, hold and recommend a broad array of investments, including securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products for its own accounts or for the accounts of their customers, and have other direct and indirect interests, in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equity, bank loans and other markets in which we invest or may invest. Such additional businesses and interests will likely give rise to potential conflicts of interest and may restrict the way we operate our business. For example, (1) we may not be able to conduct transactions relating to investments in portfolio companies because our Investment Adviser is not permitted to obtain or use material nonpublic information in effecting purchases and sales in public securities transactions for us or (2) Goldman Sachs, the clients it advises, and its personnel may engage (or consider engaging) in commercial arrangements or transactions with us (subject to any limitations under the law), and/or may compete for commercial arrangements or transactions in the same types of companies, assets, securities or other assets or instruments as us. Transactions by, advice to and activities of such accounts (including potentially Goldman Sachs acting on a proprietary basis), may involve the same or related companies, securities or other assets or instruments as those in which we invest and may negatively affect us (including our ability to engage in a transaction or other activities) or the prices or terms at which our transactions or other activities may be effected. For example, Goldman Sachs may be engaged to provide advice to an account that is considering entering into a transaction with us, and Goldman Sachs may advise the account not to pursue the transaction with us, or otherwise in connection with a potential transaction provide advice to the account that would be adverse to us. See "-Our Investment Adviser, its principals, investment professionals and employees and the members of its BDC Investment Committee have certain conflicts of interest" and "-Legal and Regulatory-Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted." In addition, GS & Co. may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the limitations set forth in Section 57(k) of the Investment Company Act, receive compensation from us or from the borrowers if we make any investments based on opportunities that such employees or personnel of GS & Co. have referred to us. Such compensation might incentivize GS & Co. or its employees or personnel to refer opportunities or to recommend investments that might otherwise be unsuitable for us. Further, any such compensation paid by us, or paid by the borrower (to which we would otherwise have been entitled) in connection with such investments, may negatively impact our returns. Furthermore, Goldman Sachs is currently, and in the future expects to be, raising capital for new public and private investment vehicles that have, or when formed will have, the primary purpose of middle-market direct lending. These investment vehicles, as well as existing investment vehicles (including GS PMMC, GS PMMC II and GS MMLC II), will compete with us for investments. Although our Investment Adviser and its affiliates will endeavor to allocate investment opportunities among their clients, including us, in a fair and equitable manner and consistent with applicable allocation procedures, it is expected that, in the future, we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by other Accounts or that we may participate in such investments to a lesser extent due to participation by such other Accounts. In addition, Goldman Sachs or another investment account or vehicle managed or controlled by Goldman Sachs may hold securities, loans or other instruments of a portfolio company in a different class or a different part of the capital structure than securities, loans or other instruments of such portfolio company held by us. As a result, Goldman Sachs or such other investment account or vehicle may pursue or enforce rights or activities, or refrain from pursuing or enforcing rights or activities, on behalf of its own account, that could have an adverse effect on us. In addition, to the extent Goldman Sachs has invested in a portfolio company for its own account, Goldman Sachs may limit the transactions engaged in by us with respect to such portfolio company or issuer for reputational, legal, regulatory or other reasons. Stockholders should note the matters discussed in "-Legal and Regulatory-Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted."

Our Investment Adviser receives performance-based compensation in respect of its investment management activities on our behalf, which rewards our Investment Adviser for positive performance of our investment portfolio. As a result, our Investment Adviser may make investments for us that present a greater potential for return but also a greater risk of loss or that are more speculative than would be the case in the absence of performance-based compensation. In addition, our Investment Adviser may simultaneously manage other Accounts (including GS PMMC, GS PMMC II and GS MMLC II or other BDCs) for which our Investment Adviser may be entitled to receive greater fees or other compensation (as a percentage of performance or otherwise) than it receives in respect of us. In addition, subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs may invest in other Accounts (including GS PMMC, GS PMMC II and GS MMLC II or other BDCs), and such investments may constitute substantial percentages of such other Accounts' outstanding equity interests. Therefore, our Investment Adviser may have an incentive to favor such other Accounts over us. To address these types of conflicts, our Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures under which investment opportunities will be allocated in a manner that it believes is consistent with its obligations as an Investment Adviser. However, the amount, timing, structuring or terms of an investment by us may differ from, and performance may be different than, the investments and performance of other Accounts.

We will need to periodically access the capital markets to raise cash to fund new investments. If we do not have adequate capital available for investment, our performance could be adversely affected. In addition, we have elected to be treated, and expect to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2013. To maintain our status as a RIC, among other requirements, we are required to timely distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction), which is generally our net ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses, if any, for each taxable year. Consequently, such distributions will not be available to fund new investments. We expect to use debt financing and issue additional securities to fund our growth, if any. Unfavorable economic or capital market conditions may increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. An inability to successfully access the capital markets could limit our ability to grow our business and fully execute our business strategy and could decrease our earnings, if any. We may pursue growth through acquisitions or strategic investments in new businesses. Completion and timing of any such acquisitions or strategic investments may be subject to a number of contingencies and risks. There can be no assurance that the integration of an acquired business will be successful or that an acquired business will prove to be profitable or sustainable.

As part of our business strategy, we may borrow from and issue senior debt securities to banks, insurance companies and other lenders or investors. Holders of these senior securities will have fixed-dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause NAV to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have if we did not employ leverage. Similarly, any decrease in our 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 distributions to our common stockholders. In addition, we would have to service any additional debt that we incur, including interest expense on debt and dividends on preferred stock that we may issue, as well as the fees and costs related to the entry into or amendments to debt facilities. These expenses (which may be higher than the expenses on our current borrowings due to the rising interest rate environment) would decrease net investment income, and our ability to pay such expenses will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. Moreover, leverage will increase the Management Fee payable to our Investment Adviser, which is based on our gross assets, including those assets acquired through the use of leverage but excluding cash and cash equivalents. Additionally, we will be able to incur additional leverage if we are able to obtain exemptive relief from the SEC to exclude the debt of any SBIC subsidiary we may form in the future from the leverage requirements otherwise applicable to BDCs. We have not yet applied to the Small Business Administration (the "SBA") for approval to form a SBIC and have not yet applied for exemptive relief from the SEC. We can offer no assurances as to whether or when we will be able to form a SBIC subsidiary or obtain such exemptive relief. In addition to having fixed-dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders, any obligations to the lenders will be secured by a first priority security interest in our portfolio of investments and cash. In the case of a liquidation event, those lenders would receive proceeds to the extent of their security interest before any distributions are made to our stockholders. Furthermore, our senior secured revolving credit agreement with Truist Bank (formerly known as SunTrust Bank), as administrative agent, and Bank of America, N.A., as syndication agent (as amended, the "Revolving Credit Facility") imposes, and any credit agreement or other debt financing agreement into which we may enter may impose, financial and operating covenants that restrict our investment activities (including restrictions on industry concentrations), remedies on default and similar matters. In connection with borrowings, our lenders may also require us to pledge assets. Lastly, we may be unable to obtain our desired leverage, which would, in turn, affect your return on investment. The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in our common stock assuming various annual returns on our portfolio, net of expenses. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical, and actual returns may be higher or lower than those appearing in the table below. Assumed Return on Our Portfolio (Net of Expenses)     (10.00 )%     (5.00 )%     0.00 %     5.00 %     10.00 % Corresponding Return to Common Stockholder (1)     (25.44 )%     (14.40 )%     (3.37 )%     7.67 %     18.71 %(1) Based on (i) $3,563.29 million in total assets including debt issuance costs as of December 31, 2021, (ii) $1,873.72 million in outstanding indebtedness as of December 31, 2021, (iii) $1,614.40 million in net assets as of December 31, 2021 and (iv) an annualized average interest rate on our indebtedness, as of December 31, 2021, excluding fees (such as fees on undrawn amounts and amortization of financing costs), of 2.90%.

The Management Fee is payable even in the event the value of your investment declines. The Management Fee is calculated as a percentage of the average value of our gross assets including borrowed funds (excluding cash or cash equivalents) at the end of the prior two completed calendar quarters. Accordingly, the Management Fee is payable regardless of whether the value of our gross assets and/or your investment has decreased during the then-current quarter and creates an incentive for the Investment Adviser to incur leverage. In addition, the Incentive Fee payable by us to our Investment Adviser may create an incentive for our Investment Adviser to make investments on our behalf that are risky or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such a compensation arrangement and also to incur leverage, which will tend to enhance returns where our portfolio has positive returns. Our Investment Adviser receives the Incentive Fee based, in part, upon capital gains realized on our investments. As a result, our Investment Adviser may have an incentive to invest more in companies whose securities are likely to yield 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 cyclical economic downturns. The Incentive Fee payable by us to our Investment Adviser also may create an incentive for our Investment Adviser to invest on our behalf in instruments that have a deferred interest feature. Under these investments, we accrue the interest over the life of the investment but do not receive the cash income from the investment until the end of the term. Our net investment income used to calculate the income portion of our Incentive Fee, however, includes accrued interest. Thus, a portion of this Incentive Fee is based on income that we have not yet received in cash. This risk could be increased because our Investment Adviser is not obligated to reimburse us for any Incentive Fees received even if we subsequently incur losses or never receive in cash the accrued income (including accrued income with respect to original issue discount ("OID"), payment-in-kind ("PIK") interest and zero coupon securities). If we increase leverage, the management fees payable to our Investment Adviser will be higher than if we did not use leverage, irrespective of the return on the incremental assets. In addition, as leverage generally would magnify positive returns, if any, on our portfolio, as noted above,the use of leverage may cause our net investment income to exceed the quarterly hurdle rate for the Incentive Fee on income payable to our Investment Adviser at a lower average return on our portfolio.

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 (except reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions). Under the newly adopted rules, BDCs that use derivatives will be subject to a value-at-risk ("VaR") 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.

Debt investments that we make may be based on floating rates, such as SOFR (as defined below), LIBOR, the Euro Interbank Offered Rate, the Federal Funds Rate or the Prime Rate. General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments, the value of our securities and our rate of return on invested capital. It is unclear how increased regulatory oversight and the future of LIBOR may affect market liquidity and the value of the financial obligations to be held by or issued to us that are linked to LIBOR, or how such changes could affect our investments and transactions and financial condition or results of operations. Central banks and regulators in a number of major jurisdictions (for example, the 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. On March 5, 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority and ICE Benchmark Authority announced that the publication of all EUR and CHF LIBOR settings, the Spot Next/Overnight, 1 week, 2 month and 12 month JPY and GBP LIBOR settings, and the 1 week and 2 months US dollar LIBOR settings ceased to be published as of December 31, 2021, while the publication of the overnight, 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, and 12 months U.S. dollar ("USD") LIBOR settings will cease after June 30, 2023. To identify a successor rate for USD LIBOR, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee ("ARRC"), a U.S.-based group convened by the Federal Reserve 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 the U.S. Treasury securities, and is based on directly observable U.S. Treasury-backed repurchase transactions. On December 6, 2021, the ARRC released a statement selecting and recommending forms of SOFR, along with associated spread adjustments and conforming changes, to replace references to 1-week and 2-month USD LIBOR. We expect that a substantial portion of our future floating rate investments will be linked to SOFR. At this time, it is not possible to predict the effect of the transition to SOFR. Because we have borrowed money, and may issue preferred stock to finance investments, our net investment income depends, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay distributions on preferred stock and the rate that our investments yield. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. A reduction in the interest rates on new investments relative to interest rates on current investments could also have an adverse impact on our net interest income. However, an increase in interest rates could decrease the value of any investments we hold which earn fixed interest rates, including subordinated loans, senior and junior secured and unsecured debt securities and loans and high yield bonds, and also could increase our interest expense, thereby decreasing our net income. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make an investment in our common stock less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our common stock. Further,rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if such increases cause our borrowing costs to rise at a rate in excess of the rate that our investments yield. In 2022, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised short term interest rates and has suggested additional interest rate increases may come. Changing interest rates may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market volatility and may detract from our performance to the extent we are exposed to such interest rates and/or volatility. In periods of rising interest rates, such as the current interest rate environment, to the extent we borrow money subject to a floating interest rate, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if such increases cause our borrowing costs to rise at a rate in excess of the rate that our investments yield. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if we hold investments with floating interest rates, subject to specified minimum interest rates (such as a LIBOR or SOFR floor, as applicable), while at the same time engaging in borrowings subject to floating interest rates not subject to such minimums. In such a scenario, rising interest rates may increase our interest expense, even though our interest income from investments is not increasing in a corresponding manner as a result of such minimum interest rates. If general interest rates rise, there is a risk that the portfolio companies in which we hold floating rate securities will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. In addition, rising interest rates may increase pressure on us to provide fixed rate loans to our portfolio companies, which could adversely affect our net investment income, as increases in our cost of borrowed funds would not be accompanied by increased interest income from such fixed-rate investments. A change in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to a change in the interest rates we receive on many of our debt investments. Accordingly, a change in the interest rate could make it easier for us to meet or exceed the performance threshold in the Investment Management Agreement and may result in a substantial increase in the amount of incentive fees payable to our Investment Adviser with respect to the portion of the Incentive Fee based on income.

As a BDC, we are prohibited under the Investment Company Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of a majority of our Independent Directors who have no financial interest in the transaction, or in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. For example, any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities is deemed our affiliate for purposes of the Investment Company Act. If this is the only reason such person is our affiliate, we are generally prohibited from buying any asset from, or selling any asset (other than our capital stock) to, such affiliate, absent the prior approval of such directors. The Investment Company Act also prohibits "joint" transactions with an affiliate, which could include joint investments in the same portfolio company, without approval of our Independent Directors or in some cases the prior approval of the SEC. Moreover, except in certain limited circumstances, we are prohibited from buying any asset from or selling any asset to a holder of more than 25% of our voting securities, absent prior approval of the SEC. The analysis of whether a particular transaction constitutes a joint transaction requires a review of the relevant facts and circumstances then existing. In certain circumstances, we can make negotiated co-investments pursuant to an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. On January 4, 2017, the SEC granted to the Investment Adviser and the BDCs advised by the Investment Adviser exemptive relief on which we rely to co-invest with other funds managed by the Investment Adviser in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors (the "Relief"). Additionally, if our Investment Adviser forms other funds in the future, we may co-invest on a concurrent basis with such other affiliates, subject to compliance with the Relief, applicable regulations and regulatory guidance, as well as applicable allocation procedures. On March 15, 2022, the SEC published a notice of an application that is intended to supersede the Relief and, if granted, would permit limited additional flexibility for the Company to enter into co-investment transactions with proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs (the "Application"). As a result of the Relief and the Application, if granted, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of the Accounts. There can be no assurance when any such order will be obtained or that one will be obtained at all.

Our Investment Adviser, its principals, affiliates, investment professionals and employees, the members of our investment committee ("BDC Investment Committee") and our officers and directors serve or may serve now or in the future as investment advisers, officers, directors, principals of, or in other capacities with respect to, public or private entities (including other BDCs and other investment funds) that operate in the same or a related line of business as us. Certain of these individuals could have obligations to investors in other Accounts, the fulfillment of which is not in our best interests or the best interests of our stockholders, and we expect that investment opportunities will satisfy the investment criteria for both us and such other Accounts. In addition, GSAM and its affiliates also manage other Accounts, and expect to manage other vehicles or accounts in the future, that have investment mandates that are similar, in whole or in part, to ours and, accordingly, may invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by us. As a result, the Investment Adviser and/or its affiliates may face conflicts in allocating investment opportunities between us and such other entities. The fact that our investment advisory fees may be lower than those of certain other funds advised by GSAM could result in this conflict of interest affecting us adversely relative to such other funds. Subject to applicable law, we may invest alongside Goldman Sachs and the Accounts. As a result of the Relief and the Application, if granted, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of the Accounts. In such circumstances, the Investment Adviser will adhere to its investment allocation policy in order to determine the Accounts to which to allocate investment opportunities. If we are unable to rely on our exemptive relief for a particular opportunity, when our Investment Adviser identifies certain investments, it will be required to determine which Accounts should make the investment at the potential exclusion of other Accounts. Accordingly, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by other Accounts. See "-Legal and Regulatory-Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted."

Our investments may include OID instruments and PIK, interest arrangements, which represents contractual interest added to a loan balance and due at the end of such loan's term. To the extent OID or PIK interest constitute a portion of our income, we are exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following: - The higher interest rates of OID and PIK instruments reflect the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with these instruments, and OID and PIK instruments generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans. - Even if the accounting conditions for income accrual are met, the borrower could still default when our actual collection is supposed to occur at the maturity of the obligation. - OID and PIK instruments may have unreliable valuations because their continuing accruals require continuing judgments about the collectability of the deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral. OID and PIK income may also create uncertainty about the source of our cash distributions. - For accounting purposes, any cash distributions to shareholders representing OID and PIK income are not treated as coming from paid-in capital, even if the cash to pay them comes from offering proceeds. As a result, despite the fact that a distribution representing OID and PIK income could be paid out of amounts invested by our stockholders, the Investment Company Act does not require that stockholders be given notice of this fact by reporting it as a return of capital.

If our noteholders' debt securities are redeemable at our option, we may choose to redeem your debt securities at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on your debt securities. In addition, if our noteholders' debt securities are subject to mandatory redemption, we may be required to redeem such debt securities also at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on such debt securities. In this circumstance, a noteholder may not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an effective interest rate as high as the debt securities being redeemed.

Our credit ratings are an assessment by third parties of our ability to pay our obligations. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings will generally affect the market value of our debt securities. Our credit ratings, however, may not reflect the potential impact of risks related to market conditions generally or other factors discussed above on the market value of or trading market for the publicly issued debt securities.

Subject to applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act and applicable CFTC regulations, we may enter into hedging transactions in a manner consistent with SEC guidance, which may expose us to risks associated with such transactions. Such hedging may utilize 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. Use of these hedging instruments may include counter-party credit risk. 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. The success of any hedging transactions we may enter into will depend on our ability to correctly predict movements in currencies and interest rates. Therefore, 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 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 (or be able 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. See also "-Our Business and Structure-We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates."

To the extent permissible under risk retention rules adopted pursuant to Section 941 of the Dodd-Frank Act and applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, to finance investments, we may securitize certain of our investments, including through the formation of one or more CLOs, while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. This would involve contributing a pool of assets to a special purpose entity, and selling debt interests in such entity on a non-recourse or limited-recourse basis to purchasers. Any interest in any such CLO held by us may be considered a "non-qualifying asset" for purposes of Section 55 of the Investment Company Act. If we create a CLO, we will depend on distributions from the CLO's assets out of its earnings and cash flows to enable us to make distributions to our stockholders. The ability of a CLO to make distributions will be subject to various limitations, including the terms and covenants of the debt it issues. For example, tests (based on interest coverage or other financial ratios or other criteria) may restrict our ability, as holder of a CLO's equity interests, to receive cash flow from these investments. There is no assurance any such performance tests will be satisfied. Also, a CLO may take actions that delay distributions in order to preserve ratings and to keep the cost of present and future financings lower or the CLO may be obligated to retain cash or other assets to satisfy over-collateralization requirements commonly provided for holders of the CLO's debt. As a result, there may be a lag, which could be significant, between the repayment or other realization on a loan or other assets in, and the distribution of cash out of, a CLO, or cash flow may be completely restricted for the life of the CLO. If we do not receive cash flow from any such CLO that is necessary to satisfy the annual distribution requirement for maintaining our RIC status, and we are unable to obtain cash from other sources necessary to satisfy this requirement, we could fail to maintain our status as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance. In addition, a decline in the credit quality of loans in a CLO due to poor operating results of the relevant borrower, declines in the value of loan collateral or increases in defaults, among other things, may force a CLO to sell certain assets at a loss, reducing their earnings and, in turn, cash potentially available for distribution to us for distribution to our stockholders. To the extent that any losses are incurred by the CLO in respect of any collateral, such losses will be borne first by us as owner of equity interests. Finally, any equity interests that we retain in a CLO will not be secured by the assets of the CLO and we will rank behind all creditors of the CLO.

Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt, or issue other equity securities that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments. By their terms, such instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of dividends, interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments in respect of our investments. These debt instruments would usually prohibit the portfolio companies from paying interest on or repaying our investments in the event and during the continuance of a default under such debt. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of securities ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company typically are entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution in respect of our investment. After repaying such holders, the portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of securities ranking equally with our investments, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other security holders in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company. Additionally, certain loans that we make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt, which will be secured on a first priority basis. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company's obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of and be entitled to receive proceeds from any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the portfolio company's remaining assets, if any. The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing any junior priority loans we make to our portfolio companies may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an intercreditor agreement, at any time that senior obligations are outstanding, we may forfeit certain rights with respect to the collateral to the holders of the senior obligations. These rights may include the right to commence enforcement proceedings against the collateral, the right to control the conduct of such enforcement proceedings, the right to approve amendments to collateral documents, the right to release liens on the collateral and the right to waive past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights as junior lenders are adversely affected. In addition, a bankruptcy court may choose not to enforce an intercreditor agreement or other arrangement with creditors. Similar risks to the foregoing may apply where we hold the last-out piece of a unitranche loan. We may also make unsecured loans to portfolio companies, meaning that such loans will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such companies. Liens on such portfolio companies' collateral, if any, will secure the portfolio company's obligations under its outstanding secured debt and may secure certain future debt that is permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under its secured loan agreements. The holders of obligations secured by such liens will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of such collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of such collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of such collateral would be sufficient to satisfy our unsecured loan obligations after payment in full of all secured loan obligations. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay the outstanding secured loan obligations, then our unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors' claims against the portfolio company's remaining assets, if any.

As part of our lending activities, we may originate loans to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Although the terms of such financing may result in significant financial returns to us, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. There is no assurance that we will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing our loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company that we fund, we may lose all or part of the amounts advanced to the borrower or may be required to accept collateral with a value less than the amount of the loan advanced by us to the borrower.

Many of the events within a bankruptcy case are adversarial and often beyond the control of the creditors. While creditors generally are afforded an opportunity to object to significant actions, there can be no assurance that a bankruptcy court would not approve actions that may be contrary to our interests. Furthermore, there are instances where creditors can lose their ranking and priority if they are considered to have taken over management of a borrower. The reorganization of a company can involve substantial legal, professional and administrative costs to a lender and the borrower; it is subject to unpredictable and lengthy delays; and during the process a company's competitive position may erode, key management may depart and a company may not be able to invest its capital adequately. In some cases, the debtor company may not be able to reorganize and may be required to liquidate assets. The debt of companies in financial reorganization will, in most cases, not pay current interest, may not accrue interest during reorganization and may be adversely affected by an erosion of the issuer's fundamental value. In addition, lenders can be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by them where they become too involved in the borrower's business or exercise control over the borrower. For example, we could become subject to a lender's liability claim, if, among other things, the borrower requests significant managerial assistance from us and we provide such assistance as contemplated by the Investment Company Act.

We invest primarily through direct originations of secured debt, including first lien, unitranche, and last-out portions of such loans; second lien debt; unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt; and select equity investments. The securities in which we invest typically are not rated by any rating agency, and if they were rated, they would be below investment grade (rated lower than "Baa3" by Moody's Investors Service and lower than "BBB-" by Fitch Ratings or S&P). These securities, which may be referred to as "junk bonds," "high yield bonds" or "leveraged loans," have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay principal. In addition, some of the loans in which we may invest may be "covenant-lite" loans. We use the term "covenant-lite" loans to refer generally to loans that do not have a complete set of financial maintenance covenants. Generally, "covenant-lite" loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower's financial condition. Accordingly, to the extent we invest in "covenant-lite" loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants. Therefore, our investments may result in an above-average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal. We also may invest in other assets, including U.S. government securities and structured securities. These investments entail additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns. Secured Debt. When we make a secured debt investment, we generally take a security interest in the available assets of the portfolio company, including the equity interests of any subsidiaries, which we expect to help mitigate the risk that we will not be repaid. However, there is a risk that the collateral securing our debt investment 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. In some circumstances, our lien could be subordinated to claims of other creditors, such as trade creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio company's financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the debt investment. Consequently, the fact that our debt is secured does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the debt investment's terms, or at all, or that we will be able to collect on the loan, in full or at all, should we enforce our remedies. Unsecured Debt, including Mezzanine Debt. Our unsecured debt investments, including mezzanine debt investments, generally will be subordinated to senior debt in the event of an insolvency. This may result in an above average amount of risk and loss of principal. Equity Investments. When we invest in secured debt or unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt, we may acquire equity securities from the company in which we make the investment. In addition, we may invest in the equity securities of portfolio companies independent of any debt investment. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of such equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of such interests. However, the equity interests we hold 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.

Various restrictions render our investments relatively illiquid, which may adversely affect our business. As we generally make investments in private companies, substantially all of these investments are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than publicly traded securities. Our Investment Adviser is not permitted to obtain or use material non-public information in effecting purchases and sales in public securities transactions for us, which could create an additional limitation on the liquidity of our investments. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need arises. Therefore, if we are required to or desire to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we could realize significantly less than the value at which we have recorded our investments or could be unable to dispose of our investments in a timely manner or at such times as we deem advisable.

We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act, which means that we are not limited by the Investment Company Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer, excluding limitations on investments in certain other financial and investment companies. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers or industries, our NAV may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market's assessment of the issuer. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. In addition, the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one investment. Additionally, a downturn in any particular industry in which we are invested could significantly affect our aggregate returns. Further, any industry in which we are meaningfully concentrated at any given time could be subject to significant risks that could adversely impact our aggregate returns. For example, as of December 31, 2021, Health Care Technology, together with Health Care Providers & Services and Health Care Equipment & Supplies, represented 24.5% of our portfolio at fair value. Our investments in Health Care Technology, Health Care Providers & Services and Health Care Equipment & Supplies are subject to substantial risks, including, but not limited to, the risk that the laws and regulations governing the business of health care companies, and interpretations thereof, may change frequently. Current or future laws and regulations could force our portfolio companies engaged in health care, to change their policies related to how they operate, restrict revenue, change costs, change reserve levels and change business practices. In addition, as of December 31, 2021, Software represented 13.5% of our portfolio at fair value. Our investments in Software is subject to substantial risks, including, but not limited to, intense competition, changing technology, shifting user needs, frequent introductions of new products and services, competitors in different industries and ranging from large established companies to emerging startups, decreasing average selling prices of products and services resulting from rapid technological changes, cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents and various legal and regulatory risks.

Our Investment Adviser, on our behalf, may periodically invest in loans related to real estate and real estate-related assets, and such investments will be subject to the risks inherent to investment in real estate-related assets generally. These risks include, but are not limited to, regional, national and international economic conditions, the supply and demand for properties, the financial resources of tenants, buyers and sellers of properties, changes in building, environmental, zoning and other laws and regulations, changes in real property tax rates, changes in interest rates and the availability of financing, which may render the sale or refinancing of properties difficult or impracticable, environmental liabilities, uninsured losses, acts of God, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, acts of war (declared and undeclared), strikes and other factors which are beyond the control of our Investment Adviser and us.

We do not generally hold controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. While we are obligated as a BDC to offer to make managerial assistance available to our portfolio companies, there can be no assurance that management personnel of our portfolio companies will accept or rely on such assistance. To the extent that we do not hold a controlling equity interest in a portfolio company, we are subject to the risk that such portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree, and the stockholders and management of such 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 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. In addition, we may not be in a position to control any portfolio company by investing in its debt securities. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as debt investors.

Investing in middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks, including: - such 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;- such companies typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors' actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns;- such companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on our portfolio company and, in turn, on us;- such companies 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;- there is generally little public information about these companies, they and their financial information are not subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and other regulations that govern public companies and we may be unable to uncover all material information about these companies, which may prevent us from making a fully informed investment decision and cause us to lose money on our investments;- our executive officers, directors and Investment Adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in the portfolio companies; and - such companies 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, including any debt securities held by us, upon maturity.

Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in securities of non-U.S. companies to the extent permissible under the Investment Company Act. Investing in non-U.S. 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 non-U.S. taxes (potentially at confiscatory levels), less liquid markets, 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. These risks are likely to be more pronounced for investments in companies located in emerging markets and particularly for middle-market companies in these economies. Although most of our investments are denominated in U.S. dollars, our investments that are denominated in a non-U.S. currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to the U.S. dollar. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure you that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us.