FIDUS INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
(in thousands, except shares and per share data)
Other Financial Assets and Liabilities
ASC Topic 820 requires disclosure of the fair value of financial instruments for which it is practical to estimate such value. The Company believes that the carrying amounts of its other financial instruments such as cash and cash equivalents, interest receivable and accounts payable and other liabilities approximate the fair value of such items due to the short maturity of such instruments. The Company’s borrowings under the Credit Facility (as defined in Note 6), SBA debentures, and Public Notes (as defined in Note 6) are recorded at their respective carrying values. The fair value of borrowings under the Credit Facility, if valued under ASC Topic 820, are based on a market yield approach and current interest rates, which are Level 3 inputs to the market yield model. As of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the fair value of the Company’s borrowings under the Credit Facility is estimated to be $7,000 and $11,500, respectively, which is the same as the Company’s carrying value of the borrowings. As of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the fair value of the Company’s SBA debentures, if valued under ASC Topic 820 using Level 3 inputs, is estimated to be $214,500 and $231,300, respectively, which is the same as the Company’s carrying value of the debentures. The fair value of SBA debentures is estimated by discounting remaining payments using current market rates for similar instruments and considering such factors as the legal maturity date and the ability of market participants to prepay the debentures. The Public Notes, if valued under ASC Topic 820, would be valued using available market quotes, which is a Level 1 input. As of June 30, 2018, the fair value of the Public Notes is estimated to be $52,070, as compared to the carrying value of $50,000.
Note 5. Related Party Transactions
Investment Advisory Agreement: The Company has entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Investment Advisor. On June 7, 2018, the Board approved the renewal of the Investment Advisory Agreement through June 20, 2019. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement and subject to the overall supervision of the Board, the Investment Advisor provides investment advisory services to the Company. For providing these services, the Investment Advisor receives a fee, consisting of two components—a base management fee and an incentive fee.
The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 1.75% based on the average value of total assets (other than cash or cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts) at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters. The base management fee is payable quarterly in arrears. The base management fee under the Investment Advisory Agreement was $2,821 and $5,506, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively, and $2,403 and $4,716 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively. As of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the base management fee payable was $2,821 and $2,586, respectively; such amounts are reported in the management and incentive fees payable—due to affiliate line on the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities.
The incentive fee consists of two parts. The first part is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on the Company’spre-incentive fee net investment income for the quarter.Pre-incentive fee net investment income means interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that the Company receives from portfolio companies but excluding fees for providing managerial assistance) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus operating expenses for the quarter (including the base management fee, any expenses payable under the Administration Agreement (defined below) and any interest expense and dividends paid on any outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee and excise taxes on realized gains).Pre-incentive fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as market discount, debt instruments with PIK income, preferred stock with PIK dividends andzero-coupon securities), accrued income the Company has not yet received in cash. The Investment Advisor is not under any obligation to reimburse the Company for any part of the incentive fee it receives that was based on accrued interest that the Company never collects.
Pre-incentive fee net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, taxes associated with such realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. Because of the structure of the incentive fee, it is possible that the Company may pay an incentive fee in a quarter where the Company incurs a loss. For example, if the Company generatespre-incentive fee net investment income in excess of the hurdle rate (as defined below) for a quarter, the Company will pay the applicable incentive fee even if the Company has incurred a loss in that quarter due to a net loss on investments.
Pre-incentive fee net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of the Company’s weighted average net assets (defined as total assets less indebtedness and before taking into account any incentive fees payable during the period) at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, is compared to a fixed “hurdle rate” of 2.0% per quarter. If market interest rates rise, the Company may be able to invest funds in debt instruments that provide for a higher return, which would increase the Company’spre-incentive fee net investment income and make it easier for the Investment Advisor to surpass the fixed hurdle rate and receive an incentive fee based on such net investment income.
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