Macroeconomic Environment
The U.S. Federal Reserve’s recent actions to increase interest rates in order to control inflation have created further uncertainty for the economy and for our borrowers. Although our business model is such that rising interest rates will, all else being equal, correlate to increases in our net income, increases in interest rates may adversely affect our existing borrowers. It is difficult to predict the full impact of recent changes and any future changes in interest rates or inflation.
Reference Rate Reform
LIBOR and certain other floating rate benchmark indices to which our floating rate loans and other loan agreements are tied, including, without limitation, the Euro Interbank Offered Rate, or EURIBOR, the Stockholm Interbank Offered Rate, or STIBOR, the Australian Bank Bill Swap Reference Rate, or BBSY, the Canadian Dollar Offered Rate, or CDOR, the Swiss Average Rate Overnight, or SARON, and the Copenhagen Interbank Offering Rate, or CIBOR, or collectively, IBORs, are the subject of recent national, international and regulatory guidance and proposals for reform. As of December 31, 2021, the ICE Benchmark Association, or IBA, ceased publication of all non-USD LIBOR and the one-week and two-month USD LIBOR and, as and previously announced, intends to cease publication of remaining U.S. dollar LIBOR settings immediately after June 30, 2023. Further, on March 15, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, which includes the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act, was signed into law in the U.S. This legislation establishes a uniform benchmark replacement process for financial contracts maturing after June 30, 2023 that do not contain clearly defined or practicable fallback provisions. The legislation also creates a safe harbor that shields lenders from litigation if they choose to utilize a replacement rate recommended by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.
The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee composed of large U.S. financial institutions, has identified the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or SOFR, a new index calculated using short-term repurchase agreements backed by U.S. Treasury securities, as its preferred alternative rate for USD LIBOR. As of June 30, 2022, one-month SOFR is utilized as the floating benchmark rate on 43 of our loans, the financing provided on the 2020 FL3 and 2020 FL2 CLOs, one of our asset-specific financings, and certain borrowings under eight of our credit facilities. As of June 30, 2022, the one-month SOFR was 1.69% and one-month USD LIBOR was 1.79%. Additionally, market participants have started to transition from GBP LIBOR to the Sterling Overnight Index Average, or SONIA, in line with guidance from the U.K. regulators. As of June 30, 2022, daily compounded SONIA is utilized as the floating benchmark rate for all of our floating rate British Pound Sterling loans and related financings.
At this time, it is not possible to predict how markets will respond to SOFR, SONIA, or other alternative reference rates as the transition away from USD LIBOR and GBP LIBOR proceeds. Despite the LIBOR transition in other markets, benchmark rate methodologies in Europe, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and Denmark have been reformed and rates such as EURIBOR, STIBOR, BBSY, CDOR, SARON, and CIBOR may persist as International Organization of Securities Commissions, or IOSCO, compliant reference rates moving forward. However, multi-rate environments may persist in these markets as regulators and working groups have suggested market participants adopt alternative reference rates.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires us 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. Our critical accounting estimates, including those relating to the valuation of our investment portfolio, are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 9, 2022, and elsewhere in our filings with the SEC. There have been no material changes in our critical accounting policies and practices.
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