RISK FACTORS
Investing in our Bonds involves a high degree of risk. You should consider and read carefully all of the risks and uncertainties described below, as well as other information included in this offering circular, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes, before making an investment decision. The risks described below are not the only ones facing us. The occurrence of any of the following risks or additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In such case, the trading price of our Bonds could decline, and you may lose all or part of your original investment.
Risks Related to Our Business
Unfavorable market conditions could adversely affect our business in many ways, including by reducing the fees revenue and distributions received from our funds, if any, or reducing the ability of our funds to raise or deploy capital on favorable terms, or at all.
Our business is materially affected by conditions in the global financial markets and economic and political conditions throughout the world that are outside our control, such as interest rates, availability and cost of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws (including laws relating to taxation and asset managers), trade barriers, commodity prices, currency exchange rates and controls, national and international political circumstances (including wars, terrorist acts or security operations), natural disasters and/or pandemics. These factors are outside our control and may affect the level and volatility of asset prices or securities prices and the liquidity and the value of investments held by our funds, and we may not be able to or may choose not to manage our or our funds’ exposure to these conditions. In the event of a market downturn, including from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, each of our businesses and funds will be affected in different ways.
Our Existing Gladstone Funds could be affected by the inability to find suitable investments for the funds to effectively deploy capital, which could adversely affect our ability to raise new funds and thus our assets under management, or by reduced opportunities to exit and realize value from their investments, which could adversely affect incentive fees earned by our Adviser Subsidiary. In addition, during periods of adverse economic conditions, we and our funds could have difficulty accessing financial markets, which could make it more difficult or impossible for us to obtain funding for additional investments and harm our assets under management and operating results. Our profitability could also be adversely affected if we or the funds we manage are unable to scale back our costs within a time frame or amount sufficient to match decreases in revenue relating to changes in market and economic conditions.
During periods of difficult market conditions or slowdowns in a particular sector, companies in which our funds invest could experience decreased revenues, financial losses, difficulty in obtaining access to financing and increased funding costs. During such periods, these companies could also have difficulty in expanding their businesses and operations and be unable to meet their debt service obligations or other expenses as they become due (including obligations to our funds), increasing the risk of default with respect to debt investments held by our funds (including the Gladstone BDCs). As a result, a general market downturn, or a specific market dislocation, could result in lower investment returns for our funds, which would adversely affect our revenues and results of operations. Poor performance of our funds could result in lower base management and/or incentive fees earned by our Adviser Subsidiary and/or their ability to pay distributions on any investments we may hold in such funds, each of which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our business and that of the Existing Gladstone Funds has been, and in the future could be further, adversely affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak.
As of the date of this offering circular, there is an outbreak of a novel and highly contagious form of coronavirus (COVID-19), which the World Health Organization has declared to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in numerous deaths, adversely impacted global commercial activity and contributed to significant volatility in certain equity and debt markets. The global impact of the outbreak is rapidly evolving, and many countries, including the U.S., have reacted by instituting quarantines, prohibitions on travel and the closure of offices, businesses, schools, retail stores and other public venues. Businesses are also implementing similar precautionary measures. Such measures, as well as the general uncertainty surrounding the dangers and impact of COVID-19, are creating significant disruption in supply chains and economic activity and are having a particularly adverse impact on transportation, hospitality, tourism, entertainment and other industries. As COVID-19 continues to spread, the potential impacts, including a global, regional or other economic recession, are increasingly uncertain and difficult to assess.
Any public health emergency, including any outbreak of COVID-19, SARS, H1N1/09 flu, avian flu, other coronavirus, Ebola or other existing or new epidemic diseases, or the threat thereof, could have a significant adverse impact on our businesses and the Existing Gladstone Funds and their portfolio companies and could adversely affect our results of operations.
The extent of the impact of any public health emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic, on our and our businesses’ and funds’ operational and financial performance will depend on many factors, including the duration and scope of such public health emergency, the extent of any related travel advisories and restrictions implemented, the impact of such public health emergencies on overall supply and demand, goods and services, investor liquidity, consumer confidence and levels of economic activity and the extent of its disruption to important global, regional and local supply chains and economic markets, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. For example, each of GLAD and GAIN records its assets at fair value. Each of these entities had a significant reduction in its gross assets as of March 31, 2020 as compared to its gross assets as of December 31, 2019. We expect that these reductions in gross assets will negatively impact the management fees that we receive from each of GLAD and GAIN for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 through the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic and potentially beyond. In addition, the incentive fees that we are entitled to receive from each of the Existing Gladstone Funds will be adversely affected to the extent that investment income (or its equivalent) is reduced whether as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted, and future public health emergencies may disrupt, the operations of the companies in which the Gladstone BDCs invest and the tenants of the Gladstone REITs. Certain of these companies and/or tenants have experienced a significant reduction of their business activities, including as a result of shutdowns requested or mandated by governmental authorities, in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic (and may experience similar outcomes in connection with future public health emergencies). We cannot estimate the impact that a public health threat could have on the companies in which the Gladstone BDCs invest or the tenants of the Gladstone REITs, but it could disrupt their businesses and their ability to make interest, lease or dividend payments and decrease the overall value of the Existing Gladstone Funds’ investments and leasehold interests, which could adversely impact their business, financial condition or results of operations, which would adversely affect our revenues and results of operations.
Further, the operations of our businesses, the Existing Gladstone Funds and their portfolio companies may be significantly impacted, or even temporarily or permanently halted, as a result of government quarantine measures, voluntary and precautionary restrictions on travel or meetings and other factors related to a public health emergency, including its potential adverse impact on the health of the Adviser Subsidiary’s and the Administrator Subsidiary’s personnel. As a result, there is a risk that this crisis could adversely impact the ability of our businesses and funds to source, manage and divest investments and to achieve their investment objectives, all of which could result in lower base management and/or incentive fees earned by our Adviser Subsidiary, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We depend highly on our senior executives, and the loss of their services would have a material adverse effect on our business, results and financial condition.
We depend on the efforts, skill, reputations and business contacts of our senior executives. Accordingly, our success will depend on the continued service of these individuals, who are not party to employment agreements (other than Messrs. Gladstone and Brubaker) and are not obligated to remain employed with us. The loss of the services of any of our senior executives could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, net income and cash flows and could harm our ability to maintain or grow assets under management in the Existing Gladstone Funds or raise additional funds in the future.
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