OFS Capital (OFS) 10-K2023 FY Annual report

Our investment strategy focuses primarily on investments in middle-market companies in the United States, including investments in senior secured loans, which are comprised of first lien, second lien and unitranche loans, as well as investments in subordinated loans and, to a lesser extent, common stock, preferred stock and other equity securities. Our investments may be directly originated or may be purchased on a secondary basis in the U.S. leveraged loan market for Broadly Syndicated Loans (as defined below). As a BDC, we must not acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” as specified in the 1940 Act unless, at the time the acquisition is made, at least 70% of our assets, as defined by the 1940 Act, are qualifying assets (with certain limited exceptions). Qualifying assets include investments in “eligible portfolio companies.” Under the relevant SEC rules, the term “eligible portfolio company” includes all private companies, companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange, and certain public companies that have listed their securities on a national securities exchange and have a market capitalization of less than $250 million, in each case organized in the United States. Conversely, we may invest up to 30% of our portfolio in opportunistic investments not otherwise eligible under BDC regulations. Specifically, as part of this 30% basket, we may consider investments in investment funds that are operating pursuant to certain exceptions to the 1940 Act and in advisers to similar investment funds, as well as in debt or equity of middle-market portfolio companies located outside of the United States, and debt and equity of public companies that do not meet the definition of eligible portfolio companies because their market capitalization of publicly traded equity securities exceeds the levels provided for in the 1940 Act. We have made, and may continue to make, opportunistic investments in Structured Finance Securities and other non-qualifying assets (discussed below), consistent with our investment strategy. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, approximately 81% and 80%, respectively, of our investments were qualifying assets.

As of December 31, 2023, the fair value of our debt investment portfolio totaled $251.3 million in 44 portfolio companies, of which 81% and 19% were comprised of first lien loans and second lien loans, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, the fair value of our equity investments totaled $89.9 million in 15 portfolio companies, and the fair value of our 21 Structured Finance Security investments totaled $79.0 million.

A BDC is generally not permitted to incur indebtedness unless immediately after such borrowing, it has an asset coverage ratio for total borrowings of at least 200% (i.e., the amount of debt may not exceed 50% of the value of our assets). However, Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act permits BDCs to be subject to a minimum asset coverage ratio of 150%, if specific conditions are satisfied, when issuing senior securities (i.e., the amount of debt may not exceed 66 2/3% of the value of our assets).

We have elected to be treated for tax purposes as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To continue to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. Pursuant to this election, we generally are not required to pay corporate-level taxes on any income we distribute to our stockholders as dividends.

OFS is a full-service provider of capital and leveraged finance solutions to U.S. companies. As of December 31, 2023, OFS had 51 full-time employees. OFS is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and also has offices in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California. Under the Staffing Agreement, OFSC makes experienced investment professionals available to OFS Advisor and provides OFS Advisor with access to the senior investment personnel of OFS and its affiliates. The Staffing Agreement also provides OFS Advisor with access to deal flow generated by OFS and its affiliates in the ordinary course of their businesses and commits the members of OFS Advisor’s investment committees to serve in that capacity.

OFS Advisor capitalizes on the deal origination and sourcing, credit underwriting, due diligence, investment structuring, execution, portfolio management and monitoring experience of OFS’s professionals. The senior management team of OFS, including Bilal Rashid and Jeffrey A. Cerny, provides services to OFS Advisor. These managers have developed a broad network of contacts within the investment community, and possess an average of over 25 years of experience investing in debt and equity securities of middle-market companies. In addition, these managers have extensive experience investing in assets that constitute our primary focus and have expertise in investing across all levels of the capital structure of middle-market companies.

We do not have any direct employees, and our day-to-day investment operations are managed by OFS Advisor. We have a chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, chief accounting officer, corporate secretary and, to the extent necessary, our Board may elect to appoint additional officers going forward. Our officers are employees of OFSC, an affiliate of OFS Advisor, and a portion of the compensation paid to our officers is paid by us pursuant to the Administration Agreement. All of our executive officers are also officers of OFS Advisor.

OFS Services, an affiliate of OFS Advisor, provides the administrative services necessary for us to operate. OFS Services furnishes us with office facilities and equipment, necessary software licenses and subscriptions and clerical, bookkeeping and recordkeeping services at such facilities. OFS Services oversees our financial reporting as well as prepares our reports to stockholders and all other reports and materials required to be filed with the SEC or any other regulatory authority. OFS Services also manages the determination and publication of our NAV, the preparation and filing of our tax returns, and generally monitors the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. OFS Services may retain third parties to assist in providing administrative services to us. To the extent that OFS Services outsources any of its functions, we will directly pay the fees associated with such services.

Our investment strategy is focused primarily on investments in middle-market companies in the United States. We find the middle-market attractive for the following reasons:

Our primary competitors include public and private funds, other BDCs, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical, and marketing resources than we do. Many of these competitors have similar investment objectives to us, which may create additional competition for investment opportunities. Some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us, which may create competitive disadvantages for us with respect to our investment opportunity. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments and investment strategies, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Further, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC, or to the distribution and other requirements we must satisfy to maintain our RIC status.

We target U.S. middle-market companies through OFS’s access to a network of financial institutions, private equity sponsors, investment banks, consultants and attorneys, and our proprietary database of borrowers developed over OFS’s 25 year history of lending to middle-market companies. A typical targeted borrower will exhibit certain of the following characteristics:

While we believe that the characteristics listed above are important in identifying and investing in prospective portfolio companies, not all of these criteria will be met by each prospective portfolio company.

We employ a thorough and disciplined underwriting and due diligence process that is conducted in accordance with established credit policies and procedures and focused on investment recovery. Our process involves a comprehensive analysis of a prospective portfolio company’s market, operational, financial, and legal position, as well as its future prospects. In addition to our own analysis, we may use the services of third parties for environmental reviews, quality of earnings reports, industry surveys, background checks on key managers, and insurance reviews.

We seek to invest in companies that have experienced and incentivized management teams, stable and predictable cash flows, and defensible market positions. We underwrite the majority of our investments with the expectation that we will hold them for a number of years, and we structure and document, as applicable, our investments accordingly.

Our due diligence and underwriting process typically addresses the following elements (although certain elements may not be included in every due diligence undertaking):

We view active portfolio monitoring as a vital part of our investment process, and we benefit from a portfolio management system developed by OFS that includes daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly components, and that involves comprehensive review of the performance of each of our portfolio companies. As part of the portfolio management process, OFS Advisor performs ongoing risk assessments on each of our investments and assigns each debt investment a credit rating based on OFS’s proprietary internal ratings scale.

Our debt investments generally are assigned a rating of 3 at origination or purchase. We categorize debt investments into the following risk categories based on relevant information about the ability of borrowers to service their debt:

1 (Low Risk) – The debt investment has mostly satisfactory asset quality and liquidity, as well as good leverage capacity. It maintains predictable and strong cash flows from operations. The trends and outlook for the portfolio company's operations, balance sheet, and industry are neutral to favorable. Collateral, if appropriate, has maintained value and would be capable of being liquidated on a timely basis. Overall a debt investment with a 1 risk rating is considered to be of investment grade quality.

2 (Below Average Risk) – The debt investment has acceptable asset quality, moderate excess liquidity, and modest leverage capacity. It could have some financial/non-financial weaknesses which are offset by strengths; however, the credit demonstrates an ample current cash flow from operations. The trends and outlook for the portfolio company's operations, balance sheet, and industry are generally positive or neutral to somewhat negative. Collateral, if appropriate, has maintained value and would be capable of being liquidated successfully on a timely basis.

3 (Average) – The debt investment has acceptable asset quality, somewhat strained liquidity, and minimal leverage capacity. It is at times characterized by acceptable cash flows from operations. Under adverse market conditions, the debt service could pose difficulties for the borrower. The trends and conditions of the portfolio company's operations and balance sheet are neutral to slightly negative.

4 (Special Mention) – The debt investment has not lost, and is not expected to lose, principal or interest but it possesses credit deficiencies or potential weaknesses which deserve management’s close and continued attention. The portfolio company’s operations and/or balance sheet have demonstrated an adverse trend or deterioration which, while serious, has not reached the point where the liquidation of debt is jeopardized. These weaknesses are generally considered correctable by the borrower in the normal course of business but may weaken the asset or inadequately protect our credit position if not checked or corrected.

5 (Substandard) – The debt investment is protected inadequately by the current enterprise value or paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral, if any. The portfolio company has well-defined weaknesses based upon objective evidence, such as recurring or significant decreases in revenues and cash flows. These assets are characterized by the possibility that we may sustain loss if the deficiencies are not corrected. The possibility that liquidation would not be timely (e.g., bankruptcy or foreclosure) requires a Substandard classification even if there is little likelihood of loss.

6 (Doubtful) – The debt investment has all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as Substandard, with the additional factor that the weaknesses are pronounced to the point that collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions and values, is deemed uncertain. The possibility of loss on a Doubtful asset is high but, because of certain important and reasonably specific pending factors which may strengthen the asset, its classification as an estimated loss is deferred until its more exact status can be determined.

7 (Loss) – The debt investment is considered almost fully uncollectible and of such little value that its continuance as an asset is not warranted. It is generally a credit that is no longer supported by an operating company, a credit where the majority of our assets have been liquidated or sold and a few assets remain to be sold over many months or even years, or a credit where the remaining collections are expected to be minimal.

OFS Advisor’s Pre-Allocation Investment Committee, Broadly Syndicated Investment Committee, Structured Credit Investment Committee and Middle-Market Investment Committee (collectively, the “Advisor Investment Committees”) are responsible for the overall asset allocation decisions and the evaluation and approval of investments of OFS Advisor’s advisory clients.

The Middle-Market Investment Committee, comprised of Richard Ressler (Chairman), Jeffrey A. Cerny, Kyde Sharp and Bilal Rashid, is responsible for the evaluation and approval of all debt and equity investments made by us, including ultimate asset allocations to us.

The Broadly Syndicated Investment Committee, comprised of Messrs. Ressler (Chairman), Rashid, Cerny, and Kenneth A. Brown, assists with the review and evaluation of potential investments in Broadly Syndicated Loans made by us.

The Structured Credit Investment Committee, comprised of Messrs. Ressler (Chairman), Rashid, Cerny, Brown, and Glen Ostrander, assists with the review and evaluation of potential investments in Structured Finance Security investments made by us.

The Pre-Allocation Investment Committee, comprised of Messrs. Ressler (Chairman), Rashid, Cerny, Ostrander, Tod K. Reichert and Manish Rajguru, is responsible for determining whether a prospective investment is appropriate for allocation to one or more clients managed by registered investment advisor subsidiaries of OFSAM, including OFS Advisor, and the allocation of such investment among groups of advisory clients.

The Broadly Syndicated Investment Committee, Structured Credit Investment Committee and Pre-Allocation Investment Committee are not responsible for the Middle Market Investment Committee’s investment approval of, or ultimate asset allocation decisions related to, our investments.

The process employed by the Advisor Investment Committees is intended to bring the diverse experience and perspectives of the committees’ members to the investment process. The Middle-Market Investment Committee serves to provide investment consistency and adherence to our core investment philosophy and policies. The Middle-Market Investment Committee also determines appropriate investment sizing and implements ongoing monitoring requirements of our investments.

In certain instances, management may seek the approval of our Board prior to making an investment. In addition to reviewing investments, the meetings of the Middle-Market Investment Committee, Broadly Syndicated Investment Committee and Structured Credit Investment Committee, where applicable, serve as a forum to discuss credit views and outlooks. Potential transactions and deal flows are also reviewed on a regular basis.

We anticipate that our loan portfolio will continue to contain investments of the following types with the following characteristics:

We expect to hold most of our middle-market debt investments to maturity or repayment, but we may sell some of our investments earlier for various reasons, including, but not limited to, relative value decisions compared to other investment opportunities, liquidity needs and credit risk. In attractive interest rate environments, portfolio companies may also opportunistically refinance our loans prior to maturity.

For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, OFS Advisor agreed to reduce its base management fee attributable to all of the OFSCC-FS Assets to 0.25% per quarter (1.00% annualized) of the average value of the OFSCC-FS Assets (other than cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts) at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters. OFS Advisor’s base management fee reduction is renewable on an annual basis and OFS Advisor is not entitled to recoup the amount of the base management fee reduced with respect to the OFSCC-FS Assets. OFS Advisor most recently renewed the agreement to reduce its base management fee for the 2024 calendar year on January 8, 2024.

The incentive fee has two parts. The first part of the incentive fee (the “Income Incentive Fee”) is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on our pre-incentive fee net investment income for the immediately preceding calendar quarter. “Pre-incentive fee net investment income” means interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees such as commitment, origination and sourcing, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that we receive 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 and any interest expense and dividends paid on any outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee). Pre-incentive fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest or dividend feature (such as original issue discount, or “OID”, debt instruments with PIK interest, equity investments with accruing or PIK dividend, and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash.

Pre-incentive fee net investment income does not include any realized gains, realized losses, unrealized capital appreciation or unrealized capital depreciation. Because of the structure of the incentive fee, it is possible that we may pay an incentive fee in a quarter where we incur a loss. For example, if we receive pre-incentive fee net investment income in excess of the hurdle rate (as defined below) for a quarter, we will pay the applicable incentive fee even if we have incurred a loss in that quarter due to realized capital losses or unrealized investment depreciation.

Pre-incentive fee net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our 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 (8.0% annualized). If market interest rates rise, we may be able to invest our funds in debt instruments that provide for a higher return, which would increase our pre-incentive fee net investment income and make it easier for OFS Advisor to surpass the fixed hurdle rate and receive an incentive fee based on such net investment income. There is no accumulation of amounts on the hurdle rate from quarter to quarter and, accordingly, there is no clawback of amounts previously paid if subsequent quarters are below the quarterly hurdle rate, and there is no delay of payment if prior quarters are below the quarterly hurdle rate. Pre-incentive fee net investment income fees are prorated for any partial quarter based on the number of days in such quarter.

We pay OFS Advisor an incentive fee with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows:

The following is a graphical representation of the calculation of the income-related portion of the incentive fee:

The second part of the incentive fee (the “Capital Gains Fee”) is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement, as of the termination date) and is calculated at the end of each applicable year by subtracting (a) the sum of our cumulative aggregate realized capital losses and our aggregate unrealized capital depreciation from (b) our cumulative aggregate realized capital gains. If such amount is positive at the end of such year, then the Capital Gains Fee for such year is equal to 20.0% of such amount, less the aggregate amount of Capital Gains Fees paid in all prior years. If such amount is negative, then there is no Capital Gains Fee for such year. The Company accrues the Capital Gains Fee if, on a cumulative basis, the sum of net realized capital gains and (losses) plus net unrealized appreciation and (depreciation) is positive.

The cumulative aggregate realized capital gains are calculated as the sum of the differences, if positive, between (a) the net sales price of each investment in our portfolio when sold and (b) the accreted or amortized cost basis of such investment.

The cumulative aggregate realized capital losses are calculated as the sum of the amounts by which (a) the net sales price of each investment in our portfolio when sold is less than (b) the accreted or amortized cost basis of such investment.

The aggregate unrealized capital depreciation is calculated as the sum of the differences, if negative, between (a) the valuation of each investment in our portfolio as of the applicable Capital Gains Fee calculation date and (b) the accreted or amortized cost basis of such investments. Unrealized capital appreciation is accrued, but not paid until said appreciation is realized. We accrue the Capital Gains Fee if, on a cumulative basis, the sum of the net realized capital gains (and losses) plus net unrealized appreciation (and depreciation) is positive. OFS Advisor has excluded from the Capital Gains Fee calculation the realized gain with respect to the step acquisitions resulting from the SBIC Acquisition. The Capital Gains Fee for any partial year is prorated based on the number of days in such year.

The capital gains portion of the incentive fee, if any, would be: 

The capital gains portion of the incentive fee, if any, would be: 

Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, OFS Services, an affiliate of OFS Advisor, provides the administrative services necessary for us to operate. OFS Services furnishes us with office facilities and equipment, necessary software licenses and subscriptions and clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities. Under the Administration Agreement, OFS Services performs, or oversees the performance of, our required administrative services, which includes maintenance of financial records necessary for the production of reports to our stockholders and all other reports and materials required to be filed with the SEC or any other regulatory authority. In addition, OFS Services assists us in determining and publishing our NAV, oversees the preparation and filing of our tax returns and the printing and dissemination of reports to our stockholders, general supervision of the payment of our expenses, and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. Under the Administration Agreement, OFS Services provides managerial assistance on our behalf to certain portfolio companies that accept our offer to provide such assistance. Payments under the Administration Agreement are equal to an amount based upon our allocable portion (subject to the review and approval of our Board) of OFS

Based on the information reviewed and the discussion thereof, the Board, including a majority of the non-interested directors, concluded that the investment advisory fee rates were reasonable in relation to the services to be provided and approved the Investment Advisory Agreement as being in the best interests of our stockholders.

We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between BDCs and their affiliates (including any investment advisers or sub-advisers), principal

In addition, the 1940 Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by “a majority of our outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (a) 67% or more of such company’s voting securities present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company are present or represented by proxy; or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company. We do not anticipate any substantial change in the nature of our business.

We generally cannot issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, issue and sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current NAV of our common stock if (1) our Board determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and (2) our stockholders have approved our policy and practice of making such sales within the preceding 12 months. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price which, in the determination of our Board, closely approximates the market value of such securities. On July 19, 2023, our stockholders approved a proposal to authorize us, with approval of our Board, to sell or otherwise issue shares of our common stock (during a twelve-month period) at a price below our then-current NAV per share in one or more offerings, subject to certain limitations (including that the cumulative number of shares sold pursuant to such authority does not exceed 25% of our then outstanding common stock immediately prior to each such sale).

The 1940 Act generally prohibits BDCs from making certain negotiated co-investments with certain affiliates absent an order from the SEC permitting the BDC to do so. On August 4, 2020, we received our existing Order, which superseded a previous order that we received on October 12, 2016, and provides us with greater flexibility to enter into co-investment transactions with certain Affiliated Funds in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, subject to compliance with certain conditions. We are generally permitted to co-invest with Affiliated Funds if, under the terms of the Order, a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that: (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our stockholders and do not involve overreaching by us or our stockholders on the part of any person concerned; and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our stockholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies.

In addition, we may file an application for an amendment to our existing Order to permit us to participate in follow-on investments in our existing portfolio companies with private funds that do not hold any investments in such existing portfolio companies. However, if filed, there is no guarantee that such application will be granted.

We may invest up to 100% of our assets in securities acquired directly from issuers in privately negotiated transactions. With respect to such securities, we may, for the purpose of public resale, be deemed an “underwriter” as that term is defined in the Securities Act. Our intention is to not write (sell) or buy, put or call, options to manage risks associated with the publicly traded securities of our portfolio companies, except that we may enter into hedging transactions to manage the risks associated with interest rate fluctuations. However, we may purchase or otherwise receive warrants to purchase the common stock of our portfolio companies in connection with acquisition financing or other investments. Similarly, in connection with an acquisition, we may acquire rights to require the issuers of acquired securities or their affiliates to repurchase them under certain circumstances. We also do not intend to acquire securities issued by any investment company that exceed the limits imposed by the 1940 Act. Prior to January 19, 2021, except for registered money market funds, we generally were prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the voting stock of any registered investment company, investing more than 5% of the value of our total assets in the securities of one investment company, or investing more than 10% of the value of our total assets in the securities of more than one investment company without obtaining exemptive relief from the SEC. However, the SEC adopted new rules, which became effective on January 19, 2021, that allow us to acquire the securities of other investment companies in excess of the 3%, 5%, and 10% limitations without obtaining exemptive relief if we comply with certain conditions. With regard to that portion of our portfolio invested in securities issued by investment companies, it should be noted that such investments might subject our stockholders to additional expenses as they will be indirectly responsible for the costs and expenses of such companies. None of our investment policies are fundamental and may be changed without stockholder approval.

Control, as defined by the 1940 Act, is presumed to exist where a BDC beneficially owns more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of the portfolio company.

The regulations defining qualifying assets may change over time. We may adjust our investment focus as needed to comply with and/or take advantage of any regulatory, legislative, administrative or judicial actions in this area.

A BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (a), (b) or (c) above. However, in order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance. Where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, the BDC will satisfy this test if one of the other persons in the group makes available such managerial assistance, although this may not be the sole method by which the BDC satisfies the requirement to make available managerial assistance. Making available managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company.

In addition to investing in other types of qualifying assets, as described above, our investments may include cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, repurchase agreements and high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the date of investment, which we refer to, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets, as defined by the 1940 Act, are qualifying assets or temporary investments. We may invest in highly rated commercial paper, U.S. Government agency notes, and U.S. Treasury bills or repurchase agreements relating to such securities that are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an

A BDC generally is not permitted to incur indebtedness unless immediately after such borrowing it has an asset coverage ratio for total borrowings of at least 200% (i.e., the amount of debt may not exceed 50% of the value of our assets). However, Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act provides that a BDC may reduce its asset coverage ratio, provided that certain conditions are met. Specifically, Section 61(a)(2) provides that in order for a BDC whose common stock is traded on a national securities exchange to be subject to 150% asset coverage, the BDC must either obtain: (i) approval of the required majority of its non-interested directors who have no financial interest in the proposal, which would become effective one year after the date of such approval, or (ii) obtain stockholder approval (of more than 50% of the votes cast for the proposal at a meeting in which quorum is present), which would become effective on the first day after the date of such stockholder approval.

We may borrow money when the terms and conditions available are favorable to do so and are aligned with our investment strategy and portfolio composition. The use of borrowed funds or the proceeds of preferred stock to make investments would have its own specific benefits and risks, and all of the costs of borrowing funds or issuing preferred stock would be borne by holders of our common stock.    

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) imposes a wide variety of regulatory requirements on publicly held companies and their insiders, many of which affect us. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act has required us to review our policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We will continue to monitor, and take actions necessary to ensure, our compliance with all future regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

In addition, the Nasdaq Global Select Market has adopted various corporate governance requirements as part of its listing standards. We believe we are in compliance with such corporate governance listing standards. We will continue to monitor, and take actions necessary to ensure, our compliance with all future listing standards.

We are generally prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our Board who are not interested persons and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC. The SEC has interpreted the BDC prohibition on transactions with affiliates to prohibit all “joint transactions” between entities that share a common investment adviser. Further, the 1940 Act generally prohibits BDCs from making certain negotiated co-investments with certain affiliates absent an order from the SEC permitting the BDC to do so.

On August 4, 2020, we received our existing Order, which superseded a previous order that we received on October 12, 2016, and provides us with greater flexibility to enter into co-investment transactions with certain Affiliated Funds in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors, subject to compliance with certain conditions. We are generally permitted to co-invest with Affiliated Funds if under the terms of the Order, a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our stockholders and do not involve overreaching in respect of us or our stockholders on the part of any person concerned and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our stockholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies.

The staff of the SEC has granted no-action relief permitting purchases of a single class of privately placed securities provided that the adviser negotiates no term other than price and certain other conditions are met. As a result, unless under the Order, we only expect to co-invest on a concurrent basis with certain funds advised by OFS Advisor when each of us will own the same securities of the issuer and when no term is negotiated other than price. Any such investment would be made, subject to compliance with existing regulatory guidance, applicable regulations and OFS Advisor’s allocation policy. If opportunities arise that would otherwise be appropriate for us and for another fund advised by OFS Advisor to invest in different securities of the same issuer, OFS Advisor will need to decide which fund will proceed with the investment. The decision by OFS Advisor to allocate an opportunity to another entity could cause us to forego an investment opportunity that we otherwise would have made. Moreover, except in certain circumstances, we will be unable to invest in any issuer in which another fund advised by OFS Advisor has previously invested.

SBIC I LP was limited in its ability to make distributions to us if it did not have sufficient accumulated net profit, in accordance with SBA regulations. Income distributions from SBIC I LP are limited to a statutory measurement of “retained earnings available for distribution” (“READ”) which generally is measured by adjusting undistributed net realized earnings for unrealized depreciation on investments, calculated in accordance with SBA regulations. Additionally, return of capital distributions from SBIC I LP required the pre-approval of the SBA. During the year ended December 31, 2023, SBIC I LP distributed READ and return of capital distributions to us of $4.5 million and $2.5 million, respectively.

We are subject to periodic examination by the SEC for compliance with the Exchange Act and the 1940 Act.

We are required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect us against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to OFS Capital or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

We and OFS Advisor each have adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of relevant federal securities laws, will review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation, and have designated a chief compliance officer to be responsible for administering the policies and procedures.

We and OFS Advisor have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to either code may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the code’s requirements. Our code of ethics is available, free of charge, on our website at www.ofscapital.com. The code of ethics is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of the code of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

We have delegated our proxy voting responsibility to OFS Advisor. The proxy voting policies and procedures of OFS Advisor are set out below. The guidelines are reviewed periodically by OFS Advisor and our directors who are not “interested persons,” and, accordingly, are subject to change. For purposes of these proxy voting policies and procedures described below, “we,” “our” and “us” refer to OFS Advisor.

These policies and procedures for voting proxies for our investment advisory clients are intended to comply with Section 206 of, and Rule 206(4)-6 under, the Advisers Act.

Our proxy voting decisions are made by those senior officers who are responsible for monitoring each of our clients’ investments. To ensure that our vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, we require that: (1) anyone involved in the decision-making process disclose to our chief compliance officer any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any contact that he or she has had with any interested party regarding a proxy vote; and (2) employees involved in the decision-making process or vote administration are prohibited from revealing how we intend to vote on a proposal in order to reduce any attempted influence from interested parties. Where conflicts of interest may be present, we will disclose such conflicts to our client, including with respect to OFS Capital, those directors who are not interested persons, and we may request guidance from such persons on how to vote such proxies for their account.

We are committed to maintaining the privacy of our stockholders and to safeguarding their nonpublic personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information we collect, how we protect that information and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select other parties.

We are also subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of: (1) 98% of our net ordinary income for each calendar year; (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income (both long-term and short-term) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year (or, if we so elect, for that calendar year); and (3) any income and gains recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years and on which we paid no U.S. federal income tax (the “Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement”). We may choose to retain a portion of our ordinary income and/or capital gain net income in any year and pay the 4% U.S. federal excise tax on the retained amounts. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we accrued U.S. federal excise taxes of $0, $0.1 million and $0, respectively.

In order to maintain our qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must, among other things:

We may invest in partnerships, including qualified publicly traded partnerships, which may result in our being subject to state, local or foreign income taxes, franchise taxes, or withholding liabilities.

We are required to recognize ICTI in circumstances in which we have not received a corresponding payment in cash. For example, we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as issued with OID and debt instruments with PIK interest, and we must include in ICTI each year the portion of the OID and PIK interest that accrues for that year (as it accrues over the life of the obligation), irrespective of whether the cash representing such income is received by us in that taxable year. The continued recognition of non-cash ICTI may cause difficulty in meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement. We may be required to sell investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital, or forgo new investment opportunities to meet this requirement. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax.

Certain of our investment practices may be subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (1) treat dividends that would otherwise qualify for the dividends received deduction or constitute qualified dividend income as ineligible for such treatment, (2) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (3) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (4) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (5) cause us to recognize income or gain without receipt of a corresponding distribution of cash, (6) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (7) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (8) produce income that will not be considered “qualifying income” for purposes of the 90% Income Test. We will monitor our transactions and may make certain tax elections to mitigate the potential adverse effect of these provisions, but there can be no assurance that any adverse effects of these provisions will be mitigated.

Our investments in Structured Finance Securities are generally “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) investments, which can subject us to U.S. federal income tax on our allocable share of a portion of any “excess distribution” received on, or any gain from the disposition of, such shares even if our allocable share of such income is distributed as a taxable dividend to our stockholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest generally would also be imposed on us for the deemed delay in our reporting of such excess distribution and the earning of such income by the underlying PFIC. However, we have elected, and expect to continue to elect, to treat our investments in PFICs as “qualified electing funds” under the Code (a “QEF”), and in lieu of the foregoing requirements, we will be required to include in income each year our proportionate share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of the QEF, even if such income is not distributed by the QEF. In lieu of a QEF election, we may in the future elect to mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year our shares in a PFIC; in this case, we will recognize as ordinary income our allocable share of any increase in the value of such shares, and as ordinary loss our allocable share of any decrease in such value to the extent that any such decrease does not exceed prior increases included in its income. Under either election, we may be required to recognize in a year income in excess of distributions from PFICs and proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income will nevertheless be subject to the Annual Distribution Requirement and will be taken into account for purposes of the 4% U.S. federal excise tax.

Some of the income and fees that we recognize may result in income that will not be considered “qualifying income” for the 90% Income Test. In order to ensure that such income and fees do not disqualify us as a RIC for a failure to satisfy the 90% Income Test, we may recognize such income and fees directly or indirectly through one or more entities taxed as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such corporations are required to pay U.S. corporate income tax on their earnings, which ultimately reduces our return on such income and fees. OFSCC-MB, our taxable C-corporation subsidiary, held equity investments with an aggregate fair value of $2.8 million and $3.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, to prevent such non-qualifying income from adversely affecting our RIC status. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, OFSCC-MB incurred $0.1 million, $0.2 million and $0, respectively, of federal and state income taxes on its earnings and profits.

BDCs are generally prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with their affiliates without the prior approval of their independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. Those transactions include purchases and sales, and so-called “joint” transactions, in which a BDC and one or more of its affiliates engage in certain types of profit-making activities. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, five percent or more of a BDC’s outstanding voting securities will be considered an affiliate of the BDC for purposes of the 1940 Act, and a BDC generally is prohibited from engaging in purchases from, sales of assets to, or joint transactions with, such affiliates, absent the prior approval of the BDC’s independent directors. Additionally, without the approval of the SEC, a BDC is prohibited from engaging in purchases from, sales of assets to, or joint transactions with, the BDC’s officers, directors, and employees, and advisor (and its control affiliates).

BDCs may, however, invest alongside certain related parties or their respective other clients in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with current law and SEC staff interpretations. For example, a BDC may invest alongside such accounts consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff permitting the BDC and such other accounts to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that the BDC’s advisor, acting on the BDC’s behalf and on behalf of other clients, negotiates no term other than price. Co-investment with such other accounts is not permitted or appropriate under this guidance when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer or where the different investments could be expected to result in a conflict between the BDC’s interests and those of other accounts.

When we invest alongside Affiliated Accounts, OFS Advisor will, to the extent consistent with applicable law, regulatory guidance, or the Order, allocate investment opportunities in accordance with its allocation policy. Under this allocation policy, if two or more investment vehicles with similar or overlapping investment strategies are in their investment periods, an available opportunity will be allocated based on the provisions governing allocations of such investment opportunities in the relevant organizational, offering or similar documents, if any, for such investment vehicles. In the absence of any such provisions, OFS Advisor will consider the following factors and the weight that should be given with respect to each of these factors:

When not relying on the Order, priority as to opportunities will generally be given to clients that are in their “ramp-up” period, or the period during which the account has yet to reach sufficient scale such that its investment income covers its operating expenses, over the accounts that are outside their ramp-up period but still within their investment or re-investment periods. However, application of one or more of the factors listed above, or other factors determined to be relevant or appropriate, may result in the allocation of an investment opportunity to a fund no longer in its ramp-up period over a fund that is still within its ramp-up period.

In situations where co-investment with Affiliated Accounts is not permitted or appropriate, OFS Advisor will need to decide which account will proceed with the investment. The decision by OFS Advisor to allocate an opportunity to another entity could cause us to forego an investment opportunity that we otherwise would have made. These restrictions, and similar restrictions that limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates, may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.

The 1940 Act generally prohibits a BDC from incurring indebtedness unless, immediately after such borrowing, it has an asset coverage for total borrowings of at least 200% (i.e., the amount of debt may not exceed 50% of the value of its assets). However, Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act allows a BDC to increase the maximum amount of leverage it may incur from an asset coverage ratio of 200% to an asset coverage ratio of 150%, if certain requirements are met.

In addition, the ability of BDCs to increase their leverage will increase the capital available to BDCs and thus competition for the investments that we seek to make. This may negatively impact pricing on the investments that we do make and adversely affect our net investment income and results of operations.

To the extent we borrow money or issue preferred stock to make investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay dividends on preferred stock and the rate at which we invest those funds. 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 in the event we use debt to finance our investments. In periods of elevated interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income. We may use interest

A rise in the general level of interest rates typically leads to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates may result in an increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to OFS Advisor.

Our use of reverse repurchase agreements, if any, involves many of the same risks involved in our use of leverage, as the proceeds from reverse repurchase agreements generally will be invested in additional securities. There is a risk that the market value of the securities acquired in the reverse repurchase agreement may decline below the price of the securities that we have sold but remain obligated to purchase. In addition, there is a risk that the market value of the securities retained by us may decline. If a buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement were to file for bankruptcy or experience insolvency, we may be adversely affected. Also, in entering into reverse repurchase agreements, we would bear the risk of loss to the extent that the proceeds of such agreements at settlement are less than the fair value of the underlying securities being pledged. In addition, due to the interest costs associated with reverse repurchase agreements transactions, our NAV would decline, and, in some cases, we may be worse off than if we had not used such instruments.

A number of entities compete with us to make the types of investments that we plan to make. We compete with public and private funds, other BDCs, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some of our competitors may have access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or the source of income, asset diversification and distribution requirements we must satisfy to maintain our RIC tax treatment. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of instruments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we are able to. The competitive pressures we face may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time, and we may not be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objective.

With respect to the investments we make, we will not seek to compete based primarily on the interest rates we will offer, and we believe that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that will be lower than the rates we offer. In the secondary market for acquiring existing loans, we expect to compete generally on the basis of pricing terms. With respect to all investments, we may lose some investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as the accrual of OID and the recognition of PIK interest or dividends. This may arise if we purchase assets at a discount, receive warrants in connection with the making of a loan or in other circumstances, or through contracted PIK interest or dividends (meaning interest or dividends paid in the form of additional principal amount of the loan or equity security instead of in cash), which represents contractual interest or dividends added to the loan balance or equity security and due at the end of the investment term. Such OID, which could be significant relative to our overall investment activities, or increases in loan or equity investment balances as a result of contracted PIK arrangements, will be included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We may also be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash.

Since in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to maintain the tax benefits available to RICs. In such a case, we may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investment originations and sourcings to meet these distribution requirements. If we sell built-in-gain assets, we

We distribute taxable distributions that are payable in cash or shares of our common stock at the election of each stockholder. In accordance with guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service, a publicly traded RIC should generally be eligible to treat a distribution of its own stock as fulfilling its RIC distribution requirements if each stockholder is permitted to elect to receive his or her distribution in either cash or stock of the RIC (even where there is a limitation on the percentage of the distribution payable in cash, provided that the limitation is at least 20%), subject to the satisfaction of certain guidelines. If too many stockholders elect to receive their distributions in cash, each such stockholder would receive a pro rata share of the total cash to be distributed and would receive the remainder of their distribution in shares of stock. If this and certain other requirements are met, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the amount of the distribution paid in stock generally will be a taxable distribution in an amount equal to the amount of cash that could have been received instead of stock. If we decide to make any distributions consistent with this guidance that are payable in part in our stock, stockholders receiving such distribution would be required to include the full amount of the distribution (whether received in cash, our stock, or a combination thereof) as ordinary income (or as long-term capital gain to the extent such distribution is properly designated as a capital gain dividend) to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, a U.S. stockholder may be required to pay tax with respect to such dividends in excess of any cash received. If a U.S. stockholder sells the stock received as a dividend in order to pay this tax, it may be subject to transaction fees (e.g., broker fees or transfer agent fees) and, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income with respect to the dividend. Furthermore, with respect to non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such dividends, including in respect of all or a portion of such dividend that is payable in stock. In addition, if a significant number of our stockholders determine to sell shares of our stock in order to pay taxes owed on dividends, it may put downward pressure on the trading price of our stock.

The Banc of California Credit Facility provides us with a senior secured revolving line of credit of up to $25.0 million, with maximum availability equal to 50% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of eligible loans included in the borrowing base and otherwise specified in the Banc of California Credit Facility. The Banc of California Credit Facility is guaranteed by OFSCC-MB and secured by all of our and OFSCC-MB’s current and future assets, excluding assets held by OFSCC-FS and SBIC I LP, and our partnership interest in SBIC I LP. The Banc of California Credit Facility contains customary terms and conditions, including, without limitation, affirmative and negative covenants such as information reporting requirements, a minimum tangible NAV, a minimum quarterly net investment income after incentive fees and a maximum ratio of liabilities divided by NAV. The Banc of California Credit Facility also contains customary events of default, including,

During the economic downturn in the United States that began in mid-2007, many commercial banks and other financial institutions stopped lending or significantly curtailed their lending activity. In addition, in an effort to stem losses and reduce their exposure to segments of the economy deemed to be high risk, some financial institutions limited routine refinancing and loan modification transactions and even reviewed the terms of existing facilities to identify bases for accelerating the maturity of existing lending facilities. Elevated interest rates and the effects of high inflationary environments may continue, and it is possible the U.S. economy may enter an economic recession. As a result, it may be difficult for us to obtain desired financing to finance the growth of our investments on acceptable economic terms, or at all.

If we are unable to consummate credit facilities on commercially reasonable terms, or if the banks and financial institutions with whom we have credit facilities enter into receivership, undergo consolidation or become insolvent, our liquidity may be reduced significantly. If we are unable to repay amounts outstanding under any facility we may enter into and are declared in default or are unable to renew or refinance any such facility, it would limit our ability to initiate significant originations or to operate our business in the normal course. These situations may arise due to circumstances that we may be unable to control, such as inaccessibility of the credit markets, a severe decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, an economic downturn or an operational problem that affects third parties or us, and could materially damage our business. Moreover, we are unable to predict when economic and market conditions may be favorable or if adverse conditions in particular sectors of the financial markets could adversely impact our business.

We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state and local levels, including those that govern BDCs, RICs, or non-depository commercial lenders. These laws and regulations, including applicable accounting standards, as well as their interpretation, may change from time to time, including as the result of directives from the U.S. President and others in the executive branch, and new laws, regulations, accounting standards and interpretations may also come into effect. For example, the current U.S. presidential administration could support an enhanced regulatory agenda that imposes greater costs on all sectors and on financial services companies in particular. Any such new or changed laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, and political uncertainty could increase regulatory uncertainty in the near term.

We are also subject to judicial and administrative decisions that affect our operations, including our loan originations, maximum interest rates, fees and other charges, disclosures to portfolio companies, the terms of secured transactions, collection and foreclosure procedures and other trade practices. If these laws, regulations or decisions change, or if we expand our business into jurisdictions that have adopted more stringent requirements than those in which we currently conduct business, we may have to incur significant expenses in order to comply, or we might have to restrict our operations. If we do not comply with applicable laws, regulations and decisions, we may lose licenses needed for the conduct of our business and may be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties.

Over the last several years, there has been an increase in regulatory attention to the extension of credit outside of the traditional banking sector, raising the possibility that some portion of the non-bank financial sector will be subject to new or

Legislative or other actions relating to taxes could have a negative effect on us. The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department. The Biden Administration has proposed and enacted significant changes to the existing U.S. tax rules, and there are a number of proposals in Congress that could similarly modify the existing U.S. tax rules. For example, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed into law in August 2022 and includes tax credits and other incentives intended to combat climate change by advancing decarbonization and promoting increased investment in renewable and low carbon intensity energy. The effect of this change and any further rules or regulations are and could be complex and far-reaching, and the change and any future laws or regulations or changes thereto could negatively impact our operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us, intensify the regulatory supervision of us or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We also cannot predict with certainty how any future changes in the tax laws might affect us, our investors or our portfolio investments, but new legislation and any U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions interpreting such legislation could significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to us and our investors of such qualification, or could have other adverse consequences. Investors are urged to consult with their tax advisor regarding tax legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our common stock.

There has been on-going discussion and commentary regarding potential significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs, which has created significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and other countries with respect to the trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the United States. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our portfolio companies’ access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on their business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn would negatively impact us.

There may be evidence of global climate change. Climate change creates physical and financial risk and some of our portfolio companies may be adversely affected by climate change. For example, the needs of customers of energy companies vary with weather conditions, primarily temperature and humidity. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change, energy use could increase or decrease depending on the duration and magnitude of any changes. Increases in the cost of energy could adversely affect the cost of operations of our portfolio companies if the use of energy products or services is material to their business. A decrease in energy use due to weather changes may affect some of our portfolio companies’ financial condition, through decreased revenues. Extreme weather conditions in general require more systems backup, adding to costs, and can contribute to increased system stresses, including service interruptions.

Further, the current U.S. presidential administration has focused on climate change policies and has re-joined the Paris Agreement, which includes commitments from countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, among other commitments. The Paris Agreement and other regulatory and voluntary initiatives launched by international, federal, state, and regional policymakers and regulatory authorities as well as private actors seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may expose our portfolio companies to other types of transition risks, such as: (i) political and policy risks (including changing regulatory incentives, and legal requirements, including with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, that could result in increased costs or changes in business operations); (ii) regulatory and litigation risks (including changing legal requirements that could result in increased permitting, tax and compliance costs, changes in business operations, or the discontinuance of certain operations, and litigation seeking monetary or injunctive relief related to impacts related to climate change); (iii) technology and market risks (including declining market for investments in industries seen as greenhouse gas intensive or less effective than alternatives in reducing greenhouse gas emissions); (iv) business trend risks (including the increased attention to ESG considerations by our investors, including in connection with their determination of whether to invest); and (v) potential harm to our reputation if our stockholders believe that we are not adequately or appropriately responding to climate change and/or climate risk management, including through the way in which we operate our business, the composition of our portfolio, our new investments or the decisions we make to continue to conduct or change our activities in response to climate change considerations.

Our Board has the authority, except as otherwise provided in the 1940 Act, to modify or waive 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. Under Delaware law, we also cannot be dissolved without prior stockholder approval except by judicial action. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and the price value of our common stock. Nevertheless, any such changes could adversely affect our business and impair our ability to make distributions.

OFS Advisor and its affiliates manage other assets, including those of other BDCs, registered investment companies, separately managed accounts, accounts for which OFS Advisor or its affiliates may serve as a sub-advisor and CLOs, and may manage other entities in the future. These other funds and entities may have similar or overlapping investment strategies. Our executive officers, directors and members of the Advisor Investment Committees serve as officers, directors or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment funds or other investment vehicles managed by OFS Advisor or its affiliates. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in our or our stockholders’ best interests or may require them to devote time to services for other entities, which could interfere with the time available to provide services to us. For example, OFS Advisor currently serves as the investment adviser to HPCI, a non-traded BDC that invests in senior secured loans of middle-market companies in the United States, similar to those we target for investment, including first lien, second lien and unitranche loans as well as subordinated loans and, to a lesser extent, warrants and other equity securities. OFS Advisor also serves as the investment adviser to OCCI, a closed-end management investment company that primarily invests in CLO debt and subordinated securities. Therefore, many investment opportunities will satisfy the investment criteria for both HPCI and us and, in certain instances, investment opportunities may be appropriate for OCCI and us. HPCI operates as a distinct and separate entity and any investment in our common stock will not be an investment in HPCI. In addition, our executive officers serve in substantially similar capacities for HPCI and OCCI and certain of our independent directors serve in a similar capacity for HPCI or OCCI. Similarly, OFS Advisor and/or its affiliates may have other clients with, similar, different or competing investment objectives. In serving in these multiple capacities, our executive officers and directors, OFS Advisor and/or its affiliates, and members of the Advisor Investment Committees may have obligations to other clients or investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which may not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders.

OFS Advisor and OFSAM Holdings have procedures and policies in place designed to manage the potential conflicts of interest between OFS Advisor’s fiduciary obligations to us and its fiduciary obligations to other clients. For example, such

There can be no assurance that we will be able to participate in all investment opportunities that are suitable to us. OFS Advisor will seek to allocate investment opportunities among eligible accounts in a manner that is fair and equitable over time and consistent with its allocation policy.

OFSC senior professionals and members of the Advisor Investment Committees may serve as directors of, or in a similar capacity with, companies in which we invest, the securities of which are purchased or sold on our behalf. In the event that material nonpublic information is obtained with respect to such companies, or we become subject to trading restrictions under the internal trading policies of those companies or as a result of applicable law or regulations, we could be prohibited for a period of time from purchasing or selling the securities of such companies, and this prohibition may have an adverse effect on us and our stockholders.

The Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement were negotiated between related parties. Consequently, their terms, including fees payable to OFS Advisor, may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated with an unaffiliated third party. In addition, we could choose not to enforce, or to enforce less vigorously, our rights and remedies under these agreements because of our desire to maintain our ongoing relationship with OFS Advisor, OFS Services and their respective affiliates. Any such decision, however, would breach our fiduciary obligations to our stockholders.

BDCs generally are prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with their affiliates without the prior approval of their independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. Those transactions include purchases from, sales to, and so-called “joint” transactions, in which a BDC and one or more of its affiliates engage in certain types of profit-making activities, with such affiliates. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, five percent or more of a BDC’s outstanding voting securities will be considered an affiliate of the BDC for purposes of the 1940 Act, and a BDC generally is prohibited from engaging in purchases of assets from or sales of assets to or joint transactions with such affiliates, absent the prior approval of the BDC’s independent directors. Additionally, without the approval of the SEC, a BDC is prohibited from engaging in purchases of assets from, or sales of assets to or joint transactions with, the BDC’s officers, directors, and employees, and advisors (and its affiliates).

BDCs may, however, invest alongside certain related parties or their respective other clients, in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with current law and SEC staff interpretations. For example, a BDC may invest alongside such accounts consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff permitting the BDC and such other accounts to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that the BDC’s advisor, acting on the BDC’s behalf and on behalf of other clients, negotiates no term other than price. Co-investment with such other accounts is not permitted or appropriate under this guidance when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer or where the different investments could be expected to result in a conflict between the BDC’s interests and those of other accounts.

The 1940 Act generally prohibits BDCs from making certain negotiated co-investments with certain affiliates absent an order from the SEC permitting the BDC to do so. On August 4, 2020, we received the Order from the SEC to permit us to co-invest in portfolio companies with Affiliated Funds subject to compliance with the Order. The Order superseded a previous order that we received on October 12, 2016 and provides us with greater flexibility to enter into co-investment transactions with Affiliated Funds. Pursuant to the Order, we are generally permitted to co-invest with Affiliated Funds if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transactions, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our stockholders and do not involve overreaching in respect of us or our stockholders on the part of any person concerned and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our stockholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies.

In addition, we may file an application for an amendment to our existing Order to permit us to participate in follow-on investments in our existing portfolio companies with private funds that do not hold any investments in such existing portfolio companies. However, if filed, there is no guarantee that such application will be granted. When we invest alongside clients of OFSAM Holdings and its affiliates or their respective other clients, OFS Advisor will, to the extent consistent with applicable law, regulatory guidance, and/or the Order, allocate investment opportunities in accordance with its allocation policy. Under this allocation policy, if two or more investment vehicles with similar or overlapping investment strategies are in their investment periods, an available opportunity will be allocated based on the provisions governing allocations of such investment opportunities in the relevant organizational, offering or similar documents, if any, for such investment vehicles. In the absence of any such provisions, OFS Advisor will consider the following factors and the weight that should be given with respect to each of these factors:

In situations where co-investment with other accounts is not permitted or appropriate, OFS Advisor will need to decide which account will proceed with the investment. The decision by OFS Advisor to allocate an opportunity to another entity could cause us to forego an investment opportunity that we otherwise would have made. These restrictions, and similar restrictions that limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates, may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.

Our base management fee is payable based upon our total assets, other than cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts and including assets owned by any consolidated entity. This fee structure may

The incentive fee payable by us to OFS Advisor may create an incentive for OFS Advisor to make investments on our behalf that are riskier or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The way in which the incentive fee payable to OFS Advisor is determined may encourage OFS Advisor to use leverage to increase the return on our investments. Under certain circumstances, the use of leverage may increase the likelihood of default, which would disfavor our stockholders.

OFS Advisor receives an incentive fee based, in part, upon net capital gains realized on our investments. Unlike that portion of the incentive fee based on income, there is no hurdle rate applicable to the portion of the incentive fee based on net capital gains. As a result, OFS Advisor may have a tendency to invest more capital in investments that are likely to result in 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 economic downturns.

We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies, including private funds, and, to the extent we so invest, will bear our ratable share of any such investment company’s expenses, including management and performance fees. We remain obligated to pay management and incentive fees to OFS Advisor with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of other investment companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of our stockholders will bear his or her share of the management and incentive fee of OFS Advisor as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any investment companies in which we invest.

Our Board is charged with protecting our interests by monitoring how OFS Advisor addresses these and other conflicts of interest associated with its management services and compensation. While our Board is not expected to review or approve each borrowing or incurrence of leverage, our independent directors will periodically review OFS Advisor’s services and fees. In connection with these reviews, our independent directors will consider whether our fees and expenses (including those related to leverage) remain appropriate.

In the course of our investing activities, we will pay management and incentive fees to OFS Advisor. The base management fee is based on our total assets (other than cash and cash equivalents, but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts and including assets owned by any consolidated entity). As a result, investors in our common stock will invest on a “gross” basis and receive distributions on a “net” basis after expenses, resulting in a lower rate of return than one might achieve through direct investments. Because these fees are based on our total assets, other than cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts and including any assets owned by any consolidated entity, OFS Advisor will benefit when we incur debt or use leverage. Our Board is charged with protecting our interests by monitoring how OFS Advisor addresses these and other conflicts of interest associated with its management services and compensation. While our Board is not expected to review or approve each borrowing or incurrence of leverage, our independent directors will periodically review OFS Advisor’s services and fees as well as its portfolio management decisions and portfolio performance. In connection with these reviews, our independent directors will consider whether our fees and expenses (including those related to leverage) remain appropriate. As a result of this arrangement, OFS Advisor or its affiliates may from time to time have interests that differ from those of our stockholders, giving rise to a conflict.

The part of the incentive fee payable to OFS Advisor that relates to our pre-incentive fee net investment income is computed and paid on income that may include interest income that has been accrued but not yet received in cash. This fee structure may be considered to involve a conflict of interest for OFS Advisor to the extent that it may encourage OFS Advisor to favor debt financings that provide for deferred interest, rather than current cash payments of interest. OFS Advisor may have an incentive to invest in deferred interest securities in circumstances where it would not have done so but for the opportunity to continue to earn the incentive fee even when the issuers of the deferred interest securities would not be able to make actual cash payments to us on such securities. This risk could be increased because OFS Advisor is not obligated to reimburse us for any incentive fees received even if we subsequently incur losses or never receive previously accrued deferred income in cash.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, OFS Advisor will not assume any responsibility to us other than to render the services called for under that agreement, and it will not be responsible for any action of our Board in following or declining to follow OFS Advisor’s advice or recommendations. Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, OFS Advisor and its affiliates, and its and their respective officers, directors, members, managers, partners, stockholders and employees, will not be liable to us or any subsidiary of ours, or our or their respective officers, directors, members, managers, partners, stockholders or employees, for acts or omissions performed in accordance with and pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, except those resulting from acts constituting gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith or reckless disregard of such person’s duties under the Investment Advisory Agreement. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify OFS Advisor and its affiliates, and its and their respective officers, directors, members, managers, partners, stockholders and employees, from and against any claims or liabilities, including reasonable legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred, arising out of or in connection with our business and operations or any action taken or omitted on our behalf pursuant to authority granted by the Investment Advisory Agreement, except where attributable to gross negligence, willful misconduct, bad faith or reckless disregard of such person’s duties under the Investment Advisory Agreement. These protections may lead OFS Advisor to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.

OFS Advisor has the right, under the Investment Advisory Agreement, to resign at any time upon not less than 60 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If OFS Advisor resigns, we may not be able to find a new investment advisor or hire internal management with similar expertise and the ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 60 days, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations, as well as our ability to pay distributions, are likely to be adversely affected and the value of our shares may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment activities is likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by the OFS Advisor and its affiliates. Even if we are able to retain comparable management, whether internal or external, the integration of such management and their lack of familiarity with our investment objectives may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.

We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we are permitted as a BDC to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% of gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our leverage, repay a portion of our

As of December 31, 2023, we had $302.4 million of debt outstanding. Our ability to incur additional debt and remain in compliance with the asset coverage test will be limited. We may seek an additional credit facility to finance investments or for working capital requirements. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain such financing on favorable terms or at all.

As a BDC, we may not acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our assets, as defined by the 1940 Act, are qualifying assets.

We believe that most of the investments that we may acquire in the future will constitute qualifying assets. However, we may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If a sufficient portion of our assets are not qualifying assets, we could violate the 1940 Act provisions applicable to BDCs. As a result of such violation, specific rules under the 1940 Act could prevent us, for example, from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position) or could require us to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to come into compliance with the 1940 Act. If we need to dispose of such investments quickly, it could be difficult to dispose of such investments on favorable terms. We may not be able to find a buyer for such investments and, even if we do find a buyer, we may have to sell the investments at a substantial loss. Any such outcomes would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Many of our portfolio companies are susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay our loans during these periods. Therefore, our non-performing assets are likely to increase and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during these periods. Adverse economic conditions may decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and the value of our equity investments. Economic slowdowns or recessions could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and assets. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events could prevent us from increasing our investments and harm our operating results.

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans and foreclosure on its assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize our portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company. In addition, lenders in certain cases can be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by them when they become too involved in the borrower’s business or exercise control over a borrower. It is possible that we could become subject to a lender liability claim, including as a result of actions taken if we render significant managerial assistance to the borrower. Furthermore, if one of our portfolio companies were to file for bankruptcy protection, even though we may have structured our investment as senior secured debt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize our debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to claims of other creditors.

Our investments in debt instruments may include “covenant-lite” loans. Covenants are contractual restrictions that lenders place on companies to limit the corporate actions a company may pursue. Generally, the loans in which we expect to invest will have financial maintenance covenants, which are used to proactively address materially adverse changes in a portfolio company’s financial performance. However, we may invest in “covenant-lite” loans. We use the term “covenant-lite” 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 financial 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.

The documents governing the loans to our portfolio companies and the loans underlying our CLO investments may allow for “priming transactions,” where majority lenders or debtors can amend the documents to the detriment of other lenders, in order to move collateral, or in order to facilitate capital outflow to other parties/subsidiaries in a capital structure, any of which may adversely affect our rights and security priority with respect to such loans.

Additionally, middle-market 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 companies and, in turn, on us. Middle-market companies may also be parties to litigation and may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence. In

In addition to the general risks associated with debt securities and structured products discussed herein, CLOs carry additional risks, including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the possibility that the investments in CLOs are subordinate to other classes or tranches thereof; (iv) the potential of spread compression in the underlying loans of the CLO, which could reduce credit enhancement in the CLOs; and (v) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results. CLO equity securities that we may acquire are subordinated to more senior tranches of CLO debt. CLO equity securities are subject to increased risks of default relative to the holders of superior priority interests in the same securities. In addition, at the time of issuance, CLO equity securities are under-collateralized in that the liabilities of a CLO at inception exceed its total assets. When we invest in a CLO, we may be in a first loss or subordinated position with respect to realized losses on the CLO’s assets. In addition, we may recognize phantom taxable income from our investments in the subordinated tranches of CLOs. 

Between the closing date and the effective date of a CLO, the CLO collateral manager will generally expect to purchase additional collateral obligations for the CLO. During this period, the price and availability of these collateral obligations may be adversely affected by a number of market factors, including price volatility and availability of investments suitable for the CLO, which could hamper the ability of the collateral manager to acquire a portfolio of collateral obligations that will satisfy specified concentration limitations and allow the CLO to reach the initial par amount of collateral prior to the effective date. An inability or delay in reaching the target initial par amount of collateral may adversely affect the timing and amount of interest or principal payments received by the holders of the CLO debt securities and distributions of the CLO on equity securities and could result in early redemptions which may cause CLO debt and equity investors to receive less than the face value of their investment.

In addition, the portfolios of certain CLOs in which we may invest may contain “covenant-lite” loans. Accordingly, to the extent we are exposed to “covenant-lite” loans, we may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants. Separately, we may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting CLO or any other investment we may make. If any of these occur, it could adversely affect our operating results and cash flows.

Our CLO investments will be exposed to leveraged credit risk. If a CLO does not meet certain minimum collateral value ratios and/or interest coverage ratios, primarily due to senior secured loan defaults, then cash flow that otherwise would have been available to pay us distributions may instead be used to redeem any senior notes or to purchase additional senior secured loans, until the ratios again exceed the minimum required levels or senior notes are repaid in full.

In the event of bankruptcy of a portfolio company, we may not have full recourse to its assets in order to satisfy our loan, or our loan may be subject to equitable subordination. In addition, certain of our loans are subordinate to other debt of the portfolio company. If a portfolio company defaults on our loan or on debt senior to our loan, or in the event of a portfolio company bankruptcy, our loan will be satisfied only after the senior debt receives payment. Where debt senior to our loan exists, the presence of inter-creditor arrangements may limit our ability to amend our loan documents, assign our loans, accept prepayments, exercise our remedies (through “standstill” periods) and control decisions made in bankruptcy proceedings relating to the portfolio company. Bankruptcy and portfolio company litigation can significantly increase collection losses and the time needed for us to acquire the underlying collateral in the event of a default, during which time the collateral may decline in value, causing us to suffer losses.

If the value of collateral underlying our loan declines or interest rates increase during the term of our loan, a portfolio company may not be able to obtain the necessary funds to repay our loan at maturity through refinancing. Decreasing collateral value and/or increasing interest rates may hinder a portfolio company’s ability to refinance our loan because the underlying collateral cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new financing. If a borrower is unable to repay our loan at maturity, we could suffer a loss which may adversely impact our financial performance.

All of our assets are presently invested in illiquid securities, and a substantial portion of our investments in leveraged companies is subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or is otherwise less liquid than more broadly traded public

When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, OFS Advisor will use the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate the valuation. We will record decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments as unrealized depreciation. Declines in prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets may result in significant net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. The effect of all of these factors on our portfolio may reduce our NAV by increasing net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may suffer additional unrealized losses in future periods, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have discretion to make follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. The failure on our part to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because: (i) we may not want to increase our level of risk; (ii) we prefer other opportunities; or (iii) we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements or the desire to maintain our RIC status. Our ability to make follow-on investments may also be limited by OFS Advisor’s allocation policy.

We generally do not hold controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. For portfolio companies in which we do not hold a controlling equity interest, we are 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 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.

Additionally, certain loans that we make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second-priority basis by the same collateral securing first-priority debt of such companies. The senior-secured 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 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 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 on the collateral. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second-priority liens, then we, to the

The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the loans we make to our portfolio companies with more senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of such senior debt. Under a typical intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first-priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first-priority liens:

We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights are adversely affected.

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.

Engaging in hedging transactions would entail additional risks to our stockholders. We could, for example, use instruments such as interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors and, if we were to invest in foreign securities, we could use instruments such as forward contracts or currency options and borrow under a credit facility in currencies selected to minimize our foreign currency exposure. In each such case, we generally would seek to hedge against fluctuations of the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in market interest rates or currency exchange rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions would not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of the positions declined. However, such hedging could establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions could also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions increased. Moreover, it might not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that was so generally anticipated that we would not be able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price.

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 could result in poorer overall investment performance than if

When we invest in senior secured, unitranche, second lien and subordinated loans, we may acquire warrants or other equity securities of portfolio companies as well. We may also invest in equity securities directly. To the extent we hold equity investments, except as described below, we will attempt to dispose of them and realize gains upon our disposition of them. However, the equity interests we invest in may not appreciate in value and may decline in value. As a result, 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.

We have made distributions on a quarterly basis to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure stockholders that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by the impact of one or more of the risk factors described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Due to the asset coverage test applicable to us under the 1940 Act as a BDC, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions.

When we make distributions, we will be required to determine the extent to which such distributions are paid out of current or accumulated taxable (or tax-basis) earnings and profits. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of an investor’s basis in our stock and, assuming that an investor holds our stock as a capital asset, thereafter as a capital gain. A return of capital is a return to stockholders of a portion of their original investment in us rather than income or capital gains.

As with any stock, the market price of our common stock will fluctuate with market conditions and other factors. Our common stock is intended for long-term investors and should not be treated as a trading vehicle. Shares of BDCs frequently

The Delaware General Corporation Law, our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us. We have also adopted measures that may make it difficult for a third party to obtain control of us, including provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation dividing our Board into three classes with the term of one class expiring at each annual meeting of stockholders. These anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a change in control in circumstances that could give the holders of our common stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the market price of our common stock.

If our common stock is trading below its NAV per share, we will generally not be able to issue additional shares of our common stock at its market price without first obtaining the approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our independent directors. Shares of BDCs, including shares of our common stock, have historically traded at discounts to their NAVs. As of December 31, 2023, our NAV per share was $12.09 and the closing price of our common shares on the Nasdaq

Our Unsecured Notes are not secured by any of our assets or any of the assets of any of our subsidiaries. As a result, the Unsecured Notes are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness we or our subsidiaries have outstanding (including the Banc of California Credit Facility and the BNP Facility) or that we or our subsidiaries may incur in the future (or any indebtedness that is initially unsecured and to which we subsequently grant a security interest) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. In any liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy or other similar proceeding, the holders of any of our secured indebtedness or secured indebtedness of our subsidiaries may assert rights against the assets pledged to secure that indebtedness in order to receive full payment of their indebtedness before the assets may be used to pay other creditors, including the holders of the Unsecured Notes.

The Unsecured Notes are obligations exclusively of the Company, and not of any of our subsidiaries. None of our subsidiaries are a guarantor of the Unsecured Notes, and the Unsecured Notes will not be required to be guaranteed by any subsidiary we may acquire or create in the future. Any assets of our subsidiaries will not be directly available to satisfy the claims of our creditors, including holders of the Unsecured Notes. Except to the extent we are a creditor with recognized claims against our subsidiaries, all claims of creditors of our subsidiaries will have priority over our equity interests in such entities (and therefore the claims of our creditors, including holders of the Unsecured Notes) with respect to the assets of such entities.

The indenture under which the Unsecured Notes were issued offers limited protection to holders of the Unsecured Notes. The terms of the indenture and the Unsecured Notes do not restrict our or any of our subsidiaries’ ability to engage in, or otherwise be a party to, a variety of corporate transactions, circumstances or events that could have a material adverse impact on your investment in the Unsecured Notes. In particular, the terms of the indenture and the Unsecured Notes will not place any restrictions on our or our subsidiaries’ ability to:

In addition, the indenture does not require us to make an offer to purchase the Unsecured Notes in connection with a change of control or any other event.

Furthermore, the terms of the indenture and the Unsecured Notes do not protect holders of the Unsecured Notes in the event that we experience changes (including significant adverse changes) in our financial condition, results of operations or

Our ability to recapitalize, incur additional debt (including additional debt that matures prior to the maturity of the Unsecured Notes), and take a number of other actions that are not limited by the terms of the Unsecured Notes may have important consequences for holders of the Unsecured Notes, including making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to the Unsecured Notes or negatively affecting the trading value of the Unsecured Notes.

Other debt we issue or incur in the future could contain more protections for its holders than the indenture and the Unsecured Notes, including additional covenants and events of default. The issuance or incurrence of any such debt with incremental protections could affect the market for, trading levels, and prices of the Unsecured Notes.

We may choose to redeem the Unsecured Notes Due October 2028 (without a prepayment penalty) or the Unsecured Notes Due February 2026 (subject to a prepayment penalty) at any time prior to their respective maturities, especially if prevailing interest rates are lower than the rate borne by the Unsecured Notes. If prevailing rates are lower at the time of redemption, and we redeem the Unsecured Notes, Unsecured Note holders would likely not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an effective interest rate as high as the interest rate on the Unsecured Notes being redeemed. Our redemption right may also adversely impact Unsecured Note holders’ ability to sell the Unsecured Notes.

We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including the interest rate payable on the debt securities we acquire, the default rate on such securities, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, variations in the timing and recognition of any non-recurring fee or dividend income, distributions from portfolio companies, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. In light of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

As a publicly traded company, we incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements applicable to a company whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act, as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other rules implemented by the SEC.

A cybersecurity incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the information resources of us or our portfolio companies. These incidents may be an intentional attack or an unintentional event and could involve gaining unauthorized access to our information systems or those of our portfolio companies or third-party vendors for purposes of misappropriating assets, stealing confidential information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions, including by computer hackers, nation-state affiliated actors, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Despite careful security and controls design, our information technology systems and the information technology systems of our portfolio companies and our third-party vendors, may be subject to security breaches and cyber-attacks, the result of which may include disrupted operations, misstated or unreliable financial data, liability for stolen assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation damage to business relationships and damage to our competitiveness, stock price, and long-term stockholder value. The costs related to cyber or other security threats or disruptions may not be fully insured or indemnified by other means. As our, our portfolio companies’ and our third-party vendors’ reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our information systems, both internally and those provided by OFS Services and third-party service providers, and the information systems of our portfolio companies. OFS Advisor has implemented processes, procedures and internal controls to help mitigate cybersecurity risks and cyber intrusions, but these measures, as well as our increased awareness of the nature and extent of a risk of a cyber incident, do not guarantee that a cyber incident will not occur and/or that our financial results, operations or confidential information will not be negatively impacted by such an incident. In addition, cybersecurity has become a top priority for regulators around the world, including the SEC, and some jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal data. Even the most well-protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases, are designed not be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we and our service providers may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us and our service providers to entirely mitigate this risk. Cybersecurity risks require continuous and increasing attention and other resources from us to, among other actions, identify and quantify these risks and upgrade and expand our technologies, systems and processes to adequately address such risks. Such attention diverts time and other resources from other activities and there is no assurance that our efforts will be effective. If we fail to comply with relevant laws and regulations, we could suffer financial losses, a disruption of our businesses, liability to investors, regulatory intervention or reputational damage. Further, the increased use of mobile and cloud technologies due to the proliferation of remote work resulting from new flexible work arrangements have heightened our and our portfolio companies’ vulnerability to a cybersecurity risk or incident. Reliance on mobile or cloud technology or any failure by mobile technology and cloud service providers to adequately safeguard systems could disrupt our operations, the operations of a portfolio company or the operations of our or their service providers and result in misappropriation, corruption or loss of personal, confidential or proprietary information or the inability to conduct business operations. Extended periods of remote working, whether by us, our portfolio companies, or our service providers, could strain technology resources, introduce operational risks and otherwise heighten the risks described above.

We operate in businesses that are highly dependent on information systems and technology. The costs related to cyber or other security threats or disruptions may not be fully insured or indemnified by other means. Cybersecurity has become a priority for regulators in the U.S. and around the world. Many jurisdictions in which we or our portfolio companies may operate have laws and regulations relating to data privacy, cybersecurity and protection of personal information, and many of these laws and regulations can be inconsistent across jurisdictions and are subject to evolving and, at times, conflicting interpretations. Government officials and regulators, privacy advocates and class action attorneys are increasingly scrutinizing how companies collect, process, use, store, share and transmit personal data. This scrutiny can result in new and shifting interpretations of existing laws, thereby further impacting our business. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom continues to be interpreted by European and UK courts in novel ways, leading to shifting requirements, country specific differences in application and uncertain enforcement priorities. More recently, new and emerging state laws in the United States on privacy, data and related technologies, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act and the California Privacy Rights Act, as well as industry self-regulatory codes and regulatory requirements, create new privacy

Recent technological advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning technology (“Machine Learning Technology”) pose risks to us, OFS Advisor and any third parties that we engage with. We could be exposed to the risks of Machine Learning Technology if third-party service providers or any counterparties use Machine Learning Technology in their business activities. We and OFS Advisor are not in a position to control the use of Machine Learning Technology in third-party products or services. Use of Machine Learning Technology could include the input of confidential information in contravention of applicable policies, contractual or other obligations or restrictions, resulting in such confidential information becoming partly accessible by other third-party Machine Learning Technology applications and users. Machine Learning Technology and its applications continue to develop rapidly, and we cannot predict the risks that may arise from such developments.

Machine Learning Technology is generally highly reliant on the collection and analysis of large amounts of data, and it is not possible or practicable to incorporate all relevant data into the model that Machine Learning Technology utilizes to operate. Certain data in such models will inevitably contain a degree of inaccuracy and error and could otherwise be inadequate or flawed, which would be likely to degrade the effectiveness of Machine Learning Technology. To the extent we are exposed to the risks of Machine Learning Technology use, any such inaccuracies or errors could adversely impact us and our business.

We depend on the services of custodians, counterparties, administrators and other agents to carry out certain transactions and other administrative services, including compliance with regulatory requirements in U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions. We are subject to risks of errors and mistakes made by these third parties, which may be attributed to us and subject us or our stockholders to reputational damage, penalties or losses. We depend on third parties to provide primary and backup communications and information systems. Any failure or interruption of those systems, including as a result of the termination of an agreement with any third-party service providers, could cause delays or other problems in our activities. Our financial, accounting, data processing, portfolio monitoring, backup or other operating systems and facilities may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control. The terms of the contracts with third-party service providers are often customized and complex, and many of these arrangements occur in markets or relate to products that are not subject to regulatory oversight. Accordingly, we may be unsuccessful in seeking reimbursement or indemnification from these third-party service providers. In addition, we rely on a select number of third-party service providers and replacement of any one of our service providers could be difficult and result in disruption and expense.

Terrorist activity and the continued threat of terrorism and acts of civil or international hostility, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters as well as government responses to these types of threats, may disrupt our operations, as well as the operations of the businesses in which we invest. Such acts have created, and continue to create, economic and political uncertainties and have contributed to global economic instability. Future terrorist activities, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters could further affect the domestic and global economies and create additional uncertainties, which may negatively impact the businesses in which we invest directly or indirectly and, in turn, could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. Losses from terrorist attacks, global health emergencies and natural disasters are generally uninsurable.

U.S. debt ceiling and budget deficit concerns have increased the possibility of additional credit-rating downgrades and economic slowdowns, or a recession in the United States. Although U.S. lawmakers have passed legislation to raise the federal debt ceiling on multiple occasions, ratings agencies have previously lowered, or threatened to lower, the long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States.

The impact of this or any further downgrades to the U.S. government’s sovereign credit rating or its perceived creditworthiness could adversely affect the U.S. and global financial markets and economic conditions. Absent quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve, these developments could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. In addition, disagreement over the federal budget has caused the U.S. federal government to shut down for periods of time and may lead to additional U.S. federal government shutdowns. Continued adverse political and economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Not applicable.

We do not own or lease any real estate or other physical properties material to our operation. Our headquarters are located at 10 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL, 60606, and are provided by OFS Services pursuant to the Administration Agreement. Additional operations are conducted from offices in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California, which are also provided by OFS Services pursuant to the Administration Agreement. We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as we contemplate continuing to conduct it.

We, OFS Advisor and OFS Services, are not currently subject to any material pending legal proceedings threatened against us as of December 31, 2023. From time to time, we may be a party to certain legal proceedings incidental to the normal course of our business including the enforcement of our rights under contracts with our portfolio companies. Furthermore, third parties may try to seek to impose liability on us in connection with the activities of our portfolio companies. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Not applicable.

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “OFS”. The last reported sale price for our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on February 27, 2024 was $11.59 per share. As of February 27, 2024, there were two holders of record of the common stock, one of which was OFSAM Holdings. A holder of record does not identify stockholders for whom shares are held beneficially in “nominee” or “street name”.

On May 22, 2018, the Board authorized the Stock Repurchase Program under which we could acquire up to $10.0 million of our outstanding common stock through the two-year period ending May 22, 2020. On May 4, 2020 and May 3, 2022, the Board extended the Stock Repurchase Program for additional two-year periods. Under the extended Stock Repurchase Program, we are authorized to repurchase shares in open-market transactions, including through block purchases, depending on prevailing market conditions and other factors. We expect the Stock Repurchase Program to be in place through May 22, 2024, or until the approved dollar amount has been used to repurchase shares. The Stock Repurchase Program does not obligate us to acquire any specific number of shares, and all repurchases will be made in accordance with SEC Rule 10b-18, which sets certain restrictions on the method, timing, price and volume of stock repurchases. The Stock Repurchase Program may be extended, modified or discontinued at any time for any reason. We have provided our stockholders with notice of our intention to repurchase shares of our common stock in accordance with 1940 Act requirements. We retire all shares of common stock that we purchase in connection with the Stock Repurchase Program. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we did not make any repurchases of our common stock.

This graph compares the return on our common stock with that of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index, the Russell 1000 Index and the Standard & Poor’s BDC Index, for the last 10 fiscal years. The graph assumes that, on December 31, 2013, a person invested $10,000 in our common stock, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index, the Russell 1000 Index and the Standard & Poor’s BDC Index. The graph measures total stockholder return, which takes into account changes in stock price and assumes reinvestment of all dividends and distributions prior to any tax effect.

While the examples assume reinvestment of all distributions at NAV, participants in our DRIP will receive a number of shares of our common stock determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the distribution payable to a participant by the market price per share of our common stock at the close of trading on the dividend payment date. The market price per share of our common stock may be at, above or below NAV.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about us, our current and prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs, and our assumptions. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “should,” “targets,” “projects,” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation:

We have based the forward-looking statements on information available to us on the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we in the future may file with the SEC, including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements and projections contained in this annual report on Form 10-K are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act.

The following analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and revenues and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Critical accounting policies are those that require management to make subjective or complex judgments about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in subsequent periods. Changes that may be required in the underlying assumptions or estimates in these areas could have a material impact on our current and future financial condition and results of operations.

These allocations are generally based on the relative fair value of the instruments at the time of the transaction, a process involving fair value estimates which is also a critical accounting policy and significant estimate. Once determined, these allocations directly affect the discount/premium and yield on debt securities, the cost and net gains/losses on equity securities, and ICTI. These allocations require an understanding of the terms and conditions of the underlying agreements and requires significant management judgment.

On September 7, 2022, pursuant to Rule 2a-5, our Board designated OFS Advisor as the valuation designee to perform fair value determinations relating to our investments for which market quotations are not readily available, and, as prescribed in Rule 2a-5, the Board maintains oversight of OFS Advisor in its capacity as valuation designee.

Our discounted cash flow valuations involve a determination of discount rate commensurate with the risk inherent in each investment. OFS Advisor, with the assistance of independent third-party valuation firms, uses two primary methods to

Our market approach valuations, generally applied to equity investments and investments in impaired debt, involve a determination of an enterprise value multiple to a financial performance metric of the portfolio company, generally trailing historical EBITDA or revenue. These determinations are based on identification of a comparable set of publicly traded companies and determination of a public-to-private liquidity adjustment factor, generally through calibration to transaction prices in the subject investment instrument. We may also utilize other portfolio-company earnings metrics to determine enterprise value, such as forecast EBITDA or revenue, or a weighting of multiple factors. At times, we may also use a discounted cash flow technique in valuing our equity securities or a combination of multiple valuation approaches. These methods generally produce a range of multiplier values and we generally select the midpoint of the range for fair value measures.