FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED September 30, 2016
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).Yes o No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).Yes o No x
The issuer had 22,181,003 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, outstanding as of November 8, 2016.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.
Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
Item 2.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 3.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 4.
Controls and Procedures
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PART II.
OTHER INFORMATION
Legal Proceedings
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Defaults Upon Senior Securities
Mine Safety Disclosure
Item 5.
Other Information
Item 6.
Exhibits
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See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
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GSV Capital Corp. (the “Company” or “GSV Capital”) formed in September 2010 as a Maryland corporation is an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end management investment company. The Company has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Company’s investment activities are managed by GSV Asset Management, LLC (“GSV Asset Management”), and GSV Capital Service Company, LLC (“GSV Capital Service Company”) provides the administrative services necessary for the Company to operate.
The Company’s date of inception was January 6, 2011, which is the date it commenced its development stage activities. The Company’s common stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “GSVC”. The Company began its investment operations during the second quarter of 2011.
The table below displays all the Company’s subsidiaries as of September 30, 2016, which, other than GSV Capital Lending, LLC (“GCL”), are collectively referred to as the “GSVC Holdings.” The GSVC Holdings were formed to hold portfolio investments. The GSVC Holdings, including their associated portfolio investments, are consolidated with the Company for accounting purposes, but have elected to be treated as separate entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes. GCL was formed to originate portfolio loan investments within the state of California and is consolidated with the Company for accounting purposes. Refer to “— Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Basis of Consolidation” below for further detail.
The Company’s investment objective is to maximize its portfolio’s total return, principally by seeking capital gains on its equity and equity-related investments. The Company invests principally in the equity securities of what it believes to be rapidly growing venture-capital-backed emerging companies. The Company may acquire its investments in these portfolio companies through: offerings of the prospective portfolio companies, transactions on secondary marketplaces for private companies, or negotiations with selling stockholders. The Company may also invest on an opportunistic basis in select publicly traded equity securities or certain non-U.S. companies that otherwise meet its investment criteria, subject to any applicable limitations under the 1940 Act.
The interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the requirements for reporting on Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Company is an investment company following the specialized accounting and reporting guidance specified in the Financial Accounting Standards
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Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services — Investment Companies. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, all of which were of a normal recurring nature, considered necessary for the fair presentation of consolidated financial statements for the interim period have been included. The results of operations for the current period are not necessarily indicative of results that ultimately may be achieved for any other interim period or for the year ending December 31, 2016. The interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and notes hereto should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto contained in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.
Under Article 6 of Regulation S-X and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (“AICPA”) Audit and Accounting Guide for Investment Companies, the Company is precluded from consolidating any entity other than another investment company, a controlled operating company that provides substantially all of its services and benefits to the Company, and certain entities established for tax purposes where the Company holds a 100% interest. Accordingly, the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements include its accounts and the accounts of the GSVC Holdings and GCL, its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires the Company to make a number of significant estimates. These include estimates of the fair value of certain assets and liabilities and other estimates that affect the reported amounts of certain assets and liabilities as of the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of certain revenues and expenses during the reporting period. It is likely that changes in these estimates will occur in the near term. The Company’s estimates are inherently subjective in nature and actual results could differ materially from such estimates.
The Company applies fair value accounting in accordance with GAAP and the AICPA’s Audit and Accounting Guide for Investment Companies. The Company values its assets on a quarterly basis, or more frequently if required under the 1940 Act.
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value that includes a hierarchy used to classify the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels. The level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Level 1 — Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.
Level 2 — Valuations based on observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data at the measurement date for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
Level 3 — Valuations based on unobservable inputs that reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. Consideration is given to the risk inherent in the valuation technique and the risk inherent in the inputs to the model.
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When the inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. For example, a Level 3 fair value measurement may include inputs that are observable (Levels 1 and 2) and unobservable (Level 3). Therefore, gains and losses for such assets and liabilities categorized within the Level 3 table set forth in “Note 3 — Investments at Fair Value” may include changes in fair value that are attributable to both observable inputs (Levels 1 and 2) and unobservable inputs (Level 3).
A review of fair value hierarchy classifications is conducted on a quarterly basis. Changes in the observability of valuation inputs may result in a reclassification for certain financial assets or liabilities. Reclassifications impacting Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are reported as transfers in/out of the Level 3 category as of the end of the quarter in which the reclassifications occur. Refer to “Levelling Policy” below for a detailed discussion of the levelling of the Company’s financial assets or liabilities and events that may cause a reclassification within the fair value hierarchy.
Securities for which market quotations are readily available on an exchange are valued at the closing price of such security on the valuation date; however, if they are subject to restrictions upon sale (such as lock-up restrictions), they may be discounted accordingly. The Company may also obtain quotes with respect to certain of its investments from pricing services, brokers or dealers in order to value assets. When doing so, the Company determines whether the quote obtained is sufficient according to GAAP to determine the fair value of the security. If determined to be adequate, the Company uses the quote obtained.
Securities for which reliable market quotations are not readily available or for which the pricing source does not provide a valuation or methodology or provides a valuation or methodology that, in the judgment of GSV Asset Management, the board of directors or the valuation committee of the board of directors (the “Valuation Committee”), does not reliably represent fair value, shall each be valued as follows:
In making a good faith determination of the fair value of investments, the Company considers valuation methodologies consistent with industry practice. Valuation methods utilized include, but are not limited to the following: comparisons to prices from secondary market transactions; venture capital financings; public offerings; purchase or sales transactions; as well as analysis of financial ratios and valuation metrics of the portfolio companies that issued such private equity securities to peer companies that are public, analysis of the portfolio companies’ most recent financial statements and forecasts, and the markets in which the portfolio
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company does business, and other relevant factors. The Company assigns a weighting based upon the relevance of each method to determine the fair value of each investment.
The Valuation Committee engages at least one independent valuation firm to perform valuations of its investments that are not publicly traded or for which there are no readily available market quotations. The Company’s board of directors considers the independent valuations provided by the valuation firm(s), among other factors, in making its fair value determinations. The table below shows the percentages of the Company’s investments for which there are no readily available market quotations and for which an independent valuation firm was engaged to perform valuations during the current and prior fiscal year.
Equity investments for which market quotations are readily available in an active market are generally valued at the most recently available closing market prices and are classified as Level 1 assets. Equity investments with readily available market quotations that are subject to sales restrictions due to an initial public offering (“IPO”) by the portfolio company will be classified as Level 1. Any other equity investments with readily available market quotations that are subject to sales restrictions may be valued at a discount for a lack of marketability (“DLOM”), to the most recently available closing market prices depending upon the nature of the sales restriction. These investments are generally classified as Level 2 assets. The DLOM used is generally based upon the market value of publicly traded put options with similar terms.
The fair values of the Company’s equity investments for which market quotations are not readily available are determined based on various factors and are classified as Level 3 assets. To determine the fair value of a portfolio company for which market quotations are not readily available, the Company may analyze the relevant portfolio company’s most recently available historical and projected financial results, public market comparables, and other factors. The Company may also consider other events, including the transaction in which the Company acquired its securities, subsequent equity sales by the portfolio company, and mergers or acquisitions affecting the portfolio company. In addition, the Company may consider the trends of the portfolio company’s basic financial metrics from the time of its original investment until the measurement date, with material improvement of these metrics indicating a possible increase in fair value, while material deterioration of these metrics may indicate a possible reduction in fair value.
In determining the value of equity or equity-linked securities (including warrants to purchase common or preferred stock) in a portfolio company, the Company considers the rights, preferences and limitations of such securities. In cases where a portfolio company’s capital structure includes multiple classes of preferred and common stock and equity-linked securities with different rights and preferences, the Company generally uses an option pricing model to allocate value to each equity-linked security, unless it believes a liquidity event such as an acquisition or a dissolution is imminent, or the portfolio company is unlikely to continue as a going concern. When equity-linked securities expire worthless, any cost associated with these positions is recognized as a realized loss on investments in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In the event these securities are exercised into common or
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preferred stock, the cost associated with these securities is reassigned to the cost basis of the new common or preferred stock. These conversions are noted as non-cash operating items on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Given the nature of the Company’s current debt investments (excluding U.S. Treasuries), principally convertible and promissory notes issued by venture-capital-backed portfolio companies, these investments are classified as Level 3 assets because there is no known or accessible market or market indexes for these investment securities to be traded or exchanged. The Company values its debt investments at estimated fair value as determined by the Company’s board of directors.
The Company’s board of directors will ascribe value to warrants based on fair value analyses that can include discounted cash flow analyses, option pricing models, comparable analyses and other techniques as deemed appropriate.
The portfolio companies in which the Company invests may offer their shares in IPOs. The Company’s shares in such portfolio companies are typically subject to lock-up agreements for 180 days following the IPO. Upon the IPO date, the Company transfers its investment from Level 3 to Level 1 due to the presence of an active market, limited by the lock-up agreement. The Company prices the investment at the closing price on a public exchange as of the measurement date. In situations where the lock-up restrictions have expired but other factors restrict the sale of the investment, the Company will consider the nature of any restrictions on the sale of the investment in connection with the valuation of the portfolio company. The Company will classify the investment as either Level 2 subject to an appropriate DLOM to reflect the restrictions upon sale or as Level 1. The Company transfers investments between levels based on the fair value at the end of the measurement period in accordance with FASB ASC 820.
The carrying amounts of the Company’s other, non-investment financial instruments, consisting of cash, receivables, accounts payable, and accrued expenses, approximate fair value due to their short-term nature. The embedded derivative liability is carried at fair value.
Securities transactions are accounted for on the date the transaction for the purchase or sale of the securities is entered into by the Company (i.e., trade date). Securities transactions outside conventional channels, such as private transactions, are recorded as of the date the Company obtains the right to demand the securities purchased or to collect the proceeds from a sale, and incurs an obligation to pay for securities purchased or to deliver securities sold, respectively.
GSV Capital is a non-diversified company within the meaning of the 1940 Act. GSV Capital classifies its investments by level of control. As defined in the 1940 Act, control investments are those where there is the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company. Control is generally deemed to exist when a company or individual directly or indirectly owns beneficially more than 25% of the voting securities of an investee company. Affiliated investments and affiliated companies are defined by a lesser degree of influence and are deemed to exist when a company or individual directly or indirectly owns,
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controls or holds the power to vote 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of a portfolio company. Refer to the Condensed Consolidated Schedules of Investments as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, for details regarding the nature and composition of the Company’s investment portfolio.
The Company places its cash with U.S. Bank, N.A. and Silicon Valley Bank, and at times, cash held in these accounts may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured limit. The Company believes that both U.S. Bank, N.A. and Silicon Valley Bank are high-quality financial institutions and that the risk of loss associated with any uninsured balance is remote.
On December 31, 2013, the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Silicon Valley Bank, pursuant to which Silicon Valley Bank agreed to provide the Company with an $18 million credit facility (the “Credit Facility”). The Company recorded origination costs related to the Credit Facility as deferred financing costs. These costs are deferred and amortized as part of interest expense using the effective interest method over the expected life of the Credit Facility. If the Company modifies or extinguishes the Credit Facility, it follows the guidance in FASB ASC 470-50, Modification and Extinguishments. For modifications to or exchanges of the Credit Facility, any unamortized origination costs are expensed. Included within deferred financing costs are offering costs incurred relating to the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form N-2. The Company defers these offering costs until capital is raised pursuant to the shelf registration statement or the shelf registration statement has expired. For equity capital raised, the offering costs reduce paid-in capital resulting from the offering. For debt capital raised, the associated offering costs are amortized over the life of the debt instrument using the effective interest method. As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company had deferred financing costs of $356,268 and $352,653, respectively, on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities.
As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company had restricted cash of $115,431 and $52,931, respectively, which is included on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities. As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, restricted cash consisted of a deposit for the Company’s fidelity bond as well as excess funds remaining in escrow after the purchase of the government securities that will be used to make the scheduled interest payments on the Company’s $69 million Convertible Senior Notes, which bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.25% per year and mature on September 15, 2018 (the “Convertible Senior Notes”). See the table below and “Note 9 — Long-Term Liabilities” for further detail.
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The Company’s revenue recognition policies are as follows:
Sales: Gains or losses on the sale of investments are determined using the specific identification method.
Interest: Interest income, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount, is recorded on an accrual basis.
Dividends: Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date.
Commissions and other costs associated with an investment transaction, including legal expenses not reimbursed by the issuer, are included in the cost basis of purchases and deducted from the proceeds of sales. The Company makes certain acquisitions on secondary markets, which may involve making deposits to escrow accounts until certain conditions are met, including the underlying private company’s right of first refusal. If the underlying private company does not exercise or assign its right of first refusal and all other conditions are met, then the funds in the escrow account are delivered to the seller and the account is closed. Such transactions would be reflected on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities as escrow deposits. At September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company had no escrow deposits.
Unrealized appreciation or depreciation is calculated as the difference between the fair value of the investment and the cost basis of such investment.
The Company has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for the 2014 taxable year, is qualified to elect to be treated as a RIC for the 2015 taxable year and expects to continue to operate in a manner so as to qualify for the tax treatment applicable to RICs. In order to qualify as a RIC, among other things, the Company is required to meet certain source of income and asset diversification requirements and timely distribute to its stockholders at least 90% of the sum of investment company taxable income (“ICTI”) including payment-in-kind interest income, as defined by the Code, and net tax-exempt interest income (which is the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest income over certain disallowed deductions) for each taxable year and meet certain source of income and asset diversification requirements on a quarterly basis. Depending on the level of ICTI earned in a tax year, the Company may choose to carry forward into the next tax year ICTI in excess of current year dividend distributions. Any such carryforward ICTI must be distributed on or before December 31 of the subsequent tax year to which it was carried forward.
If the Company does not distribute (or is not deemed to have distributed) each calendar year a sum of (1) 98% of its net ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years (the “Minimum Distribution Amount”), it will generally be required to pay an excise tax equal to 4% of the amount by which the Minimum Distribution Amount exceeds the distributions for the year. To the extent that the Company determines that its estimated current year annual taxable income will be in excess of estimated current year dividend distributions from such taxable income, the Company will accrue excise taxes, if any, on estimated excess taxable income as taxable income is earned using an annual effective excise tax rate. The annual effective excise tax rate is determined by dividing the estimated annual excise tax by the estimated annual taxable income.
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The Company was taxed as a regular corporation (a “C corporation”) under subchapter C of the Code, for its 2012 taxable year. In September 2014, the Company filed its 2013 tax return as a RIC and sought to be granted RIC status for its 2013 taxable year; however, the Company determined it would not be eligible to elect to be treated as a RIC for the 2013 taxable year unless it was certified by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as “principally engaged in the furnishing of capital to other corporations which are principally engaged in the development or exploitation of inventions, technological improvements, new processes, or products not previously generally available” for the 2013 taxable year. In September 2015, the Company determined it was in the best interests of its stockholders to file its 2013 tax return as a C corporation.
The Company determined, however, that it satisfied the requirements to qualify as a RIC for the 2014 taxable year and elected to be treated as a RIC in its 2014 tax return filed in September 2015. So long as the Company qualifies and maintains its status as a RIC, it generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal and state income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its stockholders as dividends. Rather, any tax liability related to income earned by the RIC will represent obligations of the Company’s investors and will not be reflected in the condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company. Included in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements, the GSVC Holdings are taxable subsidiaries, regardless of whether the Company is a RIC. These taxable subsidiaries are not consolidated for income tax purposes and may generate income tax expenses as a result of their ownership of the portfolio companies. Such income tax expenses and deferred taxes, if any, will be reflected in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.
The Company has also qualified to be treated as a RIC for the 2015 taxable year and intends to qualify to be treated as a RIC in future periods. If it is not treated as a RIC, the Company will be taxed as a C corporation under the Code for such taxable year. If the Company has previously qualified as a RIC but is subsequently unable to qualify for treatment as a RIC, and certain amelioration provisions are not applicable, the Company would be subject to tax on all of its taxable income (including its net capital gains) at regular corporate rates. The Company would not be able to deduct distributions to stockholders, nor would it be required to make distributions. Distributions, including distributions of net long-term capital gain, would generally be taxable to its stockholders as ordinary dividend income to the extent of the Company’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate stockholders would be eligible to claim a dividend received deduction with respect to such dividend; non-corporate stockholders would generally be able to treat such dividends as “qualified dividend income,” which is subject to reduced rates of U.S. federal income tax. Distributions in excess of the Company’s current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the stockholder’s tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. In order to requalify as a RIC, in addition to the other requirements discussed above, the Company would be required to distribute all of its previously undistributed earnings attributable to the period it failed to qualify as a RIC by the end of the first year that it intends to requalify as a RIC. If the Company fails to requalify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it may be subject to regular corporate tax on any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if the Company had been liquidated) that it elects to recognize on requalification or when recognized over the next five years. Refer to “Note 8 — Income Taxes” for further details regarding the Company’s tax status.
Basic net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations per common share is computed using the weighted-average number of shares outstanding for the period presented. Diluted net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations per common share is computed by dividing net increase/(decrease) in net
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assets resulting from operations for the period adjusted to include the pre-tax effects of interest incurred on potentially dilutive securities, by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding plus any potentially dilutive shares outstanding during the period. The Company used the if-converted method in accordance with FASB ASC 260, Earnings Per Share (“ASC 260”) to determine the number of potentially dilutive shares outstanding. Refer to “Note 5 — Net Increase/(Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations per Common Share — Basic and Diluted” for further detail.
In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-03, Interest — Imputation of Interest (Topic 835): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. ASU 2015-03 requires companies to present debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. Debt issuance costs related to lines of credit are not required to be deducted from the carrying amount of that debt liability.
Public companies are required to apply FASB ASU 2015-03 retrospectively for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company has adopted this standard beginning with the interim period ended March 31, 2016. As a result, deferred financing costs of $1,947,572 as of December 31, 2015 related to the Convertible Senior Notes are now presented as a direct reduction to the Convertible Senior Notes in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities. In prior periods, these deferred debt financing costs had been presented as assets on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities. The unamortized balances of debt issuance costs related to the Credit Facility remain in “Deferred financing costs” on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Refer to “— Deferred Financing Costs” above and “Note 9 — Long-Term Liabilities” for further detail.
On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted ASU 2015-02, Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (ASC 8510), which amends the guidance for determining whether an entity is a variable interest entity. ASU 2015-02 eliminates the separate consolidation guidance for limited partnerships and, with it, the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. In addition, ASU 2015-02 changes the guidance for determining if fee arrangements qualify as variable interests and the effect fee arrangements have on the determination of the primary beneficiary. Adoption of ASU 2015-02 did not affect the consolidation analysis for any of the Company’s investments.
The Company has entered into an investment advisory agreement with GSV Asset Management (the “Advisory Agreement”). Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, GSV Asset Management will be paid a base annual fee of 2% of gross assets, which is the Company’s total assets reflected on the its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities (with no deduction for liabilities) reduced by any non-portfolio investments, and an annual incentive fee equal to the lesser of (i) 20% of the Company’s realized capital gains during each calendar year, if any, calculated on an investment-by-investment basis, subject to a non-compounded preferred return, or “hurdle,” and a “catch-up” feature, and (ii) 20% of the Company’s realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees.
Under the Advisory Agreement, there are no restrictions on the right of any manager, partner, officer or employee of GSV Asset Management to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to receive any fees or compensation in connection therewith (including fees for serving as a director of, or providing consulting
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services to, one or more of the Company’s portfolio companies). GSV Asset Management has, however, adopted an internal policy whereby any fees or compensation received by a manager, partner, officer or employee of GSV Asset Management in exchange for serving as a director of, or providing consulting services to, any of the Company’s portfolio companies will be transferred to the Company, net of any personal taxes incurred, upon such receipt for the benefit of the Company and its stockholders.
For GAAP purposes, in accordance with the AICPA’s Technical Practice Aids (“TPA”) (TIS 6910.2), the Company is required to accrue incentive fees for all periods as if the Company had fully liquidated its entire investment portfolio at the fair value stated on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015. This accrual considers both the hypothetical liquidation of the Company’s portfolio described previously, as well as the Company’s actual cumulative realized gains and losses since inception, as well any previously paid incentive fees.
For the three months ended September 30, 2016, the Company accrued incentive fees of $220,719. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company reversed previously accrued incentive fees of $7,805,089. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company accrued incentive fees of $1,062,535 and $10,839,602, respectively.
GSV Asset Management earned $1,625,963 and $5,324,186 in management fees for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively. GSV Asset Management earned $2,063,017 and $5,994,530 in management fees for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively.
As of September 30, 2016, GSV Asset Management owed the Company $77,021 for reimbursement of expenses paid for by the Company that were the responsibility of GSV Asset Management. In addition, as of September 30, 2016, the Company owed GSV Asset Management $895,932 primarily for the reimbursement of overhead expenses.
As of December 31, 2015, GSV Asset Management owed the Company $220,770 for reimbursement of expenses paid for by the Company that were the responsibility of GSV Asset Management. In addition, as of December 31, 2015, the Company owed GSV Asset Management $5,047,429 for earned incentive fees and, to a lesser extent, for the reimbursement of other expenses.
The Company has entered into an administration agreement with GSV Capital Service Company (the “Administration Agreement”) to provide administrative services, including furnishing the Company with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping, record keeping services and other administrative services. The Company reimburses GSV Capital Service Company an allocable portion of overhead and other expenses in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement. There were $627,444 and $1,926,085 in such costs incurred under the Administration Agreement for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively. There were $598,456 and $2,185,888 in such costs incurred under the Administration Agreement for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively.
The Company entered into a license agreement with GSV Asset Management pursuant to which GSV Asset Management has agreed to grant the Company a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “GSV.” Under this agreement, the Company has the right to use the GSV name for so long as the Advisory Agreement with GSV Asset Management is in effect. Other than with respect to this limited license, the Company has no legal right to the “GSV” name.
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Under the 1940 Act, the Company’s investments in controlled and affiliated portfolio companies are deemed to be related-party transactions.
The Company’s investments in portfolio companies consist primarily of equity securities (such as common stock, preferred stock and warrants to purchase common and preferred stock) and to a lesser extent, debt securities, issued by private and publicly traded companies. The Company may also from time to time, invest in U.S. Treasury Securities. Non-portfolio investments represent investments in U.S. Treasury Securities. At September 30, 2016, the Company had 99 positions in 46 portfolio companies. At December 31, 2015, the Company had 96 positions in 48 portfolio companies. The following table summarizes the composition of the Company’s investment portfolio by security type at cost and fair value as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015:
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The fair values of the Company’s investments disaggregated into the three levels of the fair value hierarchy based upon the lowest level of significant input used in the valuation as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, are as follows:
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In accordance with FASB ASC 820, the tables below provide quantitative information about the Company’s fair value measurements of its Level 3 assets as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015. In addition to the techniques and inputs noted in the tables below, according to the Company’s valuation policy, the Company may also use other valuation techniques and methodologies when determining the Company’s fair value measurements. The tables below are not intended to be all-inclusive, but rather provide information on the significant Level 3 inputs as they relate to the Company’s fair value measurements. To the extent an unobservable input is not reflected in the tables below, such input is deemed insignificant with respect to the Company’s Level 3 fair value measurements as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015. Significant changes in the inputs in isolation would result in a significant change in the fair value measurement, depending on the input and the materiality of the investment.
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The significant unobservable inputs used in determining the fair value of the assets are shown above. Increases/(decreases) in revenue multiples, earnings before interest and taxes (“EBIT”) multiples, time to expiration, and stock price/strike price would result in higher/(lower) fair values all else equal. Decreases/(increases) in discount rates, volatility, and annual risk rates, would result in higher/(lower) fair values all else equal.
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, due to a restructuring of Cricket Media, Cricket Media was transferred from Level 1 public common stock to Level 3 private common stock. There were no other transfers between levels during three and nine months ended September 30, 2016.
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The aggregate values of Level 3 assets and liabilities changed during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, as follows:
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The portfolio companies in which the Company invests may offer their shares in IPOs, which are typically subject to lock-up agreements for 180 days following the IPO. Refer to “Note 1 — Nature of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Levelling Policy” for further detail.
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No new shares of the Company’s common stock were issued during each of the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015.
The following information sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations per common share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015. The use of the if-converted method as promulgated under ASC 260 considers all potentially dilutive securities in a company’s capital structure when calculating diluted earnings per share, regardless of whether it would be economically beneficial for a holder of such potentially dilutive security to exercise its conversion option (such as out of the money warrants.) In scenarios where diluted net increase in net assets resulting from operations per share is higher than basic net increase in net assets resulting from operations per share, ASC 260 prohibits the separate presentation of the diluted net increase in net assets resulting from operations per share figure. In scenarios where diluted net decrease in net assets resulting from operations per share is lower than basic net decrease in net assets resulting from operations per share, ASC 260 prohibits the separate presentation of the net decrease in net assets resulting from operations per share figure.
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In the normal course of business, the Company may enter into investment agreements under which it commits to make an investment in a portfolio company at some future date or over a specified period of time. At each of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company had not entered into any investment agreements that required it to make a future investment in a portfolio company.
The Company is currently not subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to its knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against it. From time to time, the Company may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of its rights under contracts with its portfolio companies. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company does not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon its business, financial condition or results of operations.
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The Company has elected to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code and operates in a manner so as to qualify for the tax treatment applicable to RICs. Accordingly, the Company must generally distribute at least 90% of its ICTI to qualify for the treatment accorded to a RIC and to maintain its RIC status. As part of maintaining RIC status, undistributed taxable income (subject to a 4% excise tax) pertaining to a given fiscal year may be distributed up to 12 months subsequent to the end of that fiscal year, provided such dividends are declared prior to the later of (1) the fifteenth day of the ninth month following the close of that fiscal year or (2) the extended due date for filing the federal income tax return for that fiscal year.
As a result of the Company electing to be treated as a RIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2014 in connection with the filing of its 2014 tax return, it may be required to pay a corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on the amount of the net built-in gains, if any, in its assets (the amount by which the net fair market value of the Company’s assets exceeds the net adjusted basis in its assets) as of the date of conversion (i.e., the beginning of the first taxable year that the Company qualifies as a RIC, which would be January 1, 2014) to the extent that such gains are recognized by the Company during the applicable recognition period, which is the five-year period beginning on the date of conversion.
Any corporate-level built-in-gains tax is payable at the time the built-in gains are recognized (which generally will be the years in which the assets with the built-in-gains are sold in a taxable transaction). The amount of this tax will vary depending on the assets that are actually sold by the Company in this five-year period, the actual amount of net built-in gain or loss present in those assets as of the date of conversion, and the effective tax rates at such times. The payment of any such corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on built-in gains will be a Company expense that will reduce the amount available for distribution to stockholders. The built-in-gains tax is calculated by determining the RIC’s net unrealized built-in gains, if any, by which the fair market value of the assets of the RIC at the beginning of its first RIC year exceeds the aggregate adjusted basis of such assets at that time.
As of January 1, 2014, the Company had net unrealized built-in gains. It did not incur a built-in-gains tax for the 2014 tax year due to the fact that there were sufficient net capital loss carryforwards to completely offset recognized built-in gains as well as available net operating losses. The GSVC Holdings are C corporations for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes. The Company uses the asset and liability method to account for the GSVC Holdings’ income taxes. Using this method, the Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the estimated future tax effects attributable to temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities. In addition, the Company recognizes deferred tax benefits associated with net operating loss carryforwards that it may use to offset future tax obligations. The Company measures deferred tax assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which it expects to recover or settle those temporary differences.
As of September 30, 2016, the Company recorded a deferred tax liability of approximately $11.9 million, of which approximately $10.2 million has been recorded in the event that such gains are recognized by December 31, 2018, and approximately $1.7 million relates to the difference in the book and tax basis of certain equity investments and tax net operating losses held by the GSVC Holdings.
As of December 31, 2015, the Company recorded a deferred tax liability of approximately $12.5 million, of which approximately $10.2 million has been recorded in the event that such gains are recognized by December 31, 2018, and approximately $2.3 million relates to the difference in the book and tax basis of certain equity investments and tax net operating losses held by the GSVC Holdings.
For U.S. federal and state income tax purposes, a portion of the GSVC Holdings’ net operating loss carryforwards and basis differences may be subject to limitations on annual utilization in case of a change in ownership, as defined by federal and state law. The amount of such limitations, if any, has not been
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determined. Accordingly, the amount of such tax attributes available to offset future profits may be significantly less than the actual amounts of the tax attributes.
The Company and the GSVC Holdings identified their major tax jurisdictions as U.S. federal and California and may be subject to the taxing authorities’ examination for the tax years 2013 – 2016 and 2012 – 2016, respectively.
The Company and the GSVC Holdings accrue all interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as incurred. As of September 30, 2016, there were no interest or penalties incurred related to uncertain tax positions.
On September 17, 2013, the Company issued $69 million aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Senior Notes (including $9 million aggregate principal amount issued pursuant to the exercise of the initial purchasers’ option to purchase additional Convertible Senior Notes). The Convertible Senior Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.25% per year, payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing on March 15, 2014. The Convertible Senior Notes mature on September 15, 2018, unless previously repurchased or converted in accordance with their terms. The Company does not have the right to redeem the Convertible Senior Notes prior to maturity. The Convertible Senior Notes were convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock based on an initial conversion rate of 61.5091 shares of the Company’s common stock per $1,000 of principal amount of the Convertible Senior Notes, which was equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $16.26 per share of common stock. As a result of the Company’s dividends paid on December 31, 2015 and August 24, 2016 the conversion rate was increased to 83.3596 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Senior Notes, which is equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $12.00 per share of common stock.
The terms of the offering required the Company to place $10,867,500 from the offering in an escrow account (the “Interest Escrow”) with U.S. Bank N.A. (the “Trustee”) under the indenture pursuant to which the Convertible Senior Notes were issued. Funds in the Interest Escrow were used to purchase six U.S. Treasury Strips (“Government Securities”) with an original cost of $10,845,236. The Government Securities were used to make the first six scheduled interest payments on the Convertible Senior Notes. The table below shows a reconciliation from the aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes to the balance shown on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities.
As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the principal amount of the Convertible Senior Notes exceeded the value of the underlying shares multiplied by the per share closing price of the Company’s common stock.
The Convertible Senior Notes are the Company’s senior, unsecured obligations and rank senior in right of payment to any future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Convertible Senior Notes, equal in right of payment to any future unsecured indebtedness that is not so subordinated to the Convertible Senior Notes, junior (other than to the extent of the Interest Escrow) to any future secured
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indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, and structurally junior to all future indebtedness (including trade payables) incurred by the Company’s subsidiaries.
The Convertible Senior Notes contained an interest make-whole payment provision pursuant to which holders who converted their notes prior to September 15, 2016, would receive, in addition to a number of shares of the Company’s common stock calculated at the applicable conversion rate for the principal amount of notes being converted, the cash proceeds from the sale by the escrow agent of the portion of the Government Securities in the escrow account that were remaining with respect to any of the first six interest payments that had not been made on the notes being converted. Under FASB ASC 815-10-15-74(a), the interest make-whole payment was considered an embedded derivative and was separated from the host contract, the Convertible Senior Notes, and carried at fair value.
The Company used a binomial lattice model to estimate the fair value of the embedded derivative in the Convertible Senior Notes. A binomial lattice model generates potential outcomes at various points in time, starting from the date of valuation until the expiration date of the embedded derivative.
The Company entered into the Loan Agreement, effective December 31, 2013, with Silicon Valley Bank to provide the Company with an $18 million Credit Facility. Under the Credit Facility, the Company is permitted to borrow an amount equal to the lesser of $18 million or 20% of the Company’s then-current net asset value.
The Credit Facility matures on December 31, 2016, and bears interest at a per annum rate equal to the greater of (i) the prime rate plus 4.75% or (ii) 8.0% on amounts drawn under the Credit Facility based on a 360-day year. In addition, a fee of $180,000 per annum (1.0% of the $18 million revolving line of credit) is charged under the Loan Agreement. Under the terms of the Credit Facility, the Company must repay all outstanding borrowings on the Credit Facility so that there is at least one 30-day period every 12 months during which the Company has no balance outstanding. Under the Loan Agreement, the Company has made certain customary representations and warranties and is required to comply with various covenants, reporting requirements, and other customary requirements for similar credit facilities. The Loan Agreement includes usual and customary events of default for credit facilities of this nature, including, without limitation, nonpayment, misrepresentation of representations and warranties in a material respect, breach of covenant, cross-default to certain other indebtedness, bankruptcy, change of control, and the occurrence of a material adverse effect. As of September 30, 2016 the Company is in compliance with the Loan Agreement and had no borrowings under the Credit Facility.
The Credit Facility is secured by all of the Company’s property and assets, except for the Company’s assets pledged to secure certain obligations in connection with the Company’s issuance of the Convertible Senior Notes and, as provided for in the Loan Agreement, as may be pledged in connection with any future issuance by the Company of Convertible Senior Notes on substantially similar terms. As of September 30, 2016, the Company had no borrowings under the Credit Facility. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company had average borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility of $266,304 and $140,511, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company had average borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility of $0 and $4,963,370, respectively.
Borrowing under the Credit Facility is subject to the leverage restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. In addition, under the Loan Agreement, and as provided for therein, the Company has agreed not to incur certain additional permitted indebtedness in an aggregate amount exceeding 50% of the Company’s then-applicable net asset value.
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From September 30, 2016 through November 8, 2016, the Company did not purchase any investments.
From September 30, 2016 through November 8, 2016, the Company sold investments of $108,530 net of transaction costs as shown in the following table:
The Company is frequently in negotiations with various private companies with respect to investments in such companies. Investments in private companies are generally subject to satisfaction of applicable closing conditions. In the case of secondary market transactions, such closing conditions may include approval of the issuer, waiver or failure to exercise rights of first refusal by the issuer and/or its stockholders and termination rights by the seller or the Company. Equity investments made through the secondary market may involve making deposits in escrow accounts until the applicable closing conditions are satisfied, at which time the escrow accounts will close and such equity investments will be effectuated.
On October 5, 2016, the Company placed $249,999 in escrow with Signature Bank to allow the Company to participate in the next round of financing for Beamreach Solar, Inc. (f/k/a Solexel, Inc.). Upon satisfaction of the applicable closing conditions, the escrow accounts will close and the Company’s equity or debt investments in Beamreach Solar, Inc., as applicable, will be effectuated.
In October 2016, in connection with the completion of the first six scheduled interest payments on the Convertible Senior Notes, and pursuant to a request made by the Company under the pledge and escrow agreement by and between the Company and U.S. Bank N.A. (the “Pledge and Escrow Agreement”), U.S. Bank N.A. released and transferred to the Company the excess funds, in an amount of approximately $90,431, that had remained in the Interest Escrow. As a result of such release and transfer, the $90,431 will no longer be included as restricted cash on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities on a going-forward basis.
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This quarterly report on Form 10-Q 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,” “will,” “may,” “continue,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “targets,” “projects,” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements contained in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q involve risks and uncertainties, including statements as to:
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:
Although we believe the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include those described or identified in our annual report on Form 10-K, in the “Risk Factors” section. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.
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The following analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto contained elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.
We are an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the 1940 Act. Our investment objective is to maximize our portfolio’s total return, principally by seeking capital gains on our equity and equity-related investments. We invest principally in the equity securities of what we believe to be rapidly growing venture-capital-backed emerging companies. We have also invested, on an opportunistic basis, in select publicly traded equity securities of rapidly growing companies that otherwise meet our investment criteria, and may continue to do so in the future. In addition, while we invest primarily in U.S. companies, we may invest on an opportunistic basis in certain non-U.S. companies that otherwise meet our investment criteria. In regards to the regulatory requirements for business development companies under the 1940 Act, some of these investments may not qualify as investments in “eligible portfolio companies,” and thus may not be considered “qualifying assets.” “Eligible portfolio companies” generally include U.S. companies that are not investment companies and that do not have securities listed on a national exchange. If at any time less than 70% of our gross assets are comprised of qualifying assets, including as a result of an increase in the value of any non-qualifying assets or decrease in the value of any qualifying assets, we would generally not be permitted to acquire any additional non-qualifying assets until such time as 70% of our then-current gross assets were comprised of qualifying assets. We would not be required, however, to dispose of any non-qualifying assets in such circumstances.
We acquire our investments in portfolio companies through: offerings of the prospective portfolio companies, transactions on secondary marketplaces for private companies, or negotiations with selling stockholders. Our investment activities are managed by GSV Asset Management. GSV Capital Service Company provides the administrative services necessary for us to operate.
Our investment philosophy is premised on a disciplined approach of identifying high-growth emerging companies across several key industry themes that may include, among others, social mobile, cloud computing and big data, internet commerce, sustainability and education technology. GSV Asset Management’s investment decisions are based on a disciplined analysis of available information regarding each potential portfolio company’s business operations, focusing on the company’s growth potential, the quality of recurring revenues and cash flow and cost structures, as well as an understanding of key market fundamentals. Many of the companies that our investment adviser, GSV Asset Management, evaluates have financial backing from top-tier venture capital funds or other financial or strategic sponsors.
We seek to deploy capital primarily in the form of non-controlling equity and equity-related investments, including common stock, warrants, preferred stock and similar forms of senior equity, which may or may not be convertible into a portfolio company’s common equity, and convertible debt securities with a significant equity component. Typically, our preferred stock investments are non-income producing, have different voting rights than common stock and are generally convertible into common stock at our discretion. Our investments generally do not produce current income and therefore we may be dependent on future capital raising to meet our operating needs if no other source of liquidity is available.
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The value of our investment portfolio will change over time due to changes in the fair value of our underlying investments, as well as changes in the composition of our portfolio resulting from purchases of new and follow-on investments and the sales of existing investments. The fair value, as of September 30, 2016, of all of our portfolio investments, excluding U.S. Treasury Bills, was $298,269,956. The following table summarizes the investment purchases we funded during the nine months ended September 30, 2016. “Total Gross Payments” include both the actual cost of an investment as well as capitalized costs (such as legal and other fees) associated with entering into a portfolio company investment. Refer to “Note 1 — Nature of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies” to our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2016 for further detail.
The tables below summarize the portfolio investments we sold during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
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For the three months ended September 30, 2016, we had a net change in unrealized depreciation of $1,261,709. For the three months ended September 30, 2015, we had a net change in unrealized depreciation of $21,981,668. The following tables summarize, by portfolio company, the significant changes in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of our investment portfolio for each of the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
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For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, we had a net change in unrealized depreciation of $36,616,596. For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, we had a net change in unrealized appreciation of $58,014. The following tables summarize, by portfolio company, the significant changes in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of our investment portfolio for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
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Our liquidity and capital resources are generated primarily from sales of our investments as well as advances from our Credit Facility. In management’s view, we have sufficient liquidity and capital resources to pay our operating expenses and conduct investment activities.
Our primary uses of cash are to make investments, pay our operating expenses and make distributions to our stockholders. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, our operating expenses were $5,261,869 and $25,325,131, respectively.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, our total cash reserves and liquid securities decreased approximately 35%, primarily due to the sales of our unrestricted portfolio investments. We believe that even with this decrease, our current liquid assets are sufficient to meet our short-term and medium-term financing needs.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, cash decreased to $11,445,113 at the end of the period, from $13,349,877 at the beginning of the period. The decline in cash was primarily due to $4,993,660 and $5,465,622 in payments to GSV Asset Management for earned incentive and management fees, respectively. Additionally, our cash balance increased due to $12,611,245 of net sales of investments, excluding treasury strips. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, we paid a distribution on realized gains of $887,240, which caused our cash and cash equivalents to decline.
There were no sales of our equity or debt securities during the nine months ended September 30, 2016, or the year ended December 31, 2015.
As a result of our distribution, paid on December 31, 2015, we issued 2,860,903 shares of common stock. Refer to “— Distributions” below for details of our distributions paid.
As of September 30, 2016, we had no borrowings under the Credit Facility.
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As of September 30, 2016, we had no off-balance sheet arrangements, including any risk management of commodity pricing or other hedging practices. However, we may employ hedging and other risk management techniques in the future.
The timing and amount of our distributions, if any, will be determined by our board of directors and will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution. The following table lists the distributions, including dividends and returns of capital, if any, per share that we have declared since our formation through September 30, 2016. The table is divided by fiscal year according to record date:
We intend to focus on making capital gains-based investments from which we will derive primarily capital gains. As a consequence, we do not anticipate that we will pay distributions on a quarterly basis or become a predictable distributor of distributions, and we expect that our distributions, if any, will be much less consistent than the distributions of other business development companies that primarily make debt
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investments. If there are earnings or realized capital gains to be distributed, we intend to declare and pay a distribution at least annually. The amount of realized capital gains available for distribution to stockholders will be impacted by our tax status.
Our current intention is to make any future distributions out of assets legally available therefrom in additional shares of our common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan, unless a stockholder elects to receive dividends and/or long-term capital gains distributions in cash. Under the dividend reinvestment plan, if a stockholder owns shares of common stock registered in its own name, the stockholder will have all cash distributions (net of any withholding) automatically reinvested in additional shares of common stock unless the stockholder opts out of our dividend reinvestment plan by delivering a written notice to our dividend paying agent prior to the record date of the next dividend or distribution. Any distributions reinvested under the plan will nevertheless remain taxable to the U.S. stockholder, although no cash distribution has been made. As a result, if a stockholder does not elect to opt out of the dividend reinvestment plan, it will be required to pay applicable federal, state and local taxes on any reinvested dividends even though such stockholder will not receive a corresponding cash distribution. In addition, reinvested dividends have the effect of increasing our gross assets, which may correspondingly increase the management fee payable to our investment adviser, GSV Asset Management. Stockholders who hold shares in the name of a broker or financial intermediary should contact the broker or financial intermediary regarding any election to receive distributions in cash.
Although we elected to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code for the 2014 taxable year and continue to qualify to be treated as a RIC, we were taxed as a C Corporation under the Code for our 2013 taxable year. So long as we qualify and maintain our status as a RIC, we generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal and state income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that we distribute at least annually to our stockholders as dividends. Rather, any tax liability related to income earned by the RIC will represent obligations of our investors and will not be reflected in our condensed consolidated financial statements. Included in our condensed consolidated financial statements, the GSVC Holdings are taxable subsidiaries, regardless of whether we are a RIC. These taxable subsidiaries are not consolidated for income tax purposes and may generate income tax expenses as a result of their ownership of the portfolio companies. Such income tax expenses and deferred taxes, if any, will be reflected in our condensed consolidated financial statements.
We have also qualified to be treated as a RIC for the 2015 taxable year and continue to operate in a manner so as to qualify for the tax treatment applicable to RICs. In order to qualify as a RIC and to avoid corporate-level tax on the income we distribute to our stockholders, we are required, under Subchapter M of the Code, to distribute at least 90% of our ordinary income and short-term capital gains to our stockholders on an annual basis. See “Note 1 — Nature of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — U.S. Federal and State Income Taxes” and “Note 8 — Income Taxes” to our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2016 for more information.
On September 17, 2013, we issued $69 million aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes (including $9 million aggregate principal amount issued pursuant to the exercise of the initial purchasers’ option to purchase additional Convertible Senior Notes), which bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.25% per year, are payable semi-annually and mature on September 15, 2018, unless previously repurchased or converted in accordance with their terms. We do not have the right to redeem the Convertible Senior Notes prior to maturity. As of September 30, 2016, the Convertible Senior Notes were convertible into shares of our common stock based on a conversion rate of 83.3596 shares of our common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Senior Notes, which is equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $12.00 per share of common stock. Refer to “Note 1 — Nature of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and “Note 9 — Long-Term Liabilities” to our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2016 for more information regarding the Convertible Senior Notes.
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We entered into the Loan Agreement, effective December 31, 2013, with Silicon Valley Bank to provide us with an $18 million Credit Facility, which matures on December 31, 2016 and bears interest at a per annum rate equal to the greater of (i) the prime rate plus 4.75% or (ii) 8.0% on amounts drawn. As of September 30, 2016, we had no borrowings under the Credit Facility. Refer to “Note 9 — Long-Term Liabilities” to our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2016 for a detailed discussion of the Credit Facility.
We have entered into the Advisory Agreement with GSV Asset Management. See “Note 2 — Related-Party Arrangements” to our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2016 for more information about the Advisory Agreement. GSV Asset Management is controlled by Michael T. Moe, our Chief Executive Officer and Chair of our board of directors. Mr. Moe, through his ownership interest in GSV Asset Management, is entitled to a portion of any profits earned by GSV Asset Management in performing its services under the Advisory Agreement. Mr. Moe, William Tanona, our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary, and Mark Flynn, our President, as principals of GSV Asset Management, collectively manage the business and internal affairs of GSV Asset Management. Mark Klein, a member of our board of directors, or entities with which he is affiliated, receives fees from GSV Asset Management in connection with any offering of our securities and, from time to time, for consulting or non-investment advisory services pursuant to a consulting agreement with GSV Asset Management.
We have entered into the Administration Agreement with GSV Capital Service Company to provide administrative services, including furnishing us with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping services and other administrative services. GSV Asset Management controls GSV Capital Service Company. We reimburse GSV Capital Service Company an allocable portion of overhead and other expenses in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement. While there is no limit on the total amount of expenses we may be required to reimburse GSV Capital Service Company, our administrator will only charge us for the actual expenses it incurs on our behalf, or our allocable portion thereof, without any profit to GSV Capital Service Company. See “Note 2 — Related-Party Arrangements” to our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2016 for more information.
Mark Moe, who is the brother of our Chief Executive Officer, Michael Moe, serves as Vice President of Business Development, Global Expansion for NestGSV, Inc. (d/b/a GSV Labs, Inc.), one of our portfolio companies. Diane Flynn, who is the spouse of our President, Mark Flynn, serves as Chief Marketing Officer of NestGSV, Inc. Ron Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer of Enjoy Technology, Inc., one of our portfolio companies, is the brother-in-law of our President, Mark Flynn. As of September 30, 2016, the fair values of our investments in NestGSV, Inc. and Enjoy Technology, Inc. were $7,979,205 and $5,439,400, respectively. Another one of our portfolio companies, SPBRX, INC. (f/k/a GSV Sustainability Partners, Inc.), previously utilized office space paid for by GSV Asset Management without paying GSV Asset Management or us any consideration for rent. We did not consider this an arms-length transaction. In August 2016, SPBRX, INC. (f/k/a GSV Sustainability Partners, Inc.) moved out of the office space paid for by GSV Asset Management.
In addition, our executive officers and directors, and the principals of our investment adviser, GSV Asset Management, serve or may serve as officers and directors of entities that operate in a line of business similar to our own, including new entities that may be formed in the future. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders. For example, as of November 8, 2016, GSV Asset Management also manages Coursera@GSV Fund, LP and Coursera@GSV-EDBI Fund, LP, special purpose vehicles each comprised of an underlying investment in Coursera stock (the “Coursera Funds”), and serves as sub-adviser for certain investment series of GSV Ventures I LLC, GSV Ventures II LLC, GSV Ventures III LLC, GSV Ventures IV LLC, GSV Ventures V LLC and GSV Ventures VI LLC, each a venture capital and growth equity fund (collectively, the “GSV Ventures Funds”), and will likely manage one or more private funds, or series within such private funds, in the future. We have no ownership interests in the Coursera Funds or the GSV Ventures Funds sub-advised by GSV Asset Management.
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While the investment focus of each of these entities, including the Coursera Funds and the GSV Ventures Funds, may be different from our investment objective, it is likely that new investment opportunities that meet our investment objective will come to the attention of one of these entities, or new entities that will likely be formed in the future in connection with another investment advisory client or program, and, if so, such opportunity might not be offered, or otherwise made available, to us. However, our executive officers, directors and investment adviser, GSV Asset Management, intend to treat us in a fair and equitable manner consistent with their applicable duties under law so that we will not be disadvantaged in relation to any other particular client. In addition, while GSV Asset Management anticipates that it will from time to time identify investment opportunities that are appropriate for both us and the other funds that are currently, or in the future may be, managed by GSV Asset Management, to the extent it does identify such opportunities, GSV Asset Management has established an allocation policy to ensure that we have priority over such other funds. Our board of directors will monitor on a quarterly basis any such allocation of investment opportunities between us and any such other funds.
Further, under the Advisory Agreement, there are no restrictions on the right of any manager, partner, officer or employee of GSV Asset Management to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to receive any fees or compensation in connection therewith (including fees for serving as a director of, or providing consulting services to, one or more of our portfolio companies). GSV Asset Management has, however, adopted an internal policy whereby any fees or compensation received by a manager, partner, officer or employee of GSV Asset Management in exchange for serving as a director of, or providing consulting services to, any of our portfolio companies will be transferred to GSV Capital Corp., net of any personal taxes incurred, upon such receipt for the benefit of GSV Capital Corp. and our stockholders.
GSV Asset Management is the owner of the “GSV” name and marks, which we are permitted to use pursuant to a non-exclusive license agreement between us and GSV Asset Management. GSV Asset Management and its principals also use and may permit other entities to use the “GSV” name and marks in connection with businesses and activities unrelated to our operations. The use of the “GSV” name and marks in connection with businesses and activities unrelated to our operations may not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders and may result in actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
In the ordinary course of business, we may enter into transactions with portfolio companies that may be considered related-party transactions. To ensure that we do not engage in any prohibited transactions with any persons affiliated with us, we have implemented certain written policies and procedures whereby our executive officers screen each of our transactions for any possible affiliations between the proposed portfolio investment, us, companies controlled by us and our executive officers and directors.
We also adopted a code of ethics which applies to, among others, our senior officers, including our Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, as well as any of our other officers, directors and employees. Our code of ethics requires that all employees and directors avoid any conflict, or the appearance of a conflict, between an individual’s personal interests and our interests. Pursuant to our code of ethics, each officer, employee and director must disclose any conflicts of interest, or actions or relationships that might give rise to a conflict, to our Chief Compliance Officer. Our board of directors is charged with approving any waivers under our code of ethics. As required by the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards, the Audit Committee of our board of directors is also required to review and approve any transactions with related parties (as such term is defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K).
Critical accounting policies and practices are the policies that are both most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results, and require management’s most difficult, subjective, or complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effects of matters that are inherently uncertain. These include estimates of the fair value of our Level 3 investments and other estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of certain revenues and expenses during the reporting period. It is likely that changes in these estimates will occur in the near term. Our estimates are inherently subjective in nature and actual results could differ materially from such estimates. We believe that the following discussion addresses our most
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critical accounting policies, which are those that are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and require management’s most difficult, subjective and complex judgments.
We apply fair value accounting in accordance with GAAP and the AICPA’s Audit and Accounting Guide for Investment Companies. We value our assets on a quarterly basis, or more frequently if required under the 1940 Act.
Level 1 — Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market that we have the ability to access at the measurement date.
When the inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. For example, a Level 3 fair value measurement may include inputs that are observable (Levels 1 and 2) and unobservable (Level 3). Therefore, gains and losses for such assets and liabilities categorized within the Level 3 table set forth in “Note 3 — Investments at Fair Value” to our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2016, may include changes in fair value that are attributable to both observable inputs (Levels 1 and 2) and unobservable inputs (Level 3).
A review of fair value hierarchy classifications is conducted on a quarterly basis. Changes in the observability of valuation inputs may result in a reclassification for certain financial assets or liabilities. Reclassifications impacting Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are reported as transfers in/out of the Level 3 category as of the end of the quarter in which the reclassifications occur. Refer to “Note 1 — Nature of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies — Levelling Policy” to our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2016, for a detailed discussion of the levelling of our financial assets or liabilities and events that may cause a reclassification within the fair value hierarchy.
Securities for which market quotations are readily available on an exchange are valued at the closing price of such security on the valuation date; however, if they are subject to restrictions upon sale (such as lock-up restrictions), they may be discounted accordingly. We may also obtain quotes with respect to certain of our investments from pricing services, brokers or dealers in order to value assets. When doing so, we determine whether the quote obtained is sufficient according to GAAP to determine the fair value of the security. If determined to be adequate, we use the quote obtained.
Securities for which reliable market quotations are not readily available or for which the pricing source does not provide a valuation or methodology, or provides a valuation or methodology that, in the judgment of GSV Asset Management, our board of directors or the Valuation Committee, does not reliably represent fair value, shall each be valued as follows:
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In making a good faith determination of the fair value of investments, we consider valuation methodologies consistent with industry practice. Valuation methods utilized include, but are not limited to the following: comparisons to prices from secondary market transactions; venture capital financings; public offerings; purchase or sales transactions; as well as analysis of financial ratios and valuation metrics of the portfolio companies that issued such private equity securities to peer companies that are public, analysis of the portfolio companies’ most recent financial statements and forecasts, and the markets in which the portfolio company does business, and other relevant factors. We assign a weighting based upon the relevance of each method to determine the fair value of each investment.
The Valuation Committee engages at least one independent valuation firm to perform valuations of our investments that are not publicly traded or for which there are no readily available market quotations. Our board of directors considers the independent valuations provided by the valuation firm(s), among other factors, in making our fair value determinations.
From September 30, 2016 through November 8, 2016, we did not purchase any investments.
From September 30, 2016 through November 8, 2016, we sold investments of $108,530 net of transaction costs as shown in the following table:
We are frequently in negotiations with various private companies with respect to investments in such companies. Investments in private companies are generally subject to satisfaction of applicable closing conditions. In the case of secondary market transactions, such closing conditions may include approval of the issuer, waiver or failure to exercise rights of first refusal by the issuer and/or its stockholders and termination rights by the seller or us. Equity investments made through the secondary market may involve making deposits in escrow accounts until the applicable closing conditions are satisfied, at which time the escrow accounts will close and such equity investments will be effectuated.
On October 5, 2016, we placed $249,999 in escrow with Signature Bank to allow us to participate in the next round of financing by Beamreach Solar, Inc. (f/k/a Solexel, Inc.). Upon satisfaction of the applicable closing conditions, the escrow accounts will close and our equity or debt investments in Beamreach Solar, Inc., as applicable, will be effectuated.
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In October 2016, in connection with the completion of the first six scheduled interest payments on the Convertible Senior Notes, and pursuant to a request made by us made under the Pledge and Escrow Agreement, U.S. Bank N.A. released and transferred to us the excess funds, in an amount of approximately $90,431, that had remained in the Interest Escrow. As a result of such release and transfer, the $90,431 will no longer be included as restricted cash on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities on a going-forward basis.
Our equity investments are primarily in growth companies that in many cases have short operating histories and are generally illiquid. In addition to the risk that these companies may fail to achieve their objectives, the price we may receive for these companies in private transactions may be significantly impacted by periods of disruption and instability in the capital markets, such as the recent market volatility in China, geopolitical unrest in the Middle East and as a result of the referendum vote relating to the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. While these periods of disruption generally have little actual impact on the operating results of our equity investments, these events may significantly impact the prices that market participants will pay for our equity investments in private transactions. This may have a significant impact on the valuation of our equity investments.
We are subject to financial market risks, which could include, to the extent we utilize leverage with variable rate structures, changes in interest rates. As we invest primarily in equity rather than debt instruments, we would not expect fluctuations in interest rates to directly impact the return on our portfolio investments, although any significant change in market interest rates could potentially have an indirect effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations of the portfolio companies in which we invest.
As of September 30, 2016, all of our debt investments bore a fixed rate of interest. As of September 30, 2016, all of our borrowings bore a fixed rate of interest with the exception of the Credit Facility, which is indexed to the prime rate. We do not expect a significant impact on net investment income or loss due to changes in the prime rate, based on its historical stability. The table below, however, indicates the impact on our net investment income or loss should the prime rate rise.
Based on our September 30, 2016 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities, the following table shows the maximum impact of changes in interest rates on our net income or loss related to the Credit Facility for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, assuming no changes in our investment income and borrowing structure:
Although we believe that this measure is indicative of our maximum sensitivity to interest rate changes, it does not reflect potential changes in credit quality, size and composition of the assets on our statement of assets and liabilities and other business developments that could affect net increase or decrease in net assets resulting from operations, or net income or loss.
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As of September 30, 2016, we, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective and provided reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our periodic SEC filings is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. However, in evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of such possible controls and procedures.
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarter ended September 30, 2016, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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Although we and GSV Asset Management may, from time to time, be involved in litigation arising out of our and GSV Asset Management’s operations in the normal course of business or otherwise, except as set forth in “Item 3. Legal Proceedings” of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2016, neither we nor GSV Asset Management is currently a party to any pending material legal proceedings. There have been no material developments in the legal proceedings described in “Item 3. Legal Proceedings” of our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, since the date such report was filed with the SEC.
In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2016, which could materially affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results. The risks described in our annual report on Form 10-K are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us, or that we currently deem to be immaterial, also may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, there have been no material changes to the risk factors discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.
We did not engage in unregistered sales of equity securities during the nine months ended September 30, 2016.
For the three months ended September 30, 2016, as a part of the dividend reinvestment plan for our common stockholders, we purchased 5,616 shares of our common stock in the open market for an average price of approximately $5.05 per share pursuant to the reinvestment component of the dividend reinvestment plan. The following chart summarizes these purchases of our common stock for the three months ended September 30, 2016.
None.
Not applicable.
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The following exhibits are filed as part of this report or hereby incorporated by reference to exhibits previously filed with the SEC:
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
By:
/s/ Michael T. MoeMichael T. Moe Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ William TanonaWilliam Tanona Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
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