Barings BDC, Inc. - Annual Report: 2007 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

 

 

Commission file number 001-33130

Triangle Capital Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(919) 719-4770

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

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 þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  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 the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o     No þ

 

The aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2007 was approximately $84,734,191.

 

The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s Common Stock on March 12, 2008 was 6,803,863.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and certain exhibits previously filed with the Securities and Exchange commission are incorporated by reference into Part IV of this Annual Report.

 

 

TRIANGLE CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2007

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Some of the statements in this Annual Report constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. Forward-looking statements may include, among other things, statements as to our future operating results, our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies, the impact of the investments that we expect to make, the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives, our expected financings and investments, the adequacy of our cash resources and working capital, and the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “goals,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “continue,” “forecast,” “may,” “should,” “potential,” variations of such words, and similar expressions indicate a forward-looking statement, although not all forward-looking statements include these words. Readers are cautioned that the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report are only predictions, are not guarantees of future performance, and are subject to risks, events, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Our actual results could differ materially from those implied or expressed in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including the factors discussed in Item 1A entitled “Risk Factors” in Part I of this Annual Report and elsewhere in this Annual Report. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include changes in the economy, risks associated with possible disruption in our operations or the economy generally due to terrorism, and future changes in laws or regulations and conditions in our operating areas. These statements are based on our current expectations, estimates, forecasts, information and projections about the industry in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management as of the date of this Annual Report. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless we are required to do so by law. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we in the future may file with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

 

 

Formation of Our Company

 

We are a Maryland corporation incorporated on October 10, 2006, for the purposes of acquiring 100% of the equity interests in Triangle Mezzanine Fund LLLP (the “Fund”) and its general partner, Triangle Mezzanine LLC (“TML”), raising capital in our initial public offering, which was completed in February 2007 (the “Offering”) and thereafter operating as an internally managed business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). Unless otherwise noted, the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and “Triangle” refer to the Fund prior to the Offering and to Triangle Capital Corporation and its subsidiaries, including the Fund, after the Offering. At the time of closing of the Offering, we consummated the following formation transactions (“Formation Transactions”):

 

 

The Offering consisted of the sale of 4,770,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $15.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately $64.7 million after deducting offering costs. As a result of the Offering and the Formation Transactions described above, we and the Fund are closed-end, non-diversified investment companies that have elected to be treated as BDCs under the 1940 Act.

 

The following chart reflects graphically our organizational structure after the Offering and consummation of the Formation Transactions:

 

 

 

 

Our headquarters are in Raleigh, North Carolina, and our Internet address is www.tcap.com. We are not including the information contained on our website as a part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We make available free of charge through our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to,

the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of this Annual Report and other reports are also available without charge upon written request to us.

 

Overview of our Business

 

We are a specialty finance company that provides customized financing solutions to lower middle market companies located throughout the United States. We define lower middle market companies as those having annual revenues between $10.0 and $100.0 million. Our investment objective is to seek attractive returns by generating current income from our debt investments and capital appreciation from our equity related investments. Our investment philosophy is to partner with business owners, management teams and financial sponsors to provide flexible financing solutions to fund growth, changes of control, or other corporate events. We invest primarily in senior and subordinated debt securities secured by first and second lien security interests in portfolio company assets, coupled with equity interests.

 

We focus on investments in companies with a history of generating revenues and positive cash flows, an established market position and a proven management team with a strong operating discipline. Our target portfolio company has annual revenues between $20.0 and $75.0 million and annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) between $2.0 and $10.0 million. We believe that these companies have less access to capital and that the market for such capital is underserved relative to larger companies. Companies of this size are generally privately held and are less well known to traditional capital sources such as commercial and investment banks.

 

Our investments generally range from $5.0 to $15.0 million per portfolio company. In certain situations, we have partnered with other funds to provide larger financing commitments. We are continuing to operate the Fund as an SBIC and to utilize the proceeds of the sale of SBA-guaranteed debentures, referred to herein as SBA leverage, to enhance returns to our stockholders. As of December 31, 2007, we had investments in 26 portfolio companies, with an aggregate cost of $107.2 million.

 

Our Business Strategy

 

We seek attractive returns by generating current income from our debt investments and capital appreciation from our equity related investments by:

 

 

 

Investments

 

Debt Investments

 

We tailor the terms of our debt investments to the facts and circumstances of each transaction and prospective portfolio company, negotiating a structure that seeks to protect our rights and manage our risk while creating incentives for the portfolio company to achieve its business plan. To that end, we typically seek board observation rights with each of our portfolio companies and offer managerial assistance. We also seek to limit the downside risks of our investments by negotiating covenants that are designed to protect our investments while affording our portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their businesses as possible. Such restrictions may include affirmative and negative covenants, default penalties, lien protection, change of control provisions and put rights. We typically add a prepayment penalty structure to enhance our total return on our investments.

 

We typically invest in senior secured debt and subordinated notes. Senior subordinated notes are junior to senior secured debt but senior to other series of subordinated notes. Our senior secured debt investments and subordinated note investments generally have terms of three to seven years. Our senior secured debt investments generally provide for variable interest at rates ranging from LIBOR plus 300 basis points to LIBOR plus 400 basis points and our subordinated debt investments generally provide for fixed interest rates between 12.0% and 19.0% per annum. Our subordinated note investments generally are secured by a second priority security interest in the assets of the borrower and generally include an equity component, such as warrants to purchase common stock in the portfolio company. In addition, certain loan investments may have a form of interest that is not paid currently but is accrued and added to the loan balance and paid at the end of the term, referred to as payment in kind, or PIK interest. In our negotiations with potential portfolio companies, we generally seek to minimize PIK interest as we have to pay out such accrued interest as dividends to our stockholders, and we may have to borrow money or raise additional capital in order to meet the requirement of having to pay out at least 90.0% of our income to continue to qualify as a Regulated

Investment Company, or RIC, for federal tax purposes. At December 31, 2007, the weighted average yield on all of our outstanding debt investments was approximately 13.9%.

 

Equity Investments

 

When we provide financing, we may acquire equity interests in the portfolio company. We generally seek to structure our equity investments as non-control investments to provide us with minority rights and event-driven or time-driven puts. We also seek to obtain registration rights in connection with these investments, which may include demand and “piggyback” registration rights, board seats and board observation rights. Our investments have in the past and may in the future contain a synthetic equity position pursuant to a formula typically setting forth royalty rights we may exercise in accordance with such formula.

 

Investment Criteria

 

We utilize the following criteria and guidelines in evaluating investment opportunities. However, not all of these criteria and guidelines have been, or will be, met in connection with each of our investments.

 

 

Investment Process

 

Our investment committee is responsible for all aspects of our investment process. The members of our investment committee are Messrs. Garland S. Tucker III, Brent P.W. Burgess, Steven C. Lilly, Tarlton H. Long, and David F. Parker. Our investment committee meets once a week but also meets on an as needed basis depending on transaction volume. Our investment committee has organized our investment process into five distinct stages:

 

 

Our investment process is summarized in the following chart:

 

 

Origination

 

The origination process for our investments includes sourcing, screening, preliminary due diligence, transaction structuring, and negotiation. Our origination process ultimately leads to the issuance of a non-binding term sheet. Investment origination is conducted by our eight investment professionals who are responsible for sourcing potential investment opportunities. Our investment professionals utilize their extensive relationships with various financial sponsors, entrepreneurs, attorneys, accountants, investment bankers and other non-bank providers of capital to source transactions with prospective portfolio companies.

 

If a transaction meets our investment criteria, we perform preliminary due diligence, taking into consideration some or all of the following factors:

 

 

If the results of our preliminary due diligence are satisfactory, the origination team prepares a Summary Transaction Memorandum which is presented to our investment committee. If our investment committee recommends moving forward, we issue a non-binding term sheet to the potential portfolio company. Upon execution of a term sheet, we begin our formal due diligence and underwriting process as we move toward investment approval.

 

Due Diligence and Underwriting

 

Our due diligence on a prospective investment is completed by a minimum of two investment professionals, which we define as the underwriting team. The members of the underwriting team work together to conduct due diligence and to understand the relationships among the prospective portfolio company’s business plan, operations and financial performance through various methods, including, among others, on-site visits with management, in-depth review of historical and projected financial data, interviews with customers and

suppliers, management background checks, third-party accounting reports and review of any material contracts.

 

In most circumstances, we utilize outside experts to review the legal affairs, accounting systems and results, and, where appropriate, we engage specialists to investigate issues like environmental matters and general industry outlooks. During the underwriting process, significant attention is given to sensitivity analyses and how companies might be expected to perform in a protracted “downside” operating environment. In addition, we analyze key financing ratios and other industry metrics, including total debt to EBITDA, EBITDA to fixed charges, EBITDA to total interest expense, total debt to total capitalization and total senior debt to total capitalization.

 

Upon completion of a satisfactory due diligence review and as part of our evaluation of a proposed investment, the underwriting team prepares an Investment Memorandum for presentation to our investment committee. The Investment Memorandum includes information about the potential portfolio company such as its history, business strategy, potential strengths and risks involved, analysis of key customers and suppliers, working capital analysis, third party consultant findings, expected returns on investment structure, anticipated sources of repayment and exit strategies, analysis of historical financials, and potential capitalization and ownership.

 

Approval

 

The underwriting team for the proposed investment presents the Investment Memorandum to our investment committee for consideration and approval. After reviewing the Investment Memorandum, members of the investment committee may request additional due diligence or modify the proposed financing structure or terms of the proposed investment. Before we proceed with any investment, the investment committee must approve the proposed investment. Upon receipt of transaction approval, the involved investment professionals proceed to document and, upon satisfaction of applicable closing conditions, fund the investment.

 

Documentation and Closing

 

The underwriting team is responsible for leading the negotiation of all documentation related to investment closings. We also rely on law firms with whom we have worked on multiple transactions to help us complete the necessary documentation associated with transaction closings. If a transaction changes materially from what was originally approved by the investment committee, the underwriting team requests a formal meeting of the investment committee to communicate the contemplated changes. The investment committee has the right to approve the amended transaction structure, to suggest alternative structures or not to approve the contemplated changes.

 

Portfolio Management and Investment Monitoring

 

Our investment professionals generally employ several methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance of our portfolio companies, which, depending on the particular investment, may include the following specific processes, procedures and reports:

 

 

In the event that our investment committee determines that an investment is underperforming, or circumstances suggest that the risk associated with a particular investment has significantly increased, we undertake more aggressive monitoring of the affected portfolio company. The frequency of our monitoring of an investment is determined by a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the trends in the financial performance of the portfolio company, the investment structure and the type of collateral securing our investment, if any.

 

Investment Rating System

 

We monitor a wide variety of key credit statistics that provide information regarding our portfolio companies to help us assess credit quality and portfolio performance. We generally require our portfolio companies to provide annual audits in addition to monthly and quarterly unaudited financial statements. Using these statements, we calculate and evaluate certain financing ratios. For purposes of analyzing the financial performance of our portfolio companies, we may make certain adjustments to their financial statements to reflect the pro forma results of a company consistent with a change of control transaction, to reflect anticipated cost savings resulting from a merger or restructuring, costs related to new product development, compensation to previous owners, and other acquisition or restructuring related items.

 

As part of our valuation procedures we risk rate all of our investments in debt securities. Our investment rating system uses a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the lowest probability of default and principal loss. This system is used to estimate the probability of default on our debt securities and the probability of loss if there is a default. The system is also used to assist us in estimating the fair value of equity related securities. These types of systems are referred to as risk rating systems and are used by banks and rating agencies. Our risk rating system covers both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the business and the securities we hold.

In connection with the monitoring of our portfolio companies, each investment we hold is rated based upon the following numeric investment rating system:

 

 

Valuation Process and Determination of Net Asset Value

 

We determine the net asset value per share of our common stock on a quarterly basis. The net asset value per share is equal to the value of our total assets minus liabilities and any preferred stock outstanding divided by the total number of shares of common stock outstanding.

 

Securities that are publicly traded, if any, are valued at the closing price of the exchange or securities market on which they are listed on the valuation date. Securities which are not traded on a public exchange or securities market, but for which a limited market exists, such as participations in syndicated loans, are valued at the indicative bid price offered by the syndication agent on the valuation date. As of December 31, 2007, none of the debt securities in our portfolio were publicly traded or had a limited market, and there was a limited market for one of the equity securities that we owned. Debt and equity securities that are not publicly traded, for which a limited market does not exist, or for which we have various degrees of trading restrictions are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors.

 

Duff & Phelps, LLC (“Duff & Phelps”), an independent valuation firm, provides third-party valuation consulting services to us, which consist of certain limited procedures that we identified and requested Duff & Phelps to perform. We generally request Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on each portfolio company at least once in every calendar year and for new portfolio companies, at least once in the twelve-month period subsequent to the initial investment. In certain instances, we may determine that it is not cost-effective, and as a result is not in our shareholders’ best interest, to request Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on one or

more portfolio companies. Such instances include, but are not limited to, situations where the fair value of our investment in the portfolio company is determined to be insignificant relative to our total investment portfolio. For a further discussion of Duff & Phelps’ procedures, see the section entitled “Investment Valuation” included in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in Item 7 of Part I of this Annual Report.

 

Determination of the fair value involves subjective judgments and estimates not susceptible to substantiation by auditing procedures. Accordingly, under current auditing standards, the notes to our financial statements will refer to the uncertainty with respect to the possible effect of such valuations, and any change in such valuations, on our financial statements. In addition, the SBA has established certain valuation guidelines for SBICs to follow when valuing portfolio investments.

 

In making the good faith determination of the value of these securities, we start with the cost basis of the security, which includes the amortized original issue discount, and PIK interest, if any. We prepare the valuations of our investments in portfolio companies using the most recent portfolio company financial statements and forecasts. We also consult with members of the senior management team of each portfolio company to obtain further updates on the portfolio company’s performance, including information such as industry trends, new product development, and other operational issues. Due to the uncertainty inherent in the valuation process, such estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the values that would have been obtained had a ready market for the securities existed, and the differences could be material. Additionally, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the life of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different than the valuations currently assigned.

 

For debt securities that are not publicly traded or for which there is no market, we begin with our investment rating of the security as described under “Investment Rating System.” Using this investment rating, we seek to determine the value of the security as if we intended to sell the security in a current sale. The factors that may be taken into account in fairly valuing such security include, as relevant, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments, its estimated earnings and projected discounted cash flows, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the financial environment in which the portfolio company operates, comparisons to securities of similar publicly traded companies, statistical ratios compared to lending standards and to other similar securities and other relevant factors.

 

For convertible debt, equity, success fees or other equity-like securities that are not publicly traded or for which there is no market, we use the same information we would use for a debt security valuation described above, except risk-rating, as well as valuation methodologies consistent with industry practices used to value the equity securities of private companies. These valuation methodologies consist of discounted cash flow of the expected sale price in the future, valuation of the securities based on recent sales in comparable transactions, and a review of similar companies that are publicly traded and the market multiple of their equity securities.

 

Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of our investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for such investments, and the differences could be material. For a discussion of the risks inherent in determining the value of securities for which readily available market values do not exist, see “Risk Factors — There may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.”

 

Managerial Assistance

 

As a BDC, we offer, and must provide upon request, managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies. This assistance typically involves, among other things, monitoring the operations of our portfolio companies, participating in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising officers of portfolio companies and providing other organizational and financial guidance. Our senior management team provides such services. We believe, based on our management team’s combined experience at investment banks, specialty finance companies, commercial banks, and operating in executive-level capacities in various operating companies, we offer this assistance effectively. We may receive fees for these services.

Competition

 

We compete for investments with a number of BDCs and investment funds (including private equity funds, mezzanine funds and other SBICs), as well as traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of financing. Many of these entities have greater financial and managerial resources than we do. We believe we compete with these entities primarily on the basis of our willingness to make smaller investments, the experience and contacts of our management team, our responsive and efficient investment analysis and decision-making processes, our comprehensive suite of customized financing solutions and the investment terms we offer.

 

We believe that some of our competitors make senior secured loans, junior secured loans and subordinated debt investments with interest rates that are comparable to or lower than the rates we offer. Therefore, we do not seek to compete primarily on the interest rates we offer to potential portfolio companies.

 

Our competitors also do not always require equity components in their investments. For additional information concerning the competitive risks we face, see “Risk Factors — We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.”

 

Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices

 

Since we generally acquire and dispose of our investments in privately negotiated transactions, we infrequently use brokers in the normal course of our business. Our management team is primarily responsible for the execution of the publicly traded securities portion of our portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage commissions. We do not expect to execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer, but will seek to obtain the best net results for us, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, and operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities. While we will generally seek reasonably competitive trade execution costs, we will not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available. Subject to applicable legal requirements, we may select a broker based partly upon brokerage or research services provided to us. In return for such services, we may pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if we determine in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided. We did not pay any brokerage commissions during the year ended December 31, 2007.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

 

We have adopted a dividend reinvestment plan that provides for reinvestment of our distributions on behalf of our stockholders, unless a stockholder elects to receive cash as provided below. As a result, if our board of directors authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend, then our stockholders who have not “opted out” of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash dividends automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, rather than receiving the cash dividends.

 

No action will be required on the part of a registered stockholder to have their cash dividend reinvested in shares of our common stock. A registered stockholder may elect to receive an entire dividend in cash by notifying The Bank of New York Mellon, the “Plan Administrator” and our transfer agent and registrar, in writing so that such notice is received by the plan administrator no later than the record date for dividends to stockholders. The plan administrator will set up an account for shares acquired through the plan for each stockholder who has not elected to receive dividends in cash and hold such shares in non-certificated form. Upon request by a stockholder participating in the plan, received in writing not less than 10 days prior to the record date, the plan administrator will, instead of crediting shares to the participant’s account, issue a certificate registered in the participant’s name for the number of whole shares of our common stock and a check for any fractional share. Those stockholders whose shares are held by a broker or other financial intermediary may receive dividends in cash by notifying their broker or other financial intermediary of their election.

We intend to use primarily newly issued shares to implement the plan, so long as our shares are trading at or above net asset value. If our shares are trading below net asset value, we intend to purchase shares in the open market in connection with our implementation of the plan. If we use newly issued shares to implement the plan, the number of shares to be issued to a stockholder is determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to such stockholder by the market price per share of our common stock at the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq Global Market on the dividend payment date. Market price per share on that date will be the closing price for such shares on the Nasdaq Global Market or, if no sale is reported for such day, at the average of their reported bid and asked prices. If we purchase shares in the open market to implement the plan, the number of shares to be issued to a stockholder is determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to such stockholder by the average price per share for all shares purchased by the Plan Administrator in the open market in connection with the dividend. The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after giving effect to payment of the dividend cannot be established until the value per share at which additional shares will be issued has been determined and elections of our stockholders have been tabulated.

 

There will be no brokerage charges or other charges to stockholders who participate in the plan. We will pay the plan administrator’s fees under the plan. If a participant elects by written notice to the plan administrator to have the plan administrator sell part or all of the shares held by the plan administrator in the participant’s account and remit the proceeds to the participant, the plan administrator is authorized to deduct a $15.00 transaction fee plus a $0.10 per share brokerage commissions from the proceeds.

 

Stockholders who receive dividends in the form of stock generally are subject to the same federal, state and local tax consequences as are stockholders who elect to receive their dividends in cash. A stockholder’s basis for determining gain or loss upon the sale of stock received in a dividend from us will be equal to the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to the stockholder. Any stock received in a dividend will have a holding period for tax purposes commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the U.S. stockholder’s account.

 

Participants may terminate their accounts under the plan by notifying the plan administrator via its website at https://www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd, by filling out the transaction request form located at the bottom of their statement and sending it to the plan administrator at BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, P.O. Box 358035, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15252-8015, or by calling the plan administrator at (866) 228-7201.

 

We may terminate the plan upon notice in writing mailed to each participant at least 30 days prior to any record date for the payment of any dividend by us. All correspondence concerning the plan should be directed to the plan administrator by mail at BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, P.O. Box 358035, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15252-8015.

 

Employees

 

At December 31, 2007, we employed eleven individuals, including investment and portfolio management professionals, operations professionals and administrative staff. We expect to expand our management team and administrative staff in the future in proportion to our growth.

 

Election to be Regulated as a Business Development Company and Regulated Investment Company

 

In connection with the Offering, both we and the Fund filed elections to be regulated as BDCs under the 1940 Act. In addition, we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Our election to be regulated as a BDC and our election to be treated as a RIC will have a significant impact on our future operations. Some of the most important effects on our

future operations of our election to be regulated as a BDC and our election to be treated as a RIC are outlined below.

 

 

In accordance with the requirements of Article 6 of Regulation S-X, we report all of our investments, including debt investments, at market value or, for investments that do not have a readily available market value, at their “fair value” as determined by our board of directors. Changes in these values are reported through our statement of operations under the caption of “net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments.” See “Valuation Process and Determination of Net Asset Value” above.

 

 

We intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, so long as we meet certain minimum distribution, source-of-income and asset diversification requirements, we generally are required to pay income taxes only on the portion of our taxable income and gains we do not distribute (actually or constructively) and certain built-in gains. Any capital gains we recognized prior to the effective date of our election to be taxed as a RIC will, when distributed to our shareholders, be taxed as ordinary income and not as capital gains, as would have been the case had we been taxed as a RIC as of the date of the Offering. However, such distribution may qualify for taxation at reduced rates applicable to qualifying dividend income.

 

In addition, we have certain wholly owned taxable subsidiaries (the “Taxable Subsidiaries”), each of which holds one or more of our portfolio investments that are listed on the Consolidated Schedule of Investments. The Taxable Subsidiaries are consolidated for GAAP purposes, such that our consolidated financial statements reflect our investments in the portfolio companies owned by the Taxable Subsidiaries. The purpose of the Taxable Subsidiaries is to permit us to hold portfolio companies that are organized as limited liability companies (“LLCs”) (or other forms of pass — through entities) and still satisfy the RIC tax requirement that at least 90% of the RIC’s gross revenue for income tax purposes must consist of investment income. Absent the Taxable Subsidiaries, a proportionate amount of any gross income of an LLC (or other pass — through entity) portfolio investment would flow through directly to the RIC. To the extent that such income did not consist of investment income, it could jeopardize our ability to qualify as a RIC and therefore cause us to incur significant amounts of federal income taxes. Where the LLCs (or other pass-through entities) are owned by the Taxable Subsidiaries, however, their income is taxed to the Taxable Subsidiaries and does not flow through to the RIC, thereby helping us preserve our RIC status and resultant tax advantages. The Taxable Subsidiaries are not consolidated for income tax purposes and may generate income tax expense as a result of their ownership of the portfolio companies. This income tax expense, if any, is reflected in our Statement of Operations.

 

 

As a BDC, we are required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities of at least 200.0%. For this purpose, senior securities include all borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future. Additionally, our ability to continue to utilize leverage as a means of financing our portfolio of investments will be limited by this asset coverage test.

 

 

As a RIC, we intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our income, except for certain net long-term capital gains. We may make deemed distributions to our stockholders of any retained net long-term capital gains. If this happens, our shareholders will be treated as if they received an actual distribution of the capital gains and reinvested the net after-tax proceeds in us. Our shareholders also may be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to their allocable

share of the tax we pay on the deemed distribution. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

 

Exemptive Relief

 

We have filed a request with the SEC for exemptive relief to allow us to engage in certain transactions with the Fund that otherwise would be permitted if we and the Fund were one company. In addition, we have requested that the SEC allow us to exclude any indebtedness guaranteed by the SBA and issued by the Fund from the 200.0% asset coverage requirements applicable to us. While the SEC has granted exemptive relief in substantially similar circumstances in the past, no assurance can be given that an exemptive order will be granted.

 

Under current SEC rules and regulations, BDCs may not grant options or restricted stock to directors who are not officers or employees of the business development company. We have applied for exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to grant restricted stock to our independent directors as a portion of their compensation for service on our Board of Directors. Similarly, under the 1940 Act, BDCs cannot issue stock for services to their executive officers and employees other than options, warrants and rights to acquire capital stock. As a result, we have applied for exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to grant restricted stock in exchange for or in recognition of services by our executive officers and employees. We cannot provide any assurance that we will receive the exemptive relief from the SEC in either case.

 

Regulation of Business Development Companies

 

The following is a general summary of the material regulatory provisions affecting BDCs generally. It does not purport to be a complete description of all of the laws and regulations affecting BDCs.

 

Both we and the Fund have elected to be regulated as BDCs under the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between BDCs and their affiliates, principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters. The 1940 Act requires that a majority of the directors be persons other than “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. In addition, the 1940 Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding voting securities.

 

The 1940 Act defines “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” as the lesser of (i) 67.0% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting if the holders of more than 50.0% of our outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) 50.0% of our voting securities.

 

Qualifying Assets

 

Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as qualifying assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70.0% of the company’s total assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are any of the following:

 

(1) Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an eligible portfolio company, or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an eligible portfolio company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An eligible portfolio company is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which:

 

(a) is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States;

 

(b) is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the BDC) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and

(c) satisfies any of the following:

 

(i) does not have any class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange;

 

(ii) is controlled by a BDC or a group of companies including a BDC and the BDC has an affiliated person who is a director of the eligible portfolio company; or

 

(iii) is a small and solvent company having total assets of not more than $4.0 million and capital and surplus of not less than $2.0 million.

 

(2) Securities of any eligible portfolio company that we control.

 

(3) Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements.

 

(4) Securities of an eligible portfolio company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and we already own 60.0% of the outstanding equity of the eligible portfolio company.

 

(5) Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities.

 

(6) Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.

 

In addition, a BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) above.

 

Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies

 

In order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70.0% test, we must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance; except that, where we purchase such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group may make available such managerial assistance. Making available managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company.

 

Temporary Investments

 

Pending investment in other types of “qualifying assets,” as described above, our investments may consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which we refer to, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70.0% of our assets are qualifying assets. Typically, we will invest in U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase agreements, provided that such agreements are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price that is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, if more than 25.0% of our total assets constitute repurchase agreements from a single counterparty, we would not meet the Diversification Tests in order to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. Thus, we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit.

Our management team will monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into repurchase agreement transactions.

 

Senior Securities

 

We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of debt and one class of stock senior to our common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 200.0% immediately after each such issuance. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we must make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5.0% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes without regard to asset coverage. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure — Because we intend to distribute substantially all of our income to our stockholders upon our election to be treated as a RIC, we will continue to need additional capital to finance our growth, and regulations governing our operation as a business development company will affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital.”

 

Code of Ethics

 

We have adopted the Code of Conduct for Triangle Capital Corporation and Triangle Mezzanine Fund LLLP, a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to the code may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the code’s requirements. For information on how to obtain a copy of the code of ethics, see “Available Information.”

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

 

We vote proxies relating to our portfolio securities in the best interest of our stockholders. We review on a case-by-case basis each proposal submitted to a stockholder vote to determine its impact on the portfolio securities held by us. Although we generally vote against proposals that may have a negative impact on our portfolio securities, we may vote for such a proposal if there exists compelling long-term reasons to do so.

 

Our proxy voting decisions are made by the investment professionals who are responsible for monitoring each of our investments. To ensure that our vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, we require that: (i) anyone involved in the decision making process disclose to our chief compliance officer any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any contact that he or she has had with any interested party regarding a proxy vote; and (ii) employees involved in the decision making process or vote administration are prohibited from revealing how we intend to vote on a proposal in order to reduce any attempted influence from interested parties.

 

Stockholders may obtain information regarding how we voted proxies with respect to our portfolio securities by making a written request for proxy voting information to: Chief Compliance Officer, 3600 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 104, Raleigh, North Carolina 27612.

 

Other

 

We may also be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our board of directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC.

 

We will be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act.

 

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

We are required to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws, review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation, and to designate a chief compliance officer to be responsible for administering the policies and procedures.

 

Small Business Administration Regulations

 

The Fund is licensed by the Small Business Administration to operate as a Small Business Investment Company under Section 301(c) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. The Fund is a wholly-owned subsidiary of us, holds its SBIC license and has also elected to be a BDC. The Fund initially obtained its SBIC license on September 11, 2003.

 

SBICs are designed to stimulate the flow of private equity capital to eligible small businesses. Under SBA regulations, SBICs may make loans to eligible small businesses, invest in the equity securities of such businesses and provide them with consulting and advisory services. The Fund has typically invested in senior and subordinated debt, acquired warrants and/or made equity investments in qualifying small businesses.

 

Under present SBA regulations, eligible small businesses generally include businesses that (together with their affiliates) have a tangible net worth not exceeding $18.0 million and have average annual net income after Federal income taxes not exceeding $6.0 million (average net income to be computed without benefit of any carryover loss) for the two most recent fiscal years. In addition, an SBIC must devote 20.0% of its investment activity to “smaller” concerns as defined by the SBA. A smaller concern generally includes businesses that have a tangible net worth not exceeding $6.0 million and have average annual net income after Federal income taxes not exceeding $2.0 million (average net income to be computed without benefit of any net carryover loss) for the two most recent fiscal years. SBA regulations also provide alternative size standard criteria to determine eligibility for designation as an eligible small business or smaller concern, which criteria depend on the industry in which the business is engaged and are based on such factors as the number of employees and gross revenue. However, once an SBIC has invested in a company, it may continue to make follow on investments in the company, regardless of the size of the portfolio company at the time of the follow on investment, up to the time of the portfolio company’s initial public offering.

 

The SBA prohibits an SBIC from providing funds to small businesses for certain purposes, such as relending and investment outside the United States, to businesses engaged in a few prohibited industries, and to certain “passive” (non-operating) companies. In addition, without prior SBA approval, an SBIC may not invest an amount equal to more than 20.0% of the SBIC’s regulatory capital in any one portfolio company.

 

The SBA places certain limitations on the financing terms of investments by SBICs in portfolio companies (such as limiting the permissible interest rate on debt securities held by an SBIC in a portfolio company). Although prior regulations prohibited an SBIC from controlling a small business concern except in limited circumstances, regulations adopted by the SBA in 2002 now allow an SBIC to exercise control over a small business for a period of seven years from the date on which the SBIC initially acquires its control position. This control period may be extended for an additional period of time with the SBA’s prior written approval.

 

The SBA restricts the ability of an SBIC to lend money to any of its officers, directors and employees or to invest in affiliates thereof. The SBA also prohibits, without prior SBA approval, a “change of control” of an SBIC or transfers that would result in any person (or a group of persons acting in concert) owning 10.0% or more of a class of capital stock of a licensed SBIC. A “change of control” is any event which would result in the transfer of the power, direct or indirect, to direct the management and policies of an SBIC, whether through ownership, contractual arrangements or otherwise.

 

An SBIC (or group of SBICs under common control) may generally have outstanding debentures guaranteed by the SBA in amounts up to twice the amount of the regulatory capital of the SBIC(s). Debentures guaranteed by the SBA have a maturity of ten years, require semi-annual payments of interest, do not require any principal payments prior to maturity, and, historically, were subject to certain prepayment penalties. Those prepayment penalties no longer apply as of September 2006. As of December 31, 2007, we had issued

$37.0 million of SBA-guaranteed debentures, which had an annual weighted average interest rate of 5.83%. As of December 31, 2007, SBA regulations limited the dollar amount of outstanding SBA-guaranteed debentures that may be issued by any one SBIC (or group of SBICs under common control) to $130.6 million (which amount is subject to increase on an annual basis based on cost of living increases). With $63.3 million of regulatory capital as of December 31, 2007, we have the current capacity to issue up to a total of $126.5 million of SBA-guaranteed debentures.

 

SBICs must invest idle funds that are not being used to make loans in investments permitted under SBA regulations in the following limited types of securities: (i) direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal and interest by, the United States government, which mature within 15 months from the date of the investment; (ii) repurchase agreements with federally insured institutions with a maturity of seven days or less (and the securities underlying the repurchase obligations must be direct obligations of or guaranteed by the federal government); (iii) certificates of deposit with a maturity of one year or less, issued by a federally insured institution; (iv) a deposit account in a federally insured institution that is subject to a withdrawal restriction of one year or less; (v) a checking account in a federally insured institution; or (vi) a reasonable petty cash fund.

 

SBICs are periodically examined and audited by the SBA’s staff to determine its compliance with SBIC regulations and are periodically required to file certain forms with the SBA.

 

Neither the SBA nor the U.S. government or any of its agencies or officers has approved any ownership interest to be issued by us or any obligation that we or any of our subsidiaries may incur.

 

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

 

The following discussion is a general summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us and to an investment in our shares. This summary does not purport to be a complete description of the income tax considerations applicable to such an investment. For example, we have not described tax consequences that may be relevant to certain types of holders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws, including stockholders subject to the alternative minimum tax, tax-exempt organizations, insurance companies, dealers in securities, pension plans and trusts, and financial institutions. This summary assumes that investors hold our common stock as capital assets (within the meaning of the Code). This discussion is based upon the Code, Treasury regulations, and administrative and judicial interpretations, each as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and all of which are subject to change, possibly retroactively, which could affect the continuing validity of this discussion. This summary does not discuss any aspects of U.S. estate or gift tax or foreign, state or local tax. It does not discuss the special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws that could result if we invested in tax-exempt securities or certain other investment assets.

 

A “U.S. stockholder” generally is a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock who is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

 

A “Non-U.S. stockholder” is a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock that is not a U.S. stockholder.

If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds shares of our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A prospective stockholder that is a partner of a partnership holding shares of our common stock should consult his, her or its tax advisors with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock.

 

Tax matters are very complicated and the tax consequences to an investor of an investment in our shares will depend on the facts of his, her or its particular situation. We encourage investors to consult their own tax advisors regarding the specific consequences of such an investment, including tax reporting requirements, the applicability of federal, state, local and foreign tax laws, eligibility for the benefits of any applicable tax treaty and the effect of any possible changes in the tax laws.

 

Election to be Taxed as a RIC

 

As a BDC, we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code effective January 1, 2007. As a RIC, we generally will not have to pay corporate-level federal income taxes on any income that we distribute to our stockholders as dividends. To qualify as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, in order to obtain RIC tax treatment, we must distribute to our stockholders, for each taxable year, at least 90.0% of our “investment company taxable income,” which is generally our net ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses (the “Annual Distribution Requirement”).

 

Taxation as a RIC

 

If we qualify as a RIC and satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, then we will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of our income we distribute (or are deemed to distribute) to stockholders. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rates on any income or capital gains not distributed (or deemed distributed) to our stockholders.

 

We will be subject to a 4.0% nondeductible federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98.0% of our net ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.0% of our 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 “Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement”). We generally will endeavor in each taxable year to avoid any U.S. federal excise tax on our earnings.

 

In order to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes, we must, among other things:

 

 

 

We may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. We may also have to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as PIK interest and deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. Because any original issue discount or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our stockholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount.

 

Although we do not presently expect to do so, we are authorized to borrow funds and to sell assets in order to satisfy distribution requirements. However, under the 1940 Act, we are not permitted to make distributions to our stockholders while our debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain “asset coverage” tests are met. See “Regulation of Business Development Companies — Senior Securities.” Moreover, our ability to dispose of assets to meet our distribution requirements may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to our status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If we dispose of assets in order to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, we may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous.

 

The remainder of this discussion assumes that we qualify as a RIC and have satisfied the Annual Distribution Requirement.

 

Taxation of U.S. Stockholders

 

Distributions by us generally are taxable to U.S. stockholders as ordinary income or capital gains. Distributions of our “investment company taxable income” (which is, generally, our net ordinary income plus realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses) will be taxable as ordinary income to U.S. stockholders to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional common stock. To the extent such distributions paid by us to non-corporate stockholders (including individuals) are attributable to dividends from U.S. corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations, such distributions (“Qualifying Dividends”) may be eligible for a maximum tax rate of 15.0%. In this regard, it is anticipated that distributions paid by us will generally not be attributable to dividends and, therefore, generally will not qualify for the 15.0% maximum rate applicable to Qualifying Dividends. Distributions of our net capital gains (which is generally our realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses) properly designated by us as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable to a U.S. stockholder as long-term capital gains that are currently taxable at a maximum rate of 15.0% in the case of individuals, trusts or estates, regardless of the U.S. stockholder’s holding period for his, her or its common stock and regardless of whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional common stock. Distributions in excess of our earnings and profits first will reduce a U.S. stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in such stockholder’s common stock and, after the adjusted basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to such U.S. stockholder.

 

We may retain some or all of any future realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses, but elect to designate such retained net capital gains as “deemed distributions.” In that case, among other consequences, we will pay tax on the retained amount, each U.S. stockholder will be required to include his, her or its share of the deemed distribution in income as if it had been actually distributed to the U.S. stockholder, and the U.S. stockholder will be entitled to claim a credit equal to his, her or its allocable share of the tax paid thereon by us. Because we expect to pay tax on any retained capital gains at our regular corporate tax rate, and because that rate is in excess of the maximum rate currently payable by individuals on long-term capital gains, the amount of tax that individual U.S. stockholders will be treated as having paid will exceed the tax they owe on the capital gain distribution and such excess generally may be refunded or claimed as a credit against the U.S. stockholder’s other U.S. federal income tax obligations. The

amount of the deemed distribution net of such tax will be added to the U.S. stockholder’s cost basis for his, her or its common stock. In order to utilize the deemed distribution approach, we must provide written notice to our stockholders prior to the expiration of 60 days after the close of the relevant taxable year. We cannot treat any of our investment company taxable income as a “deemed distribution.”

 

In any fiscal year, we may elect to make distributions to our shareholders in excess of our taxable earnings for that fiscal year. As a result, a portion of those distributions may be deemed a return of capital to our shareholders.

 

For purposes of determining (1) whether the Annual Distribution Requirement is satisfied for any year and (2) the amount of capital gain dividends paid for that year, we may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the taxable year in question. If we make such an election, the U.S. stockholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by us in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to stockholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it had been received by our U.S. stockholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

 

If an investor purchases shares of our common stock shortly before the record date of a distribution, the price of the shares will include the value of the distribution and the investor will be subject to tax on the distribution even though economically it may represent a return of his, her or its investment.

 

A stockholder generally will recognize taxable gain or loss if the stockholder sells or otherwise disposes of his, her or its shares of our common stock. The amount of gain or loss will be measured by the difference between such stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in the common stock sold and the amount of the proceeds received in exchange. Any gain arising from such sale or disposition generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the stockholder has held his, her or its shares for more than one year. Otherwise, it will be classified as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or disposition of shares of our common stock held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received, or undistributed capital gain deemed received, with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of any loss recognized upon a disposition of shares of our common stock may be disallowed if other shares of our common stock are purchased (whether through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition.

 

In general, individual U.S. stockholders currently are subject to a maximum federal income tax rate of 15.0% on their net capital gain (i.e., the excess of realized net long-term capital gains over realized net short-term capital losses), recognized prior to January 1, 2011, including any long-term capital gain derived from an investment in our shares. Such rate is lower than the maximum rate on ordinary income currently payable by individuals. Corporate U.S. stockholders currently are subject to federal income tax on net capital gain at the maximum 35.0% rate also applied to ordinary income. Non-corporate stockholders with net capital losses for a year (i.e., capital losses in excess of capital gains) generally may deduct up to $3,000 of such losses against their ordinary income each year; any net capital losses of a non-corporate stockholder in excess of $3,000 generally may be carried forward and used in subsequent years as provided in the Code. Corporate stockholders generally may not deduct any net capital losses for a year, but may carryback such losses for three years or carryforward such losses for five years.

 

We will send to each of our U.S. stockholders, as promptly as possible after the end of each calendar year, a notice detailing, on a per share and per distribution basis, the amounts includible in such U.S. stockholder’s taxable income for such year as ordinary income and as long-term capital gain. In addition, the federal tax status of each year’s distributions generally will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (including the amount of dividends, if any, eligible for the 15.0% maximum rate). Dividends paid by us generally will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction or the preferential tax rate applicable to Qualifying Dividends because our income generally will not consist of dividends. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on a U.S. stockholder’s particular situation.

We may be required to withhold federal income tax (“backup withholding”) currently at a rate of 28.0% from all taxable distributions to any non-corporate U.S. stockholder (1) who fails to furnish us with a correct taxpayer identification number or a certificate that such stockholder is exempt from backup withholding, or (2) with respect to whom the IRS notifies us that such stockholder has failed to properly report certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to that effect. An individual’s taxpayer identification number is his or her social security number. Any amount withheld under backup withholding is allowed as a credit against the U.S. stockholder’s federal income tax liability, provided that proper information is provided to the IRS.

 

Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders

 

Whether an investment in the shares is appropriate for a Non-U.S. stockholder will depend upon that person’s particular circumstances. An investment in the shares by a Non-U.S. stockholder may have adverse tax consequences. Non-U.S. stockholders should consult their tax advisers before investing in our common stock.

 

Distributions of our “investment company taxable income” to Non-U.S. stockholders (including interest income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized long-term capital losses, which generally would be free of withholding if paid to Non-U.S. stockholders directly) will be subject to withholding of federal tax at a 30.0% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable treaty) to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits unless an applicable exception applies. If the distributions are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the Non-U.S. stockholder, and, if an income tax treaty applies, attributable to a permanent establishment in the United States, we will not be required to withhold federal tax if the Non-U.S. stockholder complies with applicable certification and disclosure requirements, although the distributions will be subject to federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. persons. (Special certification requirements apply to a Non-U.S. stockholder that is a foreign partnership or a foreign trust, and such entities are urged to consult their own tax advisors.)

 

In addition, with respect to certain distributions made to Non-U.S. stockholders in our taxable years beginning after December 31, 2004 and before January 1, 2008, no withholding was required and the distributions generally were not subject to federal income tax if (i) the distributions were properly designated in a notice timely delivered to our stockholders as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends,” (ii) the distributions were derived from sources specified in the Code for such dividends and (iii) certain other requirements were satisfied. None of our distributions were designated as eligible for this exemption from withholding.

 

Actual or deemed distributions of our net capital gains to a Non-U.S. stockholder, and gains realized by a Non-U.S. stockholder upon the sale of our common stock, will not be subject to federal withholding tax and generally will not be subject to federal income tax unless the distributions or gains, as the case may be, are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the Non-U.S. stockholder and, if an income tax treaty applies, are attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. stockholder in the United States.

 

If we distribute our net capital gains in the form of deemed rather than actual distributions, a Non-U.S. stockholder will be entitled to a federal income tax credit or tax refund equal to the stockholder’s allocable share of the tax we pay on the capital gains deemed to have been distributed. In order to obtain the refund, the Non-U.S. stockholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a federal income tax return even if the Non-U.S. stockholder would not otherwise be required to obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number or file a federal income tax return. For a corporate Non-U.S. stockholder, distributions (both actual and deemed), and gains realized upon the sale of our common stock that are effectively connected to a U.S. trade or business may, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30.0% rate (or at a lower rate if provided for by an applicable treaty). Accordingly, investment in the shares may not be appropriate for a Non-U.S. stockholder.

 

A Non-U.S. stockholder who is a non-resident alien individual, and who is otherwise subject to withholding of federal tax, may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding of federal income

tax on dividends unless the Non-U.S. stockholder provides us or the dividend paying agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN (or an acceptable substitute form) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a Non-U.S. stockholder or otherwise establishes an exemption from backup withholding.

 

Non-U.S. persons should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal income tax and withholding tax, and state, local and foreign tax consequences of an investment in the shares.

 

Failure to Qualify as a RIC

 

If we are unable to qualify for treatment as a RIC, we would be subject to tax on all of our taxable income at regular corporate rates, regardless of whether we make any distributions to our stockholders. Distributions would not be required, and any distributions would be taxable to our stockholders as ordinary dividend income eligible for the 15.0% maximum rate to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate distributees would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Distributions in excess of our 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.

 

Available Information

 

We intend to make this Annual Report, as well as our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K and, if applicable, amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, publicly available on our website (www.tcap.com) without charge as soon as reasonably practicable following our filing of such reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Our SEC reports can be accessed through the investor relations section of our website. The information found on our website is not part of this or any other report we file with or furnish to the SEC. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements in this Annual Report or in other reports filed with the SEC, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless we are required to do so by law. A copy of this Annual Report and our other reports is available without charge upon written request to Investor Relations, Triangle Capital Corporation, 3600 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 104, Raleigh, North Carolina 27612.

 

Further, a copy of this Annual Report is obtainable from the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and our other filings at www.sec.gov.

 

We have adopted the Code of Conduct for Triangle Capital Corporation and Triangle Mezzanine Fund LLLP, a code of ethics, which every employee is expected to observe. The Code of Conduct for Triangle Capital Corporation and Triangle Mezzanine Fund LLLP is publicly available on our website under “Corporate Governance” at the following URL: http://ir.tcap.com/governance.cfm and is included in this Annual Report as Exhibit 14.1 attached hereto.

 

 

As indicated above in this Annual Report under “Forward-Looking Statements,” those statements in this Annual Report that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investing in our common stock involves a number of significant risks. The risks set out below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us might also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value and the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure

 

Our financial condition and results of operations will depend on our ability to manage and deploy capital effectively.

 

Our ability to achieve our investment objective will depend on our ability to effectively manage and deploy our capital, which will depend, in turn, on our management team’s ability to identify, evaluate and monitor, and our ability to finance and invest in, companies that meet our investment criteria. We cannot assure you that we will achieve our investment objective.

 

Accomplishing this result on a cost-effective basis will be largely a function of our management team’s handling of the investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services and our access to investments offering acceptable terms. In addition to monitoring the performance of our existing investments, members of our management team and our investment professionals may also be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These demands on their time may distract them or slow the rate of investment.

 

Even if we are able to grow and build upon our investment operations in a manner commensurate with the increased capital available to us as a result of our recent Offering, any failure to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The results of our operations will depend on many factors, including the availability of opportunities for investment, readily accessible short and long-term funding alternatives in the financial markets and economic conditions. Furthermore, if we cannot successfully operate our business or implement our investment policies and strategies as described in this Annual Report, it could negatively impact our ability to pay dividends and cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

 

There may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.

 

Under the 1940 Act, we will be required to carry our portfolio investments at market value or, if there is no readily available market value, at fair value as determined by our board of directors. Typically there is not a public market for the securities of the privately held companies in which we have invested and will generally continue to invest. As a result, we will value these securities quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors based on input from management. Our board of directors utilizes Duff & Phelps, LLC (“Duff & Phelps”), an independent valuation firm, to provide third-party valuation consulting services to us, which consist of certain limited procedures that we identify and request Duff & Phelps to perform. For a further discussion of Duff & Phelps’ procedures, see the section entitled “Investment Valuation” included in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in Item 7 of Part I of this Annual Report.

 

The determination of fair value and consequently, the amount of unrealized gains and losses in our portfolio, is to a certain degree subjective and dependent on the judgment of our board. Certain factors that may be considered in determining the fair value of our investments include the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s earnings and its ability to make payments on its indebtedness, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to comparable publicly-traded companies, discounted cash flow and other relevant factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these securities existed. Due to this uncertainty, our fair value determination may cause our net asset value on a given date to materially understate or overstate the value that we may ultimately realize upon one or more of our investments. As a result, investors purchasing our common stock based on an overstated net asset value would pay a higher price than the value of our investments might warrant. Conversely, investors selling shares during a period in which the net asset value understates the value of our investments will receive a lower price for their shares than the value of our investment portfolio might warrant.

In addition, we are currently analyzing the effect of the adoption of SFAS No. 157 (“SFAS No. 157”), “Fair Value Measurements” on our consolidated financial position, including our net asset value, and results of operations. We will adopt this statement on a prospective basis effective January 1, 2008. Adoption of this statement could have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements, including our net asset value. However, the actual impact on our consolidated financial statements in the period of adoption and subsequent to the period of adoption cannot be determined at this time as it will be influenced by the estimates of fair value for that period and the number and amount of investments we originate, acquire or exit. See Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements.

 

We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.

 

We compete for investments with other BDCs and investment funds (including private equity funds and mezzanine funds), as well as traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of funding. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we. We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we are forced to match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may not be able to achieve acceptable returns on our investments or may bear substantial risk of capital loss. A significant part of our competitive advantage stems from the fact that the lower middle market is underserved by traditional commercial and investment banks, and generally has less access to capital. A significant increase in the number and/or the size of our competitors in this target market could force us to accept less attractive investment terms. Furthermore, many of our competitors have greater experience operating under, or are not subject to, the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act will impose on us as a BDC.

 

We are dependent upon our key investment personnel for our future success.

 

We depend on the members of our senior management team, particularly Garland S. Tucker III, Brent P.W. Burgess and Steven C. Lilly. These employees have critical industry experience and relationships that we rely on to implement our business plan. If we lose the services of these individuals, we may not be able to operate our business as we expect, and our ability to compete could be harmed, which could cause our operating results to suffer. We have entered into employment agreements with each of our executive officers.

 

Additionally, the increase in available capital for investment resulting from our recent Offering requires that we seek out and retain new investment and administrative personnel. We believe our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to identify, attract and retain sufficient numbers of highly skilled employees. If we do not succeed in identifying, attracting and retaining these personnel, we may not be able to operate our business as we expect.

 

Our business model depends to a significant extent upon strong referral relationships, and our inability to maintain or develop these relationships, as well as the failure of these relationships to generate investment opportunities, could adversely affect our business.

 

We expect that members of our management team will maintain their relationships with financial institutions, private equity and other non-bank investors, investment bankers, commercial bankers, attorneys, accountants and consultants, and we will rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If our management team fails to maintain its existing relationships or develop new relationships with other sponsors or sources of investment opportunities, we will not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom members of our management team have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for us.

We have limited operating history as a business development company or as a regulated investment company, which may impair your ability to assess our prospects.

 

The Fund was formed in 2003 by certain members of our senior management team. Prior to the Offering, however, we have not operated, and our management team has no experience operating, as a BDC under the 1940 Act or as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. As a result, we have no operating results under these regulatory frameworks that can demonstrate to you either their effect on our business or our ability to manage our business under these frameworks. If we fail to operate our business so as to maintain our status as a BDC or a RIC, our operating flexibility will be significantly reduced.

 

The Fund is licensed by the SBA, and therefore subject to SBA regulations.

 

The Fund is licensed to act as a small business investment company and is regulated by the SBA. Under current SBA regulations, a licensed SBIC can provide capital to those entities that have a tangible net worth not exceeding $18.0 million and an average annual net income after Federal income taxes not exceeding $6.0 million for the two most recent fiscal years. In addition, a licensed SBIC must devote 20.0% of its investment activity to those entities that have a tangible net worth not exceeding $6.0 million and an average annual net income after Federal income taxes not exceeding $2.0 million for the two most recent fiscal years. The SBA regulations also provide alternative size standard criteria to determine eligibility, which depend on the industry in which the business is engaged and are based on factors such as the number of employees and gross sales. The SBA regulations permit licensed SBICs to make long term loans to small businesses, invest in the equity securities of such businesses and provide them with consulting and advisory services. The SBA also places certain limitations on the financing terms of investments by SBICs in portfolio companies and prohibits SBICs from providing funds for certain purposes or to businesses in a few prohibited industries. Compliance with SBA requirements may cause the Fund, and us, as its parent, to forego attractive investment opportunities that are not permitted under SBA regulations.

 

Further, the SBA regulations require that a licensed SBIC be periodically examined and audited by the SBA to determine its compliance with the relevant SBA regulations. The SBA prohibits, without prior SBA approval, a “change of control” of an SBIC or transfers that would result in any person (or a group of persons acting in concert) owning 10.0% or more of a class of capital stock of a licensed SBIC. If the Fund fails to comply with applicable SBA regulations, the SBA could, depending on the severity of the violation, limit or prohibit the Fund’s use of debentures, declare outstanding debentures immediately due and payable, and/or limit the Fund from making new investments. Such actions by the SBA would, in turn, negatively affect us because the Fund is our wholly owned subsidiary.

 

Because we borrow money, the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested in us is magnified and may increase the risk of investing in us.

 

Borrowings, also known as leverage, magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and, therefore, increases the risks associated with investing in us. The Fund issues debt securities guaranteed by the SBA and sold in the capital markets. As a result of its guarantee of the debt securities, the SBA has fixed dollar claims on the Fund’s assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders. We may also borrow from banks and other lenders in the future. If the value of our assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our common stock to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged. Conversely, if the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net income to increase more than it would without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make common stock dividend payments. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique.

 

On December 31, 2007, we had $37.0 million of outstanding indebtedness guaranteed by the SBA, which had a weighted average annualized interest cost of 5.83%.

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives may depend in part on our ability to achieve additional leverage on favorable terms by issuing debentures guaranteed by the SBA or by borrowing from banks, or insurance companies, and there can be no assurance that such additional leverage can in fact be achieved.

 

SBA regulations limit the outstanding dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures that may be issued by an SBIC or group of SBIC’s under common control.

 

The SBA regulations currently limit the dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures that can be issued by any one SBIC or group of SBICs under common control to $130.6 million (which amount is subject to increase on an annual basis based on cost of living increases). Moreover, an SBIC may not borrow an amount in excess of two times its regulatory capital. As of December 31, 2007, the Fund had issued $37.0 million in debentures guaranteed by the SBA. With $63.3 million of regulatory capital as of December 31, 2007, we have the current capacity to issue up to a total of $126.5 million of SBA-guaranteed debentures. While we cannot presently predict whether or not we will borrow the maximum permitted amount, if we reach the maximum dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures permitted, and thereafter require additional capital, our cost of capital may increase, and there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms.

 

Moreover, the Fund’s current status as an SBIC does not automatically assure that the Fund will continue to receive SBA-guaranteed debenture funding. Receipt of SBA leverage funding is dependent upon the Fund continuing to be in compliance with SBA regulations and policies and there being funding available. The amount of SBA leverage funding available to SBICs is dependent upon annual Congressional authorizations and in the future may be subject to annual Congressional appropriations. There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient debenture funding available at the times desired by the Fund.

 

The debentures guaranteed by the SBA have a maturity of ten years and require semi-annual payments of interest. The Fund will need to generate sufficient cash flow to make required interest payments on the debentures. If the Fund is unable to meet its financial obligations under the debentures, the SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to the Fund’s assets over our stockholders in the event we liquidate the Fund or the SBA exercises its remedies under such debentures as the result of a default by us.

 

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.

 

We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including our ability or inability to make investments in companies that meet our investment criteria, the interest rate payable on the debt securities we acquire, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

 

Our ability to enter into and exit investment transactions with our affiliates will be restricted.

 

Except in those instances where we have received prior exemptive relief from the SEC, we will be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our independent directors. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5.0% or more of our outstanding voting securities will be our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act and we will generally be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of our independent directors. The 1940 Act also prohibits “joint” transactions with an affiliate, which could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times), without prior approval of our independent directors. If a person acquires more than 25.0% of our voting securities, we will be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such person, or entering into joint transactions with such person, absent the prior approval of the SEC. These restrictions could limit or prohibit us from making certain attractive investments that we might otherwise make absent such restrictions.

We have filed two applications with the SEC requesting exemptive relief from certain provisions of the 1940 Act and the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934.

 

The 1940 Act prohibits certain transactions between us, the Fund and any affiliates without first obtaining an exemptive order from the SEC. We have filed a request with the SEC for exemptive relief to allow us to engage in certain transactions with the Fund that otherwise would be permitted if we and the Fund were one company. In addition, we have requested that the SEC allow us to exclude any indebtedness guaranteed by the SBA and issued by the Fund from the 200.0% asset coverage requirements applicable to us. While the SEC has granted exemptive relief in substantially similar circumstances in the past, no assurance can be given that an exemptive order will be granted. Delays and costs involved in obtaining necessary approvals may make certain transactions impracticable or impossible to consummate, and there is no assurance that the application for exemptive relief will be granted by the SEC.

 

In addition, under current SEC rules and regulations, BDCs may not grant options or restricted stock to directors who are not officers or employees of the BDC. We have applied for exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to grant restricted stock to our independent directors as a portion of their compensation for service on our board of directors. Similarly, under the 1940 Act, BDCs cannot issue stock for services to their executive officers and employees other than options, warrants and rights to acquire capital stock. As a result, we have applied for exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to grant restricted stock in exchange for or in recognition of services by our executive officers and employees. We cannot provide any assurance that we will receive the exemptive relief from the SEC in either case.

 

Our board of directors may change our operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse.

 

Our board of directors has the authority to modify or waive our current operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and value of our stock. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay you dividends and cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Moreover, we will have significant flexibility in investing the net proceeds from our recent Offering and may use the net proceeds from such Offering in ways with which investors may not agree or for purposes other than those currently contemplated.

 

We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, which will adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

 

We intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code, which generally will allow us to avoid being subject to an entity-level tax. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the following annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements.

 

The annual distribution requirement for a RIC will be satisfied if we distribute to our stockholders on an annual basis at least 90.0% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. We will be subject to a 4.0% nondeductible federal excise tax, however, to the extent that we do not satisfy certain additional minimum distribution requirements on a calendar year basis. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.” Because we use debt financing, we are subject to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and may in the future become subject to certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we could fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax.

 

The income source requirement will be satisfied if we obtain at least 90.0% of our income for each year from dividends, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities or similar sources. The asset diversification requirement will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. Failure to meet those requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private

companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.

 

The diversification requirement will be satisfied if, at the end of each quarter of the taxable year:

 

 

If we fail to qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.

 

We may not be able to pay you dividends, and our dividends may not grow over time.

 

We have and intend to continue to pay quarterly dividends to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash dividends or year-to-year increases in cash dividends. Our ability to pay dividends might be harmed by, among other things, the risk factors described in this Annual Report. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC can limit our ability to pay dividends. All dividends will be paid at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations, the Fund’s compliance with applicable SBIC regulations and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that we will pay dividends to our stockholders in the future.

 

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.

 

For federal income tax purposes, we will include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as original issue discount, which may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the origination of a loan or possibly in other circumstances, or contractual PIK interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such original issue discounts or increases in loan balances as a result of contractual PIK arrangements will be included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash.

 

Since, in certain cases, we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. Accordingly, we may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investment originations for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax. For additional discussion regarding the tax implications of a RIC, please see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company.”

 

The Fund, as an SBIC, may be unable to make distributions to us that may harm our ability to meet registered investment company requirements, which could result in the imposition of an entity-level tax.

 

In order for us to continue to qualify as a RIC, we will be required to distribute on an annual basis substantially all of our taxable income, including income from our subsidiaries, including the Fund. As all of

our investments are initially being made by the Fund, we will be substantially dependent on the Fund for cash distributions to enable us to meet the RIC distribution requirements. The Fund may be limited by the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and SBA regulations governing SBICs, from making certain distributions to us that may be necessary to enable us to qualify as a RIC. We may have to request a waiver of the SBA’s restrictions for the Fund to make certain distributions to maintain our status as a RIC. We cannot assure you that the SBA will grant such waiver and if the Fund is unable to obtain a waiver, compliance with the SBA regulations may result in loss of RIC status and a consequent imposition of an entity-level tax on us.

 

Because we intend to distribute substantially all of our income to our stockholders upon our election to be treated as a RIC, we will continue to need additional capital to finance our growth, and regulations governing our operation as a business development company will affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital.

 

In order to satisfy the requirements applicable to a RIC and to avoid payment of excise taxes, we intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our net ordinary income and net capital gain income except for certain net long-term capital gains recognized after we become a RIC, which we may retain, pay applicable income taxes with respect thereto, and elect to treat as deemed distributions to our stockholders. As a BDC, we generally are required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities, which includes all of our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200.0%. This requirement limits the amount that we may borrow. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments or sell additional shares of common stock and, depending on the nature of our leverage, to repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous. We have filed a request with the SEC for exemptive relief to allow us to exclude any indebtedness guaranteed by the SBA and issued by the Fund from the 200.0% asset coverage requirements applicable to us. While the SEC has granted exemptive relief in substantially similar circumstances in the past, no assurance can be given that an exemptive order will be granted. In addition, issuance of additional securities could dilute the percentage ownership of our current stockholders in us.

 

While we expect to be able to borrow and to issue additional debt and equity securities, we cannot assure you that debt and equity financing will be available to us on favorable terms, or at all. In addition, as a BDC, we generally will not be permitted to issue equity securities priced below net asset value without stockholder approval. If additional funds are not available to us, we could be forced to curtail or cease new investment activities, and our net asset value could decline.

 

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business or cause us to alter our business strategy.

 

We and our portfolio companies will be subject to regulation at the local, state and federal level. New legislation may be enacted or new interpretations, rulings or regulations could be adopted, including those governing the types of investments we are permitted to make, any of which could harm us and our stockholders, potentially with retroactive effect. In addition, any change to the SBA’s current debenture program could have a significant impact on our ability to obtain low-cost leverage and, therefore, our competitive advantage over other funds.

 

Additionally, any changes to the laws and regulations governing our operations relating to permitted investments may cause us to alter our investment strategy in order to avail ourselves of new or different opportunities. Such changes could result in material differences to the strategies and plans set forth in this Annual Report and may result in our investment focus shifting from the areas of expertise of our management team to other types of investments in which our management team may have less expertise or little or no experience. Thus, any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.

Efforts to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may adversely affect us.

 

We are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the related rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. Among other requirements, under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, our management is required to report on our internal controls over financial reporting. We are required to review on an annual basis our internal controls over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose significant changes in our internal controls over financial reporting. We have and expect to continue to incur significant expenses related to compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which will negatively impact our financial performance and our ability to make distributions. In addition, this process results in a diversion of management’s time and attention. Since we have a limited operating history as a company subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we cannot assure you that our internal controls over financial reporting will continue to be effective. In the event that we are unable to maintain compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be adversely affected.

 

Risks Related to Our Investments

 

Our investments in portfolio companies may be risky, and we could lose all or part of our investment.

 

Investing in lower middle market companies involves a number of significant risks. Among other things, these companies:

 

 

In addition, in the course of providing significant managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies, certain of our officers and directors may serve as directors on the boards of such companies. To the extent that litigation arises out of our investments in these companies, our officers and directors may be named as defendants in such litigation, which could result in an expenditure of funds (through our indemnification of such officers and directors) and the diversion of management time and resources.

 

The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.

 

We invest, and will continue to invest in companies whose securities are not publicly traded, and whose securities will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for us to sell these investments when desired. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we had previously recorded these investments. As a result, we do not expect to achieve liquidity in our investments in the near-term. Our investments are usually subject to

contractual or legal restrictions on resale or are otherwise illiquid because there is usually no established trading market for such investments. The illiquidity of most of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price, and, as a result, we may suffer losses.

 

We may not have the funds to make additional investments in our portfolio companies.

 

We may not have the funds to make additional investments in our portfolio companies. After our initial investment in a portfolio company, we may be called upon from time to time to provide additional funds to such company or have the opportunity to increase our investment through the exercise of a warrant to purchase common stock. There is no assurance that we will make, or will have sufficient funds to make, follow-on investments. Any decisions not to make a follow-on investment or any inability on our part to make such an investment may have a negative impact on a portfolio company in need of such an investment, may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation or may reduce the expected yield on the investment.

 

Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.

 

We invest primarily in senior subordinated debt as well as equity issued by lower middle market companies. Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may entitle the holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments with respect to the debt instruments in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution. After repaying such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt instruments in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company.

 

There may be circumstances where our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims.

 

Even though we may have structured certain of our investments as senior loans, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might recharacterize our debt investment and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. We may also be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by us with respect to a borrower’s business or instances where we exercise control over the borrower. It is possible that we could become subject to a lender’s liability claim, including as a result of actions taken in rendering significant managerial assistance.

 

Second priority liens on collateral securing loans that we make to our portfolio companies may be subject to control by senior creditors with first priority liens. If there is a default, the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to repay in full both the first priority creditors and us.

 

Certain loans that we make to portfolio companies will be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral will be entitled to receive proceeds from any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of

all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. Further, there is a risk that such collateral securing our investments may decrease in value over time, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the portfolio company and market conditions. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the company’s remaining assets, if any.

 

The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the loans we make to our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens: the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral; the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings; the approval of amendments to collateral documents; releases of liens on the collateral; and waivers of past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights are adversely affected.

 

We generally will not control our portfolio companies.

 

We do not, and do not expect to, control many of our portfolio companies, even though we may have board representation or board observation rights, and our debt agreements may contain certain restrictive covenants. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as debt investors. Due to the lack of liquidity for our investments in non-traded companies, we may not be able to dispose of our interests in our portfolio companies as readily as we would like or at an appropriate valuation. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our portfolio holdings.

 

Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.

 

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

 

Any unrealized losses we experience on our loan portfolio may be an indication of future realized losses, which could reduce our income available for distribution.

 

As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at the fair value as determined in good faith by our Board of Directors. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments will be recorded as unrealized depreciation. Any unrealized losses in our loan portfolio could be an indication of a portfolio company’s inability to meet its repayment obligations to us with respect to the affected loans. This could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of our income available for distribution in future periods.

 

Defaults by our portfolio companies will harm our operating results.

 

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to

seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting portfolio company.

 

Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could adversely impact our results of operations and reduce our return on equity.

 

We are subject to the risk that the investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, we will generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt being prepaid and we could experience significant delays in reinvesting these amounts. Any future investment in a new portfolio company may also be at lower yields than the debt that was repaid. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments could negatively impact our return on equity, which could result in a decline in the market price of our common stock.

 

Changes in interest rates may affect our cost of capital and net investment income.

 

Most of our debt investments will bear interest at fixed rates and the value of these investments could be negatively affected by increases in market interest rates. In addition, an increase in interest rates would make it more expensive to use debt to finance our investments. As a result, a significant increase in market interest rates could both reduce the value of our portfolio investments and increase our cost of capital, which would reduce our net investment income. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make an investment in our common stock less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate which could reduce the value of our common stock. Conversely, a decrease in interest rates may have an adverse impact on our returns by requiring us to seek lower yields on our debt investments and by increasing the risk that our portfolio companies will prepay our debt investments, resulting in the need to redeploy capital at potentially lower rates.

 

We may not realize gains from our equity investments.

 

Certain investments that we have made in the past and may make in the future include warrants or other equity securities. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including the risk of further dilution as a result of additional issuances, inability to access additional capital and failure to pay current distributions. Investments in preferred securities involve special risks, such as the risk of deferred distributions, credit risk, illiquidity and limited voting rights. In addition, we may from time to time make non-control, equity co-investments in companies in conjunction with private equity sponsors. Our goal is ultimately to realize gains upon our disposition of such equity interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience. We also may be unable to realize any value if a portfolio company does not have a liquidity event, such as a sale of the business, recapitalization or public offering, which would allow us to sell the underlying equity interests. We often seek puts or similar rights to give us the right to sell our equity securities back to the portfolio company issuer. We may be unable to exercise these puts rights for the consideration provided in our investment documents if the issuer is in financial distress.

 

Risks Relating to Our Common Stock

 

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, may trade at a discount to their net asset value.

 

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, may trade at a discount from net asset value. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies and BDCs is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether our common stock will always trade at, above or below net asset value. In addition, if our common stock trades below its net asset value, we will

generally not be able to issue additional shares of our common stock at its market price without first obtaining the approval of our stockholders and our independent directors.

 

Investing in our common stock may involve an above average degree of risk.

 

The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and a higher risk of volatility or loss of principal. Our investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative, and therefore, an investment in our shares may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.

 

The market price of our common stock may be volatile and fluctuate significantly.

 

The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:

 

 

Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.

 

The Maryland General Corporation Law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging, delaying or making difficult a change in control of our company or the removal of our incumbent directors. Specifically, our board of directors may adopt resolutions to classify our board of directors so that stockholders do not elect every director on an annual basis. Also, our articles of incorporation provide that a director may be removed only for cause by the vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast for the election of directors generally. In addition, our bylaws provide that a special meeting of stockholders may be called by the stockholders only upon the written request of the stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting.

 

In addition, subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act, our articles of incorporation permit our board of directors, without stockholder action, to authorize the issuance of shares of stock in one or more classes or series, including preferred stock. Subject to compliance with the 1940 Act, our board of directors may, without stockholder action, amend our articles of incorporation to increase the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue. The existence of these provisions, among others, may have a negative impact on the price of our common stock and may discourage third party bids for ownership of our company. These provisions may prevent any premiums being offered to you for shares of our common stock.

 

Terrorist attacks, acts of war or national disasters may affect any market for our common stock, impact the businesses in which we invest and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

Terrorist acts, acts of war or national disasters may disrupt our operations, as well as the operations of the businesses in which we invest. Such acts have created, and continue to create, economic and political

uncertainties and have contributed to global economic instability. Future terrorist activities, military or security operations, or natural disasters could further weaken the domestic/global economies and create additional uncertainties, which may negatively impact the businesses in which we invest directly or indirectly and, in turn, could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. Losses from terrorist attacks and natural disasters are generally uninsurable.

 

We could face losses and potential liability if intrusion, viruses or similar disruptions to our technology jeopardize our confidential information or that of users of our technology.

 

Although we have implemented, and will continue to implement, security measures, our technology platform is and will continue to be vulnerable to intrusion, computer viruses or similar disruptive problems caused by transmission from unauthorized users. The misappropriation of proprietary information could expose us to a risk of loss or litigation.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

 

We do not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation or any of our subsidiaries. Currently, we lease approximately 5,850 square feet of office space located at 3600 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 104, Raleigh, North Carolina 27612. We believe that our current facilities are adequate for our business as we intend to conduct it.

 

 

Neither Triangle Capital Corporation nor any of its subsidiaries are a party to any pending legal proceedings.

 

 

None.

 

 

Common Stock and Holders

 

Our common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “TCAP” on February 15, 2007. Prior to that date, there was no established public trading market for our common stock. The following table sets forth the range of high and low sales prices per share of our common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market for the periods indicated.

 

 

As of March 3, 2008, there were approximately 65 holders of record of the common stock. This number does not include shareholders for whom shares are held in “nominee” or “street name.”

Dividends Declared

 

We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our stockholders of substantially all of our income. We may make deemed distributions of certain net capital gains to our stockholders.

 

The following table summarizes our distributions declared since February 21, 2007, the date of our Offering:

 

 

Each year, a statement on Form 1099-DIV identifying the source of the distribution (i.e., paid from ordinary income, paid form net capital gains on the sale of securities, and/or a return of paid-in-capital surplus which is a nontaxable distribution) is mailed to our stockholders. To the extent that our taxable earnings fall below the total amount of our distributions for that fiscal year, a portion of those distributions may be deemed a tax return of capital to our stockholders.

 

The table below shows the detail of our distributions for the year ended December 31, 2007:

 

 

 

 

Dividend Policy

 

In order to avoid certain excise taxes imposed on RICs, we currently intend to distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98% of our capital gains in excess of capital losses for the calendar year, and (3) any ordinary income and net capital gains for the preceding year that were not distributed during such year. We will not be subject to excise taxes on amounts on which we are required to pay corporate income tax (such as retained net capital gains). In order to obtain the tax benefits applicable to RICs, we will be required to distribute to our stockholders with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses. We currently intend to retain for investment realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses. We may make deemed distributions to our stockholders of any retained net capital gains. If this happens, our stockholders will be treated as if they received an actual distribution of the capital gains we retain and then reinvested the net after-tax proceeds in our common stock. Our stockholders also may be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to their allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to them. Please refer to “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for further information regarding the consequences of our retention of net capital gains. We may, in the future, make actual distributions to our stockholders of some or all realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses. We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions and, if we issue senior securities, we will be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings. See “Regulation.”

 

We have adopted a dividend reinvestment plan that provides for reinvestment of our distributions on behalf of our stockholders, unless a stockholder elects to receive cash as provided below. As a result, if our board of directors authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend, then our stockholders who have not “opted out” of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash dividends automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, rather than receiving the cash dividends.

No action will be required on the part of a registered stockholder to have their cash dividend reinvested in shares of our common stock. A registered stockholder may elect to receive an entire dividend in cash by notifying The Bank of New York Mellon, the “Plan Administrator” and our transfer agent and registrar, in writing so that such notice is received by the plan administrator no later than the record date for dividends to stockholders. The plan administrator will set up an account for shares acquired through the plan for each stockholder who has not elected to receive dividends in cash and hold such shares in non-certificated form. Upon request by a stockholder participating in the plan, received in writing not less than 10 days prior to the record date, the plan administrator will, instead of crediting shares to the participant’s account, issue a certificate registered in the participant’s name for the number of whole shares of our common stock and a check for any fractional share. Those stockholders whose shares are held by a broker or other financial intermediary may receive dividends in cash by notifying their broker or other financial intermediary of their election.

 

We intend to use primarily newly issued shares to implement the plan, so long as our shares are trading at or above net asset value. If our shares are trading below net asset value, we intend to purchase shares in the open market in connection with our implementation of the plan. If we use newly issued shares to implement the plan, the number of shares to be issued to a stockholder is determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to such stockholder by the market price per share of our common stock at the close of regular trading on the Nasdaq Global Market on the dividend payment date. Market price per share on that date will be the closing price for such shares on the Nasdaq Global Market or, if no sale is reported for such day, at the average of their reported bid and asked prices. If we purchase shares in the open market to implement the plan, the number of shares to be issued to a stockholder is determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to such stockholder by the average price per share for all shares purchased by the Plan Administrator in the open market in connection with the dividend. The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after giving effect to payment of the dividend cannot be established until the value per share at which additional shares will be issued has been determined and elections of our stockholders have been tabulated.

 

There are no brokerage charges or other charges to stockholders who participate in the plan. We pay the plan administrator’s fees under the plan. If a participant elects by written notice to the plan administrator to have the plan administrator sell part or all of the shares held by the plan administrator in the participant’s account and remit the proceeds to the participant, the plan administrator is authorized to deduct a $15.00 transaction fee plus a $0.10 per share brokerage commissions from the proceeds.

 

Stockholders who receive dividends in the form of stock generally are subject to the same federal, state and local tax consequences as are stockholders who elect to receive their dividends in cash. A stockholder’s basis for determining gain or loss upon the sale of stock received in a dividend from us will be equal to the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to the stockholder. Any stock received in a dividend will have a holding period for tax purposes commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the U.S. stockholder’s account.

 

Participants may terminate their accounts under the plan by notifying the plan administrator via its website at https://www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd, by filling out the transaction request form located at the bottom of their statement and sending it to the plan administrator at BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, P.O. Box 358035, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15252-8015, or by calling the plan administrator at (866) 228-7201.

 

We may terminate the plan upon notice in writing mailed to each participant at least 30 days prior to any record date for the payment of any dividend by us. All correspondence concerning the plan should be directed to the plan administrator by mail at BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, P.O. Box 358035, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15252-8015.

 

Our ability to make distributions will be limited by the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act. For a more detailed discussion, see “Regulation.”

 

Equity Compensation Plans

 

Our equity compensation plan information required to be provided in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated by reference to the section of our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, entitled “Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans,” to be filed with the Commission.

Performance Graph

 

The following graph compares the cumulative total return on our common stock with the cumulative total return of the Triangle Capital Corporation Peer Group Index and the Nasdaq Composite Index for the year ended December 31, 2007. This comparison assumes $100.00 was invested at the closing price of our common stock on February 15, 2007 (the date our common stock began to trade on the Nasdaq Global Market in connection with our initial public offering) in our common stock and in the comparison groups and assumes the reinvestment of all cash dividends on the ex-dividend date prior to any tax effect. The stock price performance shown on the graph below is not necessarily indicative of future price performance.

 

Comparison of Ten Month Cumulative Total Return(1)
among Triangle Capital Corporation, the Triangle Capital Corporation Peer
Group Index, and the Nasdaq Composite Index

 

 

 

 

Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

During the year ended December 31, 2007, we issued a total of 117,103 shares of common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933. The aggregate offering price for the shares of common stock sold under the dividend reinvestment plan was approximately $1,626,212.

 

Also during the year ended December 31, 2007, we acquired 100% of the equity interests in TML, the general partner of the Fund. We issued to the members of TML 500,000 shares of our common stock, having

an aggregate value based on the initial public offering price of $7,500,000, in exchange for their equity interests in TML. Under the then-current agreement of limited partnership, or partnership agreement, of the Fund, TML was entitled to 20.0% of the Fund’s profits and capital after the limited partners had received distributions of their entire investment and a 7.0% compound annual return on their investment. TML did not make a capital contribution to the Fund, but rather received this interest in exchange for performing the function of and assuming the risks as general partner of the Fund. These securities were issued to United States investors in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, as set forth in Section 4(2) under the Securities Act and rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder relative to sales by an issuer not involving any public offering. All recipients of common units described above represented to us in connection with their receipt of common units that they were acquiring the shares for investment and not with a view to distribution in violation of applicable securities laws, that they could bear the risks of the investment and could hold the securities for an indefinite period of time. The recipients received written disclosures that the securities had not been registered under the Securities Act and that any resale must be made pursuant to a registration statement or an available exemption from such registration requirement.

 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

We did not repurchase any shares of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2007.

 

Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities

 

On February 13, 2007, the SEC declared effective our first registration statement, filed on Form N-2 (File No. 333-138418) under the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the recent Offering of our common stock. Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., BB&T Capital Markets, Avondale Partners, and Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc. acted as the underwriters for the Offering.

 

Our common stock began trading on The Nasdaq Global Market under the trading symbol “TCAP” on February 15, 2007. We sold 4,770,000 shares of common stock in our initial public offering at $15.00 per share. The Offering terminated after the sale of all of the securities registered on the registration statement and the expiration of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. The aggregate gross proceeds from the shares of common stock sold were $71.6 million. We paid the underwriters a commission of $4.9 million and incurred offering expenses of $2.0 million. After deducting the underwriters’ commission and the estimated offering expenses, we received net proceeds of approximately $64.7 million.

 

Subsequent to the Offering, we contributed approximately $42.0 million of the net proceeds from the Offering to the Fund and during the period from February 15, 2007 through December 31, 2007, we invested all of these funds in lower middle market companies in accordance with our investment objective and strategies described in this Annual Report. In addition, we have the ability to use SBA-guaranteed leverage to make additional investments, subject to the limitations described elsewhere in this Annual Report.

 

We will retain the balance of the net proceeds from the Offering to pay certain expenses, dividends required in order to maintain our status as a RIC, amounts needed to implement our dividend reinvestment plan, and for general corporate purposes. We have and will continue to invest retained cash in short-term securities consistent with our BDC election and our election to be taxed as a RIC, but could use all or a portion of these funds for portfolio investments in the future.

 

None of the expenses, or application of the net proceeds, were paid, directly or indirectly, to directors, officers or persons owning 10% or more of our common stock or to their associates, or to our affiliates.

 

 

As discussed further in Note 1 to our financial statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, on February 21, 2007, concurrent with the closing of our initial public offering (the “Offering”), we acquired the Fund and TML (the Fund’s General Partner) in exchange for shares of our common stock.

These acquisitions constituted an exchange of shares between entities under common control. In accordance with the guidance on exchanges of shares between entities under common control contained in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 141, Business Combinations, the selected historical financial and other data below for the year ended December 31, 2007 are presented as if the acquisition had occurred as of January 1, 2007. In addition, the selected historical financial and other data below for the years ended December 31, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 are presented on a combined basis in order to provide comparative information with respect to prior periods. The selected financial data at and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 have been derived from our financial statements that have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. You should read this selected financial and other data in conjunction with our “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial statements and notes thereto.

 

 

 

 

The information in this section contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please see “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the combined financial statements and related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report.

 

The following discussion is designed to provide a better understanding of our financial statements, including a brief discussion of our business, key factors that impacted our performance and a summary of our operating results. As discussed further in Note 1 to our financial statements, on February 21, 2007, concurrent with the closing of our initial public offering (the “Offering”), we acquired Triangle Mezzanine Fund LLLP (the “Fund”) and the Fund’s General Partner, Triangle Mezzanine LLC (“TML”) in exchange for shares of our common stock. These acquisitions constituted an exchange of shares between entities under common control.

In accordance with the guidance on exchanges of shares between entities under common control contained in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 141, Business Combinations, the financial data and information discussed herein as of and for the year ended December 31, 2007 are presented as if the acquisition had occurred as of January 1, 2007. In addition, the results of our operations and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 and our financial position as of December 31, 2006 are presented on a combined basis in order to provide comparative information with respect to prior periods. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Financial Statements and the notes thereto included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Historical results and percentage relationships among any amounts in the financial statements are not necessarily indicative of trends in operating results for any future periods.

 

Overview of our Business

 

We are a Maryland corporation incorporated on October 10, 2006, for the purpose of acquiring the Fund and TML, raising capital in the Offering and thereafter operating as an internally managed business development company, or BDC, under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Fund is licensed as a small business investment company, or SBIC, by the United States Small Business Administration, or SBA, and has also elected to be treated as a BDC. The Fund has invested primarily in debt instruments, equity investments, warrants and other securities of lower middle market privately held companies located in the United States. Upon the consummation of the Offering, we completed the Formation Transactions described in Item 1 of Part I of this Annual Report, at which time the Fund became our wholly-owned subsidiary, and the former partners of the Fund became our stockholders.

 

Our business is to provide capital to lower middle market companies in the United States. We define lower middle market companies as those with annual revenues between $10.0 million and $100.0 million. We focus on investments in companies with a history of generating revenues and positive cash flows, an established market position and a proven management team with a strong operating discipline. Our target portfolio company has annual revenues between $20.0 million and $75.0 million and annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, between $2.0 million and $10.0 million.

 

We invest primarily in senior and subordinated debt securities secured by first and second lien security interests in portfolio company assets, coupled with equity interests. Our investments generally range from $5.0 million to $15.0 million per portfolio company. In certain situations, we have partnered with other funds to provide larger financing commitments.

 

We generate revenues in the form of interest income, primarily from our investments in debt securities, loan origination and other fees and dividend income. Fees generated in connection with our debt investments are recognized over the life of the loan using the effective interest method or, in some cases, recognized as earned. In addition, we generate revenue in the form of capital gains, if any, on warrants or other equity-related securities that we acquire from our portfolio companies. Our debt investments generally have a term of between three and seven years and typically bear interest at fixed rates between 11.0% and 15.0% per annum. Certain of our debt investments have a form of interest, referred to as payment in kind, or PIK, interest, that is not paid currently but that is accrued and added to the loan balance and paid at the end of the term. In our negotiations with potential portfolio companies, we generally seek to minimize PIK interest. Cash interest on our debt investments is generally payable monthly; however, some of our debt investments pay cash interest on a quarterly basis. As of December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, the weighted average yield on all of our outstanding debt investments (including PIK interest) was approximately 13.9% and 14.0%, respectively. The weighted average yield on all of our outstanding investments (including equity and equity-linked investments) was approximately 12.6% and 13.3% as of December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively.

 

The Fund is eligible to sell debentures guaranteed by the SBA to the capital markets at favorable interest rates and invest these funds in portfolio companies. We intend to continue to operate the Fund as an SBIC, subject to SBA approval, and to utilize the proceeds of the sale of SBA-guaranteed debentures, referred to herein as SBA leverage, to enhance returns to our stockholders.

Portfolio Composition

 

The total value of our investment portfolio was $114.4 million as of December 31, 2007, as compared to $55.0 million as of December 31, 2006. As of December 31, 2007, we had investments in 26 portfolio companies with an aggregate cost of $107.2 million. As of December 31, 2006, we had investments in 19 portfolio companies with an aggregate cost of $52.7 million. As of December 31, 2007, we had one portfolio investment that individually represented greater than 10% of the total fair value of our investment portfolio. This one investment represented approximately 11% of the total fair value of our investment portfolio as of December 31, 2007. As of December 31, 2006, none of our portfolio investments represented greater than 10% of the total fair value of our investment portfolio.

 

As of December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, our investment portfolio consisted of the following investments:

 

 

Investment Activity

 

During the year ended December 31, 2007, we made nine new investments totaling $62.2 million, one additional debt investment in an existing portfolio company of $1.9 million and one additional equity investment in an existing portfolio company of approximately $0.1 million. In 2007, we sold one investment in a portfolio company for approximately $1.3 million, resulting in a realized loss of approximately $1.4 million. We also received principal prepayments from two portfolio companies totaling $3.2 million, which resulted in a realized gain of approximately $0.1 million. In the fourth quarter of 2007, we sold an equity investment in a portfolio company for total proceeds of $0.9 million, resulting in a realized gain of approximately $0.6 million and we received a principal prepayment from this portfolio company of $4.2 million, which resulted in a realized gain of approximately $0.1 million. In addition, we received normal principal repayments and PIK interest payments totaling approximately $1.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2007.

Total portfolio investment activity for the year ended December 31, 2007 was as follows:

 

 

Results of Operations

 

Comparison of years ended December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006

 

Investment Income

 

For the year ended December 31, 2007, total investment income was $12.7 million, an 89.4% increase from $6.7 million of total investment income for the year ended December 31, 2006. This increase was primarily attributable to a $4.5 million increase in total loan interest, fee, dividend income and PIK interest due to a net increase in our portfolio investments from December 31, 2006 to December 31, 2007. Fee income, consisting primarily of loan prepayment fees, debt amendment fees and certain management and advisory fees was approximately $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2007 compared with $0.2 for the year ended December 31, 2006. In addition, interest income from cash and cash equivalent investments increased by $1.5 million due to a significant increase in average cash balances in 2007 over 2006 resulting from the receipt of proceeds of $64.7 million from our Offering in February 2007.

 

Expenses

 

For the year ended December 31, 2007, expenses increased by 73.5% to $6.3 million from $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2006. The increase in expenses was primarily attributable to a $3.8 million increase in general and administrative expenses and an increase in interest expense of approximately $0.2 million. As a result of the Offering and the Formation Transactions described in Note 1 to our financial statements, we are now an internally managed investment company and, on February 21, 2007, we began incurring general and administrative costs associated with employing our executive officers, key investment personnel and corporate professionals and other general corporate overhead costs. In addition, we experienced an increase in general and administrative costs associated with being a publicly-traded company, such as increased insurance, accounting, corporate governance and legal costs. These increases in general and administrative costs were partially offset by a $1.4 million decrease in management fees. We incurred a full year of management fees in 2006 and only incurred management fees through February 21, 2007 in 2007.

 

Net Investment Income

 

As a result of the $6.0 million increase in total investment income and the $2.7 million increase in expenses, net investment income for the year ended December 31, 2007 was $6.4 million compared to net investment income of $3.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2006.

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting From Operations

 

For the year ended December 31, 2007, net realized loss on non-control/non-affiliate investments was $0.8 million which related to a realized loss on one investment of $1.4 million, offset by a realized gain on a second investment of $0.6 million. In addition, we recognized a realized gain of $0.1 million on an affiliate investment during the year ended December 31, 2007. This realized gain resulted from the writeoff of original issue discount related to the prepayment of the portfolio company’s outstanding subordinated note. During the year ended December 31, 2007, we recorded net unrealized appreciation of investments, net of income taxes, in the amount of $3.1 million, comprised partially of net unrealized appreciation/depreciation reclassification adjustments of approximately $1.1 million related to the realized gain and loss noted above. In addition, in the year ended December 31, 2007, we recorded unrealized appreciation, net of tax, on nine other investments totaling $4.3 million and unrealized depreciation on 11 investments totaling $2.3 million.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, net realized gain on non-control/non-affiliate investments was $6.0 million which related to realized gains on two investments. During the year ended December 31, 2006, we recorded net unrealized depreciation of investments in the amount of $0.4 million, consisting of (i) unrealized depreciation on three investments totaling $1.6 million, (ii) an unrealized depreciation reclassification adjustment of approximately $0.7 million related to the realized gains noted above and (iii) unrealized appreciation on ten investments totaling $1.9 million.

 

In the year ended December 31, 2007, we recognized an income tax provision related to an investment held in one of our Taxable Subsidiaries, as discussed in Note 1 to our Financial Statements under “Income Taxes.”

 

As a result of these events, our net increase in net assets from operations during the year ended December 31, 2007 was $8.8 million as compared to $8.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2006.

 

Comparison of years ended December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005

 

Investment Income

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, total investment income was $6.7 million, a 12.7%, increase from $6.0 million of total investment income for the year ended December 31, 2005. The increase was primarily attributable to a $0.8 million increase in total loan interest, fee and dividend income due to the addition of 11 new investments totaling $25.0 million which were closed during the year ended December 31, 2006.

 

Expenses

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, expenses increased by 11.4% to $3.6 million from $3.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2005. The increase in expenses was primarily attributable to a $0.3 million increase in interest expense relating to our SBA-guaranteed debentures, of which there were $31.8 million outstanding for the entire year ended December 31, 2006, and which had an average balance outstanding substantially less than that amount during the year ended December 31, 2005. During May 2005, the Fund increased its SBA-guaranteed debentures by $9.5 million to a total of $31.8 million.

 

Net Investment Income

 

As a result of the $0.8 million increase in total investment income and the $0.4 million increase in expenses, net investment income for the year ended December 31, 2006, was $3.1 million compared to net investment income of $2.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2005.

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting From Operations

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, net realized gain on non-control/non-affiliate investments was $6.0 million which related to realized gains on two investments. During the year ended December 31, 2006, we recorded net unrealized depreciation of investments in the amount of $0.4 million, consisting of (i) unrealized depreciation on three investments totaling $1.6 million, (ii) an unrealized depreciation

reclassification adjustment of approximately $0.7 million related to the realized gains noted above and (iii) unrealized appreciation on ten investments totaling $1.9 million.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2005, net realized loss on investments was $3.5 million which related to a loss on one investment. During the year ended December 31, 2005, we recorded net unrealized appreciation in the amount of $4.0 million, comprised of $2.8 million of unrealized appreciation on two of our portfolio companies and the reclassification of an unrealized loss to a realized loss in the amount of $1.2 million.

 

As a result of these events, our net increase in net assets from operations during the year ended December 31, 2006 was $8.7 million as compared to $3.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2005.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents on hand, our available SBA leverage and our anticipated cash flows from operations will be adequate to meet our cash needs for our daily operations for at least the next twelve months.

 

Cash Flows

 

For the year ended December 31, 2007, we experienced a net increase in cash and cash equivalents in the amount of $19.2 million. During that period, our operating activities used $47.8 million in cash, and we generated $67.1 million of cash from financing activities, consisting of (i) proceeds from our Offering of $64.7 million, (ii) proceeds from the issuance of SBA guaranteed debentures of $5.2 million and (iii) a decrease in deferred offering costs of $1.0 million, partially offset by cash dividends paid of $3.0 million, tax distributions to partners of $0.7 million and financing fees paid to the SBA of $0.1 million. At December 31, 2007, we had $21.8 million of cash and cash equivalents on hand.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, we experienced a net decrease in cash and cash equivalents in the amount of $3.5 million. During that period, we used $8.1 million in cash to fund operating activities and we generated $4.6 million of cash from financing activities, consisting of limited partner capital contributions in the amount of $10.6 million offset by a cash distribution to limited partners in the amount of $5.0 million and an increase in deferred offering costs of $1.0 million. We invested the entire $10.6 million of cash from the limited partner capital contributions in new subordinated debt investments during 2006. As of December 31, 2006, all limited partners in the Fund had fully funded their committed capital. At December 31, 2006, we had $2.5 million of cash on hand.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2005, we experienced a net increase in cash and cash equivalents in the amount of $3.2 million. During that period, we used $13.7 million in cash to fund operating activities and we generated $16.9 million of cash from financing activities, consisting of borrowings under SBA-guaranteed debentures in the amount of $14.1 million and limited partner capital contributions in the amount of $3.2 million. These amounts were offset by financing fees paid by us in the amount of $0.4 million. We invested the entire $16.9 million of cash from financing activities in ten new investments during 2005.

 

Financing Transactions

 

Due to the Fund’s status as a licensed SBIC, the Fund has the ability to issue debentures guaranteed by the SBA at favorable interest rates. Under the Small Business Investment Act and the SBA rules applicable to SBICs, an SBIC (or group of SBICs under common control) can have outstanding at any time debentures guaranteed by the SBA in an amount up to twice the amount of its regulatory capital, which generally is the amount raised from private investors. The maximum statutory limit on the dollar amount of outstanding debentures guaranteed by the SBA issued by a single SBIC as of December 31, 2007 is currently $130.6 million (which amount is subject to increase on an annual basis based on cost of living increases). Debentures guaranteed by the SBA have a maturity of ten years, with interest payable semi-annually. The principal amount of the debentures is not required to be paid before maturity but may be pre-paid at any time.

Debentures issued prior to September 2006 were subject to pre-payment penalties during their first five years. Those pre-payment penalties no longer apply to debentures issued after September 1, 2006.

 

With $63.3 million of regulatory capital as of December 31, 2007, the Fund has the current capacity to issue up to a total of $126.5 million of SBA guaranteed debentures, subject to the payment of a 1% commitment fee to the SBA on the amount of the commitment. As of December 31, 2007, the Fund had paid commitment fees for and had a commitment from the SBA to issue a total of $41.9 million of SBA guaranteed debentures, of which $37.0 million are outstanding as of December 31, 2007. On January 8, 2008, the SBA approved an additional commitment to the Fund in the amount of $55.0 million, bringing the total commitment from the SBA to approximately $96.9 million. In order to access the remaining $29.6 million in borrowing capacity for which the Fund is currently eligible, the Fund would incur non-refundable commitment fees of $296,000. In addition to the one — time 1.0% fee on the total commitment from the SBA, the Company also pays a one — time 2.425% fee on the amount of each debenture issued. These fees are capitalized as deferred financing costs and are amortized over the term of the debt agreements using the effective interest method. The weighted average interest rate for all SBA guaranteed debentures as of December 31, 2007 was 5.83%.

 

Current Market Conditions

 

The debt and equity capital markets in the United States have been severely impacted by significant write-offs in the financial services sector relating to subprime mortgages and the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated bank loan market, among other things. These events, along with the deterioration of the housing market, have led to worsening general economic conditions which have impacted the broader financial and credit markets and have reduced the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole and financial firms in particular. While we have capacity to issue additional SBA guaranteed debentures as discussed above, we may not be able to access additional equity capital, which could result in the slowing of our origination activity during 2009 and beyond.

 

In the event that the United States economy enters into a protracted recession, it is possible that the results of some of the middle market companies similar to those in which we invest could experience deterioration, which could ultimately lead to difficulty in meeting debt service requirements and an increase in defaults. While we are not seeing signs of an overall, broad deterioration in our portfolio company results at this time, there can be no assurance that the performance of certain of our portfolio companies will not be negatively impacted by economic conditions which could have a negative impact on our future results.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of our financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the periods covered by such financial statements. We have identified investment valuation and revenue recognition as our most critical accounting estimates. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to the matters described below. These estimates are based on the information that is currently available to us and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates under different assumptions or conditions. A discussion of our critical accounting policies follows.

 

Investment Valuation

 

The most significant estimate inherent in the preparation of our financial statements is the valuation of investments and the related amounts of unrealized appreciation and depreciation of investments recorded. We value our investment portfolio each quarter. As discussed below, we have engaged an independent valuation firm to assist us in our valuation process.

 

Securities that are publicly traded, if any, are valued at the closing price of the exchange or securities market on which they are listed on the valuation date. Securities that are not traded on a public exchange or securities market but for which a limited market exists are valued at the indicative bid price offered on the

valuation date. As of December 31, 2007, none of the debt securities in our portfolio were publicly traded or had a limited market, and there was a limited market for one of the equity securities we owned.

 

Debt and equity securities that are not publicly traded and for which a market does not exist are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. There is no single standard for determining fair value in good faith, as fair value depends upon the facts and circumstances of each individual case. In general, fair value is the amount that we might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of the security. In making the good faith determination of the value of these securities, we start with the cost basis of the security, which includes the amortized original issue discount, and PIK interest, if any. Management evaluates our investments in portfolio companies using the most recent portfolio company financial statements and forecasts. Management also consults with portfolio company senior management to obtain further updates on the portfolio company’s performance, including information such as industry trends, new product development and other operational issues. In addition, when evaluating equity securities of private companies, we consider valuation methodologies consistent with industry practice, including discounted cash flow of the expected sale price in the future, valuation of the securities based on recent sales in comparable transactions, and a review of similar companies that are publicly traded and the market multiple of their equity securities.

 

Unrealized appreciation or depreciation on portfolio investments are recorded as increases or decreases in investments on the balance sheets and are separately reflected on the statements of operations in determining net increase or decrease in net assets resulting from operations.

 

We seek to determine the value of the security as if we intended to sell the security at the time of the valuation. To estimate the current sale price of the security, we consider some or all of the following factors:

 

 

Due to the uncertainty inherent in the valuation process, such estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the values that would have been obtained had a ready market for the securities existed, and the differences could be material. Additionally, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the life of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different than the valuations currently assigned.

Duff & Phelps, LLC (“Duff & Phelps”), an independent valuation firm, provides third party valuation consulting services to us, which consist of certain limited procedures that we identified and requested Duff & Phelps to perform (hereinafter referred to as the “procedures”). We generally request Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on each portfolio company at least once in every calendar year and for new portfolio companies, at least once in the twelve-month period subsequent to the initial investment. In certain instances, we may determine that it is not cost-effective, and as a result is not in our shareholders’ best interest, to request Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on one or more portfolio companies. Such instances include, but are not limited to, situations where the fair value of our investment in the portfolio company is determined to be insignificant relative to our total investment portfolio.

 

As of September 30, 2006, we asked Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on investments in 17 portfolio companies comprising 100% of the total investments at fair value as of September 30, 2006. As of December 31, 2006, we asked Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on investments in six portfolio companies comprising approximately 41% of the total investments at fair value (exclusive of the fair value of new investments made during the quarter) as of December 31, 2006. For the quarter ended March 31, 2007, we asked Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on investments in five portfolio companies comprising approximately 26% of the total investments at fair value (exclusive of the fair value of new investments made during the quarter) as of March 31, 2007. For the quarter ended June 30, 2007, we asked Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on investments in five portfolio companies comprising approximately 28% of the total investments at fair value (exclusive of the fair value of new investments made during the quarter) as of June 30, 2007. For the quarter ended September 30, 2007, we asked Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on investments in five portfolio companies comprising approximately 29% of the total investments at fair value (exclusive of the fair value of new investments made during the quarter) as of September 30, 2007. For the quarter ended December 31, 2007, we asked Duff & Phelps to perform the procedures on investments in six portfolio companies comprising approximately 23% of the total investments at fair value (exclusive of the fair value of new investments made during the quarter) as of December 31, 2007. Upon completion of the procedures, Duff & Phelps concluded that the fair value, as determined by the Board of Directors, of those investments subjected to the procedures did not appear to be unreasonable. Our Board of Directors is ultimately and solely responsible for determining the fair value of our investments in good faith.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Interest and Dividend Income

 

Interest income, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of original issue discount, is recorded on the accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are expected to be collected. We stop accruing interest on investments and write off any previously accrued and uncollected interest when it is determined that interest is no longer considered collectible. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date.

 

Fee Income

 

Loan origination, facility, commitment, consent and other advance fees received by us on loan agreements or other investments are recorded as deferred income and recognized as income over the term of the loan.

 

Payment in Kind Interest (PIK)

 

We currently hold, and we expect to hold in the future, some loans in our portfolio that contain a PIK interest provision. The PIK interest, computed at the contractual rate specified in each loan agreement, is added to the principal balance of the loan, rather than being paid to us in cash, and recorded as interest income. To maintain our status as a RIC, this non-cash source of income must be paid out to stockholders in the form of dividends, even though we have not yet collected the cash. We will stop accruing PIK interest and write off any accrued and uncollected interest when it is determined that PIK interest is no longer collectible.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

 

In February 2006, the FASB issued FASB Statement No. 155, Accounting for Certain Hybrid Financial Instruments, an amendment of FASB Statements No. 133 and 140. This Statement was effective for all financial instruments acquired or issued after the beginning of an entity’s first fiscal year that begins after September 15, 2006. The adoption of this statement did not have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

In July 2006, the FASB released FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (“FIN 48”). FIN 48 provides guidance for how uncertain tax positions should be recognized, measured, presented and disclosed in the financial statements. FIN 48 requires the evaluation of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Company’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold would be recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. Adoption of FIN 48 is required for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2006 and is to be applied to all open tax years as of the effective date. The adoption of this statement did not have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

In September 2006, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (“SFAS 157”), which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. This Statement applies under other accounting pronouncements that require or permit fair value measurements, the FASB having previously concluded in those accounting pronouncements that fair value is the relevant measurement attribute. SFAS 157 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007, and interim periods within those fiscal years. We are currently evaluating the impact on our financial statements of the adoption of SFAS 157.

 

In February 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities — Including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115 (“SFAS 159”), which permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. The objective of SFAS 159 is to improve financial reporting by providing entities with the opportunity to mitigate volatility in reported earnings caused by measuring related assets and liabilities differently without having to apply complex hedge accounting provisions. This Statement is expected to expand the use of fair value measurement, which is consistent with the Board’s long-term measurement objectives for accounting for financial instruments. Under SFAS 159, unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair value option has been elected are reported in earnings (or another performance indicator if the business entity does not report earnings) at each subsequent reporting date. SFAS 159 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007, and interim periods within those fiscal years. We are currently evaluating the impact on our financial statements of the adoption of SFAS 159.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We currently have no off-balance sheet arrangements.

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk

 

Interest rate risk is defined as the sensitivity of our current and future earnings to interest rate volatility, variability of spread relationships, the difference in re-pricing intervals between our assets and liabilities and the effect that interest rates may have on our cash flows. Changes in the general level of interest rates can affect our net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income earned on interest earning assets and our interest expense incurred in connection with our interest bearing debt and liabilities. Changes in interest rates can also affect, among other things, our ability to acquire and originate loans and securities and the value of our investment portfolio.

Our investment income is affected by fluctuations in various interest rates, including LIBOR and prime rates. As of December 31, 2007, approximately 80.7% of our investment portfolio bore interest at fixed rates. All of our SBA leverage is currently at fixed rates.

 

Because we currently borrow, and plan to borrow in the future, money to make investments, our net investment income is dependent upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest the funds borrowed. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income if there is not a corresponding increase in interest income generated by floating rate assets in our investment portfolio.

 

Related Party Transactions

 

Effective concurrently with the closing of the Offering, TML, the general partner of the Fund, merged into a wholly owned subsidiary of Triangle Capital Corporation. A substantial majority of the ownership interests of TML were owned by Messrs. Tucker, Burgess, Lilly, Long and Parker. As a result of such merger, Messrs. Tucker, Burgess, Lilly, Long and Parker collectively received shares of our common stock valued at approximately $6.7 million.

 

Prior to the closing of the Offering, certain members of our management (Garland S. Tucker, III, Tarlton H. Long and David F. Parker) collectively owned approximately 67% of Triangle Capital Partners, LLC, an entity which provided management and advisory services to the Fund pursuant to a management services agreement dated as of February 3, 2003. Under the terms of this management services agreement, Triangle Capital Partners, LLC received $0.2 million in management fees from the Fund in the year ended December 31, 2007 and $1.6 million in management fees from the Fund during each of the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005. This agreement terminated upon the closing of the Offering.

 

Contractual Obligations

 

As of December 31, 2007, our future fixed commitments for cash payments are as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

 

Recent Developments

 

SBA Guaranteed Debentures Payable

 

On February 28, 2008, we borrowed an additional $5.2 million under the SBA debenture commitment.

New Portfolio Company Investments

 

On March 6, 2008, we invested $4.3 million and $0.5 million in subordinated debt and in equity of AssetPoint, LLC (“AssetPoint”), a provider of integrated enterprise asset management and computerized maintenance management software and services based in Greenville, South Carolina. Under the terms of the investment, AssetPoint will pay interest on the subordinated debt at a fixed rate of 15.0% per annum.

 

On March 7, 2008, we invested $1.0 million and $3.0 million in senior debt and subordinated debt, respectively, of Electronic Systems Protection, Inc. (“ESP”), a manufacturer of power protection technology for the office technology industry based in Zebulon, North Carolina. Under the terms of the investment, ESP will pay interest on the senior debt at a floating rate of LIBOR plus 375 basis points per annum and will pay interest on the subordinated debt at a fixed rate of 14.0% per annum.

 

 

See the section entitled “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk” included in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in Item 7 of Part I of this Annual Report and incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

See our Financial Statements included herein and listed in Item 15(a) of this Annual Report.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act 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. Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on the evaluation of these disclosure controls and procedures, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective. It should be noted that any system of controls, however well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, and not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the system are met. In addition, the design of any control system is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events. Because of these and other inherent limitations of control systems, there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions, regardless of how remote.

 

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with

generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

Management (with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer) conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2007.

 

This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to temporary rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission that permit us to provide only management’s report in this Annual Report.

 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter of 2007 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

 

The information required by this Item with respect to our directors, executive officers and corporate governance matters is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is incorporated in this Annual Report by reference in response to this Item. Our Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the date of our fiscal year-end which was December 31, 2007.

 

The Company has adopted the Code of Conduct for Triangle Capital Corporation and Triangle Mezzanine Fund LLLP, a code of ethics, which every employee is expected to observe. The Code of Conduct for Triangle Capital Corporation and Triangle Mezzanine Fund LLLP is publicly available on our website under “Corporate Governance” at the following URL: http://ir.tcap.com/governance.cfm and is included in this Annual Report as Exhibit 14.1 attached hereto.

 

We will provide any person, without charge, upon request, a copy of our Code of Conduct. To receive a copy, please provide a written request to: Triangle Capital Corporation; Attn: Chief Compliance Officer, 3600 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 104; Raleigh, North Carolina; 27612.

 

 

The information required by this Item with respect to compensation of executive officers and directors is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

and is incorporated in this Annual Report by reference in response to this Item. Our Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the date of our fiscal year-end which was December 31, 2007.

 

 

The information required by this Item with respect to security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management and equity compensation plans is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is incorporated in this Annual Report by reference in response to this Item. Our Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the date of our fiscal year-end which was December 31, 2007.

 

 

The information required by this Item with respect to certain relationships and related transactions and director independence is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is incorporated in this Annual Report by reference in response to this Item. Our Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the date of our fiscal year-end which was December 31, 2007.

 

 

The information required by this Item with respect to principal accountant fees and services is contained in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is incorporated in this Annual Report by reference in response to this Item. Our Proxy Statement will be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the date of our fiscal year-end which was December 31, 2007.

 

 

(a)  The following documents are filed as part of this Report:

 

(1) Financial Statements

 

Triangle Capital Corporation Financial Statements:

 

 

(2) Financial Statement Schedules

 

None.

 

Schedules that are not listed herein have been omitted because they are not applicable or the information required to be set forth therein is included in the Financial Statements or notes thereto.

 

(3) List of Exhibits

 

The exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K, except as otherwise noted, have been filed with previous reports by the registrant and are herein incorporated by reference.

 

 

 

 

 

See Item 15(a)(3) above.

 

 

See Item 15(a)(2) above.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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.

 

TRIANGLE CAPITAL CORPORATION

 

Name:     Garland S. Tucker, III

 

Date: March 12, 2008

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Triangle Capital Corporation

 

Index to Financial Statements

 

 

To the Board of Directors

Triangle Capital Corporation

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Triangle Capital Corporation (the Company), including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2007, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows for the year then ended, and the consolidated financial highlights for the year then ended. We have also audited the accompanying combined balance sheet of Triangle Capital Corporation, including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2006, and the related combined statements of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the combined financial highlights for each of the four years in the period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated and combined financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2007 and 2006 by correspondence with the portfolio companies. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Triangle Capital Corporation at December 31, 2007, the consolidated results of its operations, changes in net assets, and its cash flows for the year then ended, the financial highlights for the year then ended, and the combined financial position of Triangle Capital Corporation at December 31, 2006, the combined results of its operations, changes in net assets, and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the combined financial highlights for the four years in the period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

 

 

Raleigh, North Carolina

March 11, 2008

Triangle Capital Corporation

 

Balance Sheets

 

 

See accompanying notes.

Triangle Capital Corporation

 

Statements of Operations