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Amounts above are shown as a percentage of net assets as of March 31, 2016.

 

 

NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION

Blackstone / GSO Strategic Credit Fund (the “Fund” or “BGB”) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. BGB was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 28, 2012. BGB was registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), on April 6, 2012. BGB commenced operations on September 26, 2012. Prior to that date, BGB had no operations other than matters relating to its organization and the sale and issuance of 5,236 common shares of beneficial interest in BGB to GSO / Blackstone Debt Funds Management LLC (the “Adviser”) at a price of $19.10 per share. The Adviser serves as BGB’s investment adviser. BGB’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) and trade under the ticker symbol “BGB.”

BGB’s primary investment objective is to seek high current income, with a secondary objective to seek preservation of capital, consistent with its primary goal of high current income. The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objectives by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of loans and other fixed income instruments of predominantly U.S. corporate issuers, including first- and second-lien secured loans (‘‘Senior Secured Loans’’ or “Loans”) and high yield corporate bonds of varying maturities. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of BGB’s assets will be invested in credit investments comprised of corporate fixed income instruments and other investments (including derivatives) with similar economic characteristics.

BGB will dissolve on or about September 15, 2027, absent shareholder approval to extend such term. Upon dissolution, BGB will distribute substantially all of its net assets to shareholders, after making appropriate provision for any liabilities of the Fund. Pursuant to BGB’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, prior to the date of dissolution a majority of the Board of Trustees, with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities entitled to vote (as defined in the 1940 Act), may extend the life of the Fund by a period of two years or such shorter time as may be determined. The dissolution date of the Fund may be extended an unlimited number of times.

BGB was previously classified as a non-diversified investment company for purposes of the 1940 Act. As a result of ongoing operations, BGB is now classified as a diversified company as of September 25, 2015. This means that with respect to 75% of the Fund’s total assets, no more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in any one issuer, excepting cash and cash items, U.S. government securities and securities of other investment companies. BGB may not resume operating in a non-diversified manner without first obtaining shareholder approval in accordance with the 1940 Act.

NOTE 2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of its financial statements is in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material. BGB is considered an investment company for financial reporting purposes under GAAP.

Portfolio Valuation: BGB’s net asset value (“NAV”) is determined daily on each day that the Exchange is open for business, as of the close of the regular trading session on the Exchange. The Fund calculates NAV per share by subtracting liabilities (including accrued expenses or dividends) from the total assets (the value of the securities plus cash or other assets, including interest accrued but not yet received) and dividing the result by the total number of outstanding common shares of the Fund.

Loans are primarily valued by using a composite loan price from a nationally recognized loan pricing service. The methodology used by BGB’s nationally recognized loan pricing provider for composite loan prices is to value loans at the mean of the bid and ask prices from one or more brokers or dealers. Corporate bonds, other than short-term investments, are valued at the price provided by a nationally recognized pricing service. The prices provided by the nationally recognized service are typically based on the mean of bid and ask prices for each corporate bond security. In determining the value of a particular investment, pricing services may use certain information with respect to transactions in such investments, quotations from dealers, pricing matrices, market transactions in comparable investments, various relationships observed in the market between investments and calculated yield measures based on valuation technology commonly employed in the market for such investments. Short-term debt investments, if any, having a remaining maturity of 60 days or less when purchased would be valued at cost adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. Equity securities for which market quotations are available are generally valued at the last sale price or official closing price on the primary market or exchange on which they trade. Any investments and other assets for which such current market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value (“Fair Valued Assets”) as determined in good faith by a committee of the Adviser (“Fair Valued Asset Committee”) under procedures established by, and under the general supervision and responsibility of, the Fund’s Board of Trustees. A Fair Valued Asset Committee meeting may be called at any time by any member of the Fair Valued Asset Committee. The pricing of all Fair Valued Assets and determinations thereof shall be reported by the Fair Valued Asset Committee to the Board at each regularly scheduled quarterly meeting.

Various inputs are used to determine the value of BGB’s investments. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad Levels listed below.

Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments at the measurement date.

Level 2 — Significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar investments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.).

Level 3 — Significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumption in determining the fair value of investments).

The valuation techniques used by the Fund to measure fair value during the period ended March 31, 2016 maximized the use of observable inputs and minimized the use of unobservable inputs. The categorization of a value determined for investments and other financial instruments is based on the pricing transparency of the investment and other financial instruments and does not necessarily correspond to BGB’s perceived risk of investing in those securities.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the BGB’s investments under the fair value hierarchy levels as of March 31, 2016:

 

 

The changes of the fair value of investments for which BGB has used Level 3 inputs to determine the fair value are as follows:

Information about Level 3 fair value measurements as of March 31, 2016:

The Fund evaluates transfers into or out of Level 1, 2 and 3 as of the end of the reporting period. There were no transfers between Level 1 and 2 during the period. Securities were transferred from Level 2 to Level 3 because of a lack of observable market data due to decrease in market activity and information for these securities. Other securities were moved from Level 3 to Level 2 as observable inputs were available for purposes of valuing those assets.

Securities Transactions and Investment Income: Securities transactions are recorded on trade date for financial reporting purposes. Interest income, including accretion of discount and amortization of premium, is recorded on the accrual basis. Realized gains and losses from securities transactions and foreign currency transactions, if any, are recorded on the basis of identified cost.

NOTE 3. SENIOR SECURED LOANS

BGB will seek to achieve its investment objectives by investing primarily in U.S. corporate fixed income instruments, including Loans and high yield corporate bonds of varying maturities. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of BGB's Managed Assets (as defined below) will be invested in credit investments comprised of corporate fixed income instruments and other investments (including derivatives) with similar economic characteristics. BGB defines "Managed Assets" as total assets (including any assets attributable to any leverage used) minus the sum of BGB's accrued liabilities (other than liabilities incurred for any leverage). At March 31, 2016, 97.95% of BGB’s Managed Assets were held in corporate fixed income instruments, including Senior Secured Loans.

First lien secured loans hold a senior position in the capital structure of a business entity, are typically secured with specific collateral and typically have a claim on the assets and/or stock of the borrower of the Loan (the "Borrower") that is senior to that held by unsecured creditors, subordinated debt holders and stockholders of the Borrower.

Loans often require prepayments from Borrowers’ excess cash flows or permit the Borrowers to repay at their election. The degree to which Borrowers repay, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, cannot be predicted with accuracy. As a result, the actual loan remaining maturities may be substantially less than their stated maturities. However, floating rate loans typically have an expected average life of two to four years. Floating rate loans typically have rates of interest which are re-determined periodically, either daily, monthly, quarterly or semi-annually by reference to a floating base lending rate, primarily London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), plus a premium or credit spread.

Loans are subject to the risk of payment defaults of scheduled interest or principal. Such non-payment could result in a reduction of income, a reduction in the value of the investment and a potential decrease in the net asset value of the Fund. Risk of loss of income is generally higher for unsecured loans or debt, which are not backed by a security interest in any specific collateral. There can be no assurance that the liquidation of any collateral securing a Loan would satisfy the Borrower’s obligation to the Fund in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal payments, or that such collateral could be readily liquidated.

Second lien loans generally are subject to similar risks as those associated with investments in first lien loans except that such loans are subordinated in payment and/or lower in lien priority to first lien holders. In the event of default on a second lien loan, the first priority lien holder has first claim to the underlying collateral of the loan. Second lien loans are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the Borrower and property securing the loan or debt, if any, may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to senior obligations of the Borrower. At March 31, 2016, BGB had invested $173,775,740 in second lien secured loans.

Loans can be rated below investment grade or may also be unrated. As a result, the risks associated with Loans may be similar to the risks of other below investment grade securities, although they are senior and secured in contrast to other below investment grade securities, which are often subordinated or unsecured. BGB typically invests in Loans rated below investment grade, which are considered speculative because of the credit risk of their issuers. Such companies are more likely than investment grade issuers to default on their payments of interest and principal owed to BGB, and such defaults could reduce net asset value and income distributions. The amount of public information available with respect to below investment grade loans will generally be less extensive than that available for registered or exchange-listed securities. In evaluating the creditworthiness of Borrowers, the Adviser will consider, and may rely in part, on analyses performed by others. The Adviser’s established best execution procedures and guidelines require trades to be placed for execution only with broker-dealer counterparties approved by the Counterparty Committee of the Adviser. The factors considered by the Counterparty Committee when selecting and approving brokers and dealers include, but are not limited to: (i) quality, accuracy, and timeliness of execution, (ii) review of the reputation, financial strength and stability of the financial institution, (iii) willingness and ability of the counterparty to commit capital, (iv) ongoing reliability and (v) access to underwritten offerings and secondary markets. The Counterparty Committee regularly reviews each broker-dealer counterparty based on the foregoing factors.

Loans may not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.

BGB may acquire Loans through assignments or participations. BGB typically acquires these Loans through assignment, and if BGB acquires a Loan through participation, it will seek to elevate a participation interest into an assignment as soon as practicably possible. The purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation; however, the purchaser’s rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution, and BGB may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the Loan and with regard to any associated collateral. A participation typically results in a contractual relationship only with the institution participating out the interest, not with the Borrower. Sellers of participations typically include banks, broker-dealers, other financial institutions and lending institutions. The Adviser has adopted best execution procedures and guidelines to mitigate credit and counterparty risk in the atypical situation when BGB must acquire a Loan through a participation. BGB had no outstanding participations as of March 31, 2016.

NOTE 4. LEVERAGE

The Fund entered into a Credit Agreement (the "Agreement") with a bank to borrow money pursuant to a 364‐day revolving line of credit ("Leverage Facility") dated December 21, 2012, as amended at December 20, 2013, December 19, 2014, and December 18, 2015 to borrow up to a limit of $425 million. Borrowings under the Agreement are secured by the assets of the Fund. Interest is charged at a rate of 0.80% above LIBOR, with LIBOR measured for the period commencing on the date of the making of such LIBOR Loan (or the last date upon which any other Loan was converted to, or continued as, such LIBOR Loan) and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one (1) week or one (1), two (2), three (3), six (6) or nine (9) months thereafter, as the Fund may elect, or such other periods as the lender may agree in its sole and absolute discretion. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Fund must pay a commitment fee on any undrawn amounts. The commitment fee payable is 0.15% on the undrawn amounts when drawn amounts exceed 75% of the borrowing limit and 0.25% on the undrawn amount at any other time. Interest and fees are payable quarterly. The Fund may elect to extend the Agreement for a further 364‐day period with the consent of the lending bank. At March 31, 2016, BGB had borrowings outstanding under its Leverage Facility of $330 million, at an interest rate of 1.23%. Due to the short term nature of the Agreement, face value approximates fair value at March 31, 2016. This fair value is based on Level 2 inputs under the three‐tier fair valuation hierarchy (see Note 2). For the quarter ended March 31, 2016, the average borrowings under BGB's Leverage Facility and the average interest rate were $317,670,330 and 1.21%, respectively.

Under the Agreement, the Fund has agreed to certain covenants and additional investment limitations while the leverage is outstanding. The Fund agreed to maintain asset coverage of three times over borrowings. Compliance with the investment restrictions and calculations are performed by the Fund's custodian, The Bank of New York Mellon. As of March 31, 2016, the Fund was in compliance with all required investment limitations and asset coverage requirements related to its leverage.

The use of borrowings to leverage the common shares of the Fund can create risks. Changes in the value of the Fund's portfolio, including securities bought with the proceeds of leverage, are borne entirely by the holders of common shares of the Fund. All costs and expenses related to any form of leverage used by the Fund are borne entirely by common shareholders. If there is a net decrease or increase in the value of the Fund's investment portfolio, the leverage may decrease or increase, as the case may be, the net asset value per common share to a greater extent than if the Fund did not utilize leverage. During periods when BGB is using leverage, the fees paid to the Adviser for advisory services and to ALPS for administrative services are higher than if the Fund did not use leverage because the fees paid are calculated on the basis of the Fund's Managed Assets, which include the assets purchased through leverage. As of March 31, 2016, BGB's leverage represented 32.77% of the Fund’s Managed Assets.

NOTE 5. UNREALIZED APPRECIATION/(DEPRECIATION)

On March 31, 2016, based on a cost of $1,127,391,210 for federal income tax purposes, aggregate gross unrealized appreciation for all securities in which there was an excess of value over tax cost was $5,943,445 and aggregate gross unrealized depreciation for all securities in which there was an excess of tax cost over value was $146,300,734, resulting in net unrealized depreciation of $140,357,289.

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