3000 Two Logan Square
Eighteenth and Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2799
215.981.4000
Fax 215.981.4750
John P. Falco
direct dial: 215.981.4659
direct fax: 866.422.2114
falcoj@pepperlaw.com
July 26, 2016
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |
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Re: |
StoneCastle Financial Corp. (the Company) |
Dear Mr. OConnor:
This letter responds to the oral comments of the staff of the Commission (the Staff) on Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 (Amendment No. 1) to the Companys registration statement on Form N-2 (the Registration Statement) filed with the Commission on March 29, 2016. We appreciate the opportunity to address the Staffs comments regarding certain disclosure in Amendment No. 1. We have organized this letter by setting forth the Staffs comments in italicized text followed by the Companys response.
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Prospectus
1. The amounts provided for one, five and 10 year periods in the expense example provided on page 17 of the Prospectus do not agree with the Staffs calculations. Please review and revise as necessary.
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Response: The Staffs comment has been addressed in the revised Prospectus included in Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 (Amendment No. 2) to the Registration Statement. The expense example amounts for the one, three, five and ten year periods are $93, $194, $293 and $541, respectively.
2. It appears that the expense ratio after waivers for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 disclosed in the Financial Highlights on page 19 do not reflect the Advisers waiver of the management fee that would otherwise be payable in respect of net proceeds to the Company obtained through the shares issued on November 7, 2014 and December 2, 2014.
Response: The waiver from November 7, 2014 through December 31, 2014 of advisory fees did not materially impact the annual expense ratio after waivers for the period because it was only in effect for a limited period and for only that portion of the assets attributable to the shares issued on November 7, 2014 and December 2, 2014.
3. On page 4 under Summary of Principal Risks-Risks related to Our Operations revise the risk disclosure with respect to the Companys investment in CLO equity and junior debt securities (provided in the twelfth bullet) to correspond with more detailed disclosure provided later in the Prospectus
Response: The Staffs comment has been addressed in the revised Prospectus included in Amendment No. 2.
4. With respect the Companys investment in collateralized loan obligations, disclose to the Staff (i) any limitations on the Companys investment in such securities, and (ii) whether the Company controls (as such term is defined under the 1940 Act) Community Funding CLO, Ltd (Community Funding), a CLO issuer of which the Company holds all of the preferred equity shares.
Response: The Companys registration statement permits the Company to operate with leverage through recourse and non-recourse collateralized financings which includes non-recourse collateral loan obligations; however, while investment in collateral loan obligations are permitted there are no investment limitations with respect to the Companys investment in such securities. The Company holds non-voting interest in Community Funding and does not control Community Funding.
5. Confirm that the amounts rebated from the servicer of Community Funding to the Company are included in the other income line item of the Statement of Operations included in the financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and disclose to the Staff the amounts rebated for such period. In future financial statements disclose in the notes the accounting policy for such rebate and the amount of such rebate for the period.
Response: Confirmed. The amounts rebated by the servicer are included in other income and, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, such rebates were approximately $52,740. The notes to the financial statements in subsequent annual and semi-annual reports will disclose the accounting treatment for such rebate and the amount rebated.
As requested by the Staff, accompanying this letter as Exhibit A is the Tandy Letter signed by an officer of the Company.
Please direct any questions concerning this letter to my attention at 215.981.4659, or in my absence to John Ford, at 215.981.4009.
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Very truly yours, |
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/s/ John P. Falco |
cc: |
Ms. Christina DiAngelo Fettig, Senior Staff Accountant, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |
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Rachel N. Schatten, Esq. |
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John M. Ford, Esq. |
EXHIBIT A
StoneCastle Financial Corp.
152 West 57th Street, 35th Floor
New York, New York 10019
July 26, 2016
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |
Division of Investment Management |
100 F Street, N.E. |
Washington, D.C. 20549 |
Attn: James E. OConnor, Senior Counsel |
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Re: |
StoneCastle Financial Corp. (the Company) |
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1940 Act File No. 811-22853 |
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1933 Act File No. 333-204417 |
Dear Mr. OConnor:
In connection with the Companys response to certain written and oral comments received from the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) with respect to the Companys pre-effective amendment no. 1 to its registration statement on Form N-2 filed with the Commission on March 29, 2015 (the Amendment), the Company is providing the following, as instructed:
The Company acknowledges that (i) it is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the Amendment, (ii) Commission staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments in the Amendment reviewed by the staff do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the Amendment, and (iii) the Company may not assert staff comments with respect to the Amendment as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.
Please direct any questions concerning this letter to John P. Falco of Pepper Hamilton LLP, counsel to the Company, at 215.981.4659.
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Very truly yours, |
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/s/ Rachel N. Schatten |
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Rachel N. Schatten, Esq. |
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General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer |
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cc: |
Christina DiAngelo Fettig, Senior Staff Accountant, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |
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John P. Falco, Esq. |